By Philippe Mathelet
Plantain: against allergies
Plantains are soothing and emollient, while also being astringent. They will therefore be useful to facilitate healing, calm inflammations but also soothe irritated throats.
Plantain: anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory
We walk on it, trample it without seeing it on lawns and yet, this plant has been our companion since antiquity…
Sacred plant of the Gauls, prescribed by Dioscorides, recommended by Pliny for 24 diseases and appreciated by Galen for its vulnerary virtues, this plant accompanies our history.
Even Shakespeare alludes to its healing action in his plays. In the 18th century, in England, it was common to hang small bouquets of plantain in coaches, it was then called "road bread".
The Native Americans supposedly nicknamed it "White man's foot" because plantain seeds were carried by the colonists' soles.
All plantains (greater plantain, intermediate plantain, lesser plantain or ribwort plantain) have almost the same virtues.
Plantains are both soothing and emollient, while also being astringent.
They will therefore be useful to facilitate healing, calm inflammations but also soothe irritated throats.
The haemostatic action of the leaves stops bleeding, so useful against small cuts and other grazes.
In cooking, young leaves have a very pleasant mushroom taste in salads while the older ones will be used in soups and vegetable terrines.
As for the seeds, ripe and harvested in dry weather, they will be used, after drying, as supplements in bread dough and crumbles, unless you prefer to give them to our bird friends.
Herbalists and phytotherapy enthusiasts recommend soothing infusions for colds, coughs and bronchitis, these same infusions can be used as a lotion for irritated skin and against ringworm and eczema.
The juice of fresh leaves is used against stings while the maceration of seeds in water is laxative.
Plantain provides significant support during oral care and against jaw pain but, in alcoholic maceration, it will prove a key ally to fight allergies and autoimmune diseases because the whole plant is antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
Note, for our farmer friends, that ribwort plantain is a plant of the best meadows and that it is essential for the health of livestock, particularly sheep.
So, let us rediscover this precious travelling companion.
These articles are for information only and are neither medical advice, nor a diagnosis, nor a prescription.
The articles in this section reflect the experience and reading of their author, who does not practise any medical profession. They are published for information and never replace a consultation with a doctor or pharmacist. Food supplements are not medicines. If you are under treatment, pregnant, breastfeeding or ill, ask a health professional before any use.