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Plantain
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/2000/Ethnobotany/common_plantain.html
Plantain was hailed by Pliny as a cure for the “madness of dogs”, and Erasmus claimed it to be an antidote for spider bite toxins. It was also said that if someone was bitten by a mad dog, rubbing plantain on the bite would heal it. Native Americans used it as an antidote to snakebite venom by rubbing its juices on the wound. It was listed as one of the nine sacred herbs in Anglo-Saxon medicine because of its healing powers. It was used as a cure for disorders of the kidney, a remedy for worms, a diuretic, and a cure for hemorrhoids, as well as a laxative.
Current use of plantain is the commercially significant extraction of its mucilage – a carbohydrate fiber that is used in gentle laxatives. Ironically, plantain infusions can be used to halt diarrhea. Mucilage also acts as an appetite suppressant and reduces intestinal absorption of fat and bile. It reduces LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Plantain is commonly used as an astringent; its juice, when rubbed on an insect bite or bee sting, immediately sooths the area and begin the healing process. Plantain may also stop poison ivy from blistering and itching if applied to the skin immediately after contact. Plantain is still considered a diuretic; in addition, it is used as an expectorant and decongestant. It is also thought to sooth the throat and is taken to relieve laryngitis. Finally, when chewed, plantain acts as a breath freshener. If eaten early enough in the spring, plantain leaves are said to make a tasty cooked vegetable dish.
Clinical studies have verified plantain’s astringent properties; research has been conducted into the possible connection between allergic responses and the inhalation or ingestion of psyllium (see Arlian, Vyszenski-Moher, Lawrence, Schrotel, Ritz; 1992).
http://www.liv.ac.uk/researchintelligence/issue27/medicalfood.html
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http://www.vitaminstuff.com/herbs-plantain.html
Plantain contains allantoin, an anti-inflammatory phytochemical that kills germs, speeds wound healing, and stimulates the growth of new skin cells
