We all know about the healing properties of plantain in childhood. How many times, having broken a knee or tearing off an elbow, we tore off a plantain leaf while running, applied it to a wound and fled further on our urgent children's affairs.
It turns out that they knew that plantain can be treated long before the advent of our era. Historians, archaeologists, pharmacologists have reliably established that the ancients used this useful herb to heal wounds, treat intestinal diseases, and strengthen the body.
Is plantain really so useful? Its use is based on the action of many useful substances: vitamins of the group C, K, volatile, carotene, which are part of it. Magic grass is used by traditional and alternative medicine, cosmetology, homeopathy. It normalizes the metabolism, fills the body with the most necessary trace elements and vitamins.
Plantain got its name due to the fact that it is often found along roads, paths. 250 species of this plant are common in fields, in wastelands, forest glades of the whole world. It is called differently everywhere: hepatica, wanderer, companion.
The plant is a perennial grass with a stalk bare from the base and leaves similar to a lancet. The color of plantain is a spikelet that appears in mid-summer.
For medicinal or cosmetic purposes, grass leaves with the speaking name plantain are collected. Dried seeds are also used, which retain the healing properties of more than 3 years.
Plantain juice is part of many medicines that have an expectorant effect. It is a component of Broncholitin, Bromhexine, Pertussin, and many other medicines.
The leaves of a fellow traveler are rich in mucous substances, therefore, decoctions are prepared from them for the treatment of gastric and intestinal inflammations. Healers propose to treat gastritis with hepatica. A composition of a fellow traveler, sushitsy, St. John's wort, centaury, knotweed taken in 4 parts, and mint, yarrow, calamus taken in 1 part will do. Brewed with boiling water, the mixture should be infused in the dark for 10 hours. Daily use of half a glass after a meal will very quickly help get rid of pain.
With an ulcer, plantain also helps. The use of this herb along with a succession of celandine and St. John's wort will significantly accelerate recovery. If you drink freshly squeezed or canned juice in a spoon a day, you can get rid of colitis, dyspepsia. An infusion of leaves treats impotence, bronchitis, tuberculosis. Fresh leaves, crushed into gruel, heal abscesses, burns, abrasions well.
Beauticians are also very fond of plantain. The use of this plant in masks, lotions or creams will help make the skin radiant, clean and attractive. An infusion of dry leaves brewed with milk perfectly refreshes and nourishes dry skin, and an infusion of water is prepared to cleanse normal or aging skin. Men can apply compresses from the plantain after shaving - this is a good way to get rid of irritation.
In what other areas is plantain known? Its use in cooking is news to many. Nevertheless, dishes from this plant have been prepared for a long time. There is no need to talk about the benefits of such food: properly prepared, the herb retains all its healing properties.
Guests can be pampered with unusual tea made from the leaves of a hepatica, oregano and mint. An infused broth for several hours can be added to a regular drink, or you can just drink it with ice. Salad from plantain, nettle, celery, colza, quinoa and green onion will be even more piquant. Only the youngest leaves can be taken for such a salad. Plantain can also be added to soup or borsch. It will give the dish a mild, fresh taste.
When collecting a fellow traveler, you need to remember that the grass growing along the roads absorbs all the harmful substances and is not suitable for consumption.