En Español (Spanish Version) - What is Plantain Used for Today?
- Safety Issues Plantain (not to be confused with the relative
of the banana known by the same name) is a small weed often
found in cultivated fields and at the edge of lawns.
Traditionally, the crushed leaves were applied to the skin to
treat wounds and bites, a leaf tincture was used for coughs, and
the dried leaf was taken internally for the treatment of
bronchitis, ulcers, epilepsy, and liver problems. Very weak
evidence, too weak to rely upon at all, has been used to
indicate that topical plantain is helpful for skin conditions,
including poison ivy and Similarly weak evidence from two
studies performed in Bulgaria hint that oral plantain may be
helpful for Plantain extracts do appear to have anti-
inflammatory effects, at least in the test tube. However, unlike
most pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory drugs, which work on the
cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) systems,
one study suggests that plantain may work in a different