Medicinal properties of plantain seeds
Not only fresh or dried leaves and roots, but also seeds and psyllium husks are actively used to treat many diseases and pathological conditions. The wide area of influence and high efficiency are explained by the peculiarities of the chemical composition of the seeds of this plant. They contain fatty oils, tannins, proteins, carbohydrates, mucus, bitterness (aucuban), as well as organic acids: chlorogenic, vanillic and ascorbic. Plantain seeds contain vitamins C, A and PP, as well as manganese, potassium and selenium.
Ripe plantain seeds are small (2 millimeters long), oblong elements of brown color. They are held on a tall, long stalk-like peduncle.
Plantain and its seeds were first used for treatment in Ancient China. Ancient treatises on medicine contain descriptions of recipes for preparing medicines from the grass and seeds of this plant. The Persian physician Avicenna especially praised the effectiveness of plantain seeds for treating female infertility.
Plantain seeds act in several ways:
- cleansing, detoxification of the body - seeds can absorb toxins and poisons, like a sponge, effectively removing them from the body;
- enveloping effect - when it enters the stomach, the mucus of the seeds is distributed over the inner surface of the organ, eliminating inflammation and pain during gastritis and ulcers;
- antimicrobial - manganese in the seeds has a disinfecting effect, it helps fight microorganisms, eliminating foci of infectious infection;
- immunostimulating - this effect is ensured by the content of ascorbic acid in the seeds, which activates the protective properties of the body;
- wound healing – tannins have a regenerating and drying effect;
- diuretic and decongestant - oleanoic acid in the composition of plantain seeds normalizes metabolic processes and accelerates the removal of excess fluid from the body.
The seeds of this representative of the world of flora are used in the treatment of a variety of diseases. They can act as the main or auxiliary therapeutic agent.
In the next video, herbal specialist Natalia Yurievna Efimenko notes not only that this plant is accessible, but also the ease of making medicines from it. Plantain seeds can treat constipation, get rid of coughs and even cure serious ailments such as infertility:
Undesirable effects
Side effects from frequent use of seeds are as follows:
- Development of allergic reactions to medications containing plantain;
- Dyspeptic disorders when taken orally.
These effects occur extremely rarely. They appear only in case of uncontrolled use. It is important to remember that the use of any drug prepared at home requires consultation with a specialist.
Many people know about the beneficial and medicinal properties of plantain leaf and are often used for treatment. Few people realize that its seeds and husks are no less useful.
It grows almost everywhere. Even in places where it seems like nothing should grow.
It is well known as the first remedy for cuts and insect bites. If there is no first aid kit, and a plantain grows nearby, many people apply leaves to the wound or the site of an insect bite.
Plantain is an excellent remedy for coughs and stomach diseases. Helps with gum inflammation and toothache.
But not many people know about the medicinal properties of seeds. They don’t even suspect that they have no less beneficial properties than leaves. And they can be difficult to find in a pharmacy. Meanwhile, this is an excellent way to cleanse the intestines of waste and toxins. And not only.
Read on the topic: Expensive medicinal properties and contraindications
Indications for use
Plantain seeds have an extensive list of uses; they are effective in treating the following diseases:
- gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice, colitis, stomach or duodenal ulcer, enteritis) - internal intake of dried plantain seeds, filled with water;
- diverticulitis and other intestinal diseases - consumption of dry psyllium seeds;
- constipation - a decoction of plantain seeds, or the use of seeds ground into powder (you can use a coffee grinder for this);
- inflammation of the respiratory organs and tract (asthma, bronchitis, or dry cough) - an infusion of plant seeds is used internally;
- for inflammation of the eyes - a compress made from a decoction of plantain seeds;
For men
For male infertility, systematic internal administration of a decoction of the plant's seeds is recommended. Plantain seeds are very useful for men; they improve the motor activity of sperm and increase libido. Baths with the addition of a decoction of plantain leaves are also useful.
For women
In case of hormonal imbalances, including those leading to female infertility, internal use of a decoction of plantain seeds is recommended. Cystitis and inflammation of the genitourinary organs can be cured by taking a decoction of the seeds and douching with this remedy.
To heal cracked nipples during lactation, a compress is made from an infusion of the seeds of this plant. Adhesions of the fallopian tubes (as a result of inflammation), lack of ovulation are treated with internal use of a decoction of plantain seeds.
Plantain seeds for weight loss
When losing weight, plantain seeds accelerate the removal of toxins, waste, excess fluid from the body, and also get rid of bad cholesterol. They should be taken in dried form, on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning.
The bitterness present in this phytocomponent is considered a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking on an empty stomach, the seeds dull hunger pangs and help you eat smaller portions at breakfast, lunch and dinner. With regular use of this remedy, hunger is easier to bear.
Plantain seeds
Causes of infertility in men
We are talking about male infertility if a woman is healthy, but pregnancy does not occur. Most often, sperm motility and quality are impaired. This leads to:
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They are caused by various pathogens (chdamydia, gonococci, trichomonas) and are diagnosed late.
- Congenital anomalies of the genitourinary system.
- Consequences of surgical interventions - for a hernia in the bladder or inguinal.
- Complication after parotitis.
- Severe chronic diseases (tuberculosis, cirrhosis of the liver).
- The result of radiation or chemotherapy, hormone treatment, drug use, alcoholism.
All of the above reasons cause organic or severe functional changes in the genital area, which often leads to irreversible disorders of spermatogenesis and sperm motility. This is the so-called secretory infertility.
Obstructive male infertility develops if an obstacle to the removal of sperm has formed: a tumor, a cyst, a scar.
Immunological – associated with an autoimmune process in the body. It has not been sufficiently studied and is difficult to treat with modern medical methods.
Contraindications for use
If you decide to undergo treatment or recovery with the help of products based on plantain seeds, you should first familiarize yourself with their contraindications. Thus, for ulcers or gastritis with high acidity of gastric juice, these herbal remedies are prohibited. They should not be given to children under 3 years of age. There is no reason to believe that medications from the seeds of this plant are harmful to pregnant women, but they may be poorly accepted by the child, so you will have to abstain from such natural therapy while carrying a baby.
It is also prohibited to drink plantain medicines for anyone who has a tendency to form blood clots.
Allergy sufferers should very carefully begin treatment with decoctions and infusions based on plantain seeds, since their body may react negatively to the components in the medications.
Cleansing the body
Pour 3-10 g of seeds with water or compote. Leave to swell for 4 - 6 hours. Then drink them along with the water in which they were immersed, half an hour before meals or an hour and a half after meals. Make sure you drink plenty of clean water, at least 2 liters. in a day.
The seeds swell in the intestinal tract and absorb water from the body. Not getting enough can cause dehydration, constipation and even suffocation.
For constipation
Surprisingly, the seeds can help relieve constipation. To treat constipation, crush the seeds into powder. Take 0.5 teaspoon before meals, rinse with water first. The course of hospitalization continues until the difficulty of normalizing the intestinal tract disappears.
You can prepare a decoction. For this, pour 5 teaspoons of seeds into a glass of boiling water. Remove from heat. Leave the seeds on the fire for about an hour to simmer.
Drink 50 ml of decoction before meals until the problem disappears.
Other diseases
What other benefits do plantain seeds have? They help get rid of other diseases and prevent them:
- Removes cholesterol.
- Protects against heart disease and atherosclerosis.
- Used to treat diabetes.
- Remove toxic substances.
- Treat age-related and childhood enuresis.
A decoction based on plantain seeds eliminates eye inflammation (make compresses).
How are plantain seeds used in folk medicine?
Seed material collected from plantain is used in dry form for internal use; decoctions and infusions are also made from the seeds. The method of preparation of the product depends on the medicinal purposes for which it is prepared.
Decoctions of plantain seeds
To get rid of constipation and improve intestinal function, you need to prepare a decoction of the seeds of this plant according to the following recipe: pour 1 tablespoon of the herbal remedy with 1 glass of boiling water, bring everything to a boil in a water bath, then remove from the heat, let cool and strain. Liquid is taken at one time, regardless of meals.
For male infertility, the following decoction is prepared: 1 tablespoon of dry plant seeds is poured into 1 glass of water, brought to a boil and boiled for 5 minutes. Then everything is removed from the heat, left for half an hour and filtered. You need to take 2 tablespoons 4 times a day, regardless of meals.
Infusion of plantain seeds
For women's ailments, it is useful to prepare a water infusion from plantain seeds, enhancing its effect with rose hips, lemongrass and tribulus. The medicine is prepared as follows: all natural ingredients should be mixed in equal quantities, then they should be crushed and 2 tablespoons of the resulting substance should be poured with 250 grams of boiling water. As soon as the liquid has cooled and become warm, it should be strained and mixed with 2 teaspoons of honey. This medicine is taken 1 teaspoon three times a day, regardless of meals. The course of treatment for female infertility ranges from 3 to 5 months.
of asthma, bronchitis and cough : one and a half teaspoons of seeds are poured into 1 glass of boiling water, left for half an hour, then strained. The drug should be taken warm, 4 times a day, 15 minutes before meals, a single serving is 1 tablespoon.
The seeds can be taken internally by first filling them with water (to make it easier to swallow). They are also ground in a coffee grinder or crushed in a mortar and eaten with food. Both uses have a laxative effect.
We also recommend reading: Effective use of cough syrup with plantain. Cough is one of the most common symptoms of diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lungs. An effective and common natural therapy is plantain cough syrup.
We treat constipation quickly
How can you use psyllium seeds to combat constipation? To begin treatment, it is necessary to bring the seeds to the state in which their effect on the intestines will be most effective. There are two main options for taking the seeds - let them absorb more liquid before consuming, or wash down the crushed seeds with a significant amount of clean water.
- Decoction of plantain seeds. The decoction should be prepared before use. A tablespoon of plantain seeds is mixed with boiled water. Bring the mixture to a boil in a water bath. But do not let the seeds cook, otherwise all the medicinal properties will disappear. The next day you cannot take the decoction!
- Plantain seed mucilage. Prepare before use because mold grows quickly at room temperature. Rinse two tablespoons of seeds and pour a glass of hot boiled water. Cool to room temperature. Take the mucus once a day on an empty stomach in the morning or evening. The effect is observed after the first use.
- Psyllium seed powder. Grind the well-dried seeds to a powder. Take the powder from the seeds 3-4 times a day, 1/4 teaspoon a few minutes before meals, wash down with any water, most importantly still.
In order for plantain to produce the desired effect, it is MANDATORY to maintain a drinking regime throughout the entire treatment period. To do this, you need to drink at least 2 liters of clean water a day (soup, tea, etc. don’t count!). If you neglect this rule, constipation can only get worse.
The average duration of treatment should be five days. In most cases, this period is sufficient to normalize the evacuation function of the intestine. If this does not happen within 10 days, then you should stop taking it.
Reviews and expert opinion
Reviews from people who have been treated with natural remedies based on plantain seeds are mostly positive. Decoctions and infusions are gentle, but the effect of taking them comes quite quickly. True, to cure such serious diseases as infertility or chronic inflammation of the genitourinary organs, long-term, systematic use is needed.
Medicines can be the main or additional therapeutic agent. If you follow their dosage and rules of use, then no side effects are observed.
Not only herbalists and naturopaths, but also doctors speak positively about medicines based on plantain seeds. Phytotherapist Sofya Mikhailovna Nagornyak notes the high effectiveness of plantain seed in the treatment of male infertility:
Infertility in women
In women, in addition to congenital diseases and abnormal structure of the genital organs, the main causes are:
- Tubal infertility – organic or severe functional obstruction of the fallopian tubes – 30%.
- Endocrine – for various hormonal disorders. This group includes infertility associated with disturbances of the menstrual cycle and ovulation.
- Immune – the presence of an antisperm antigen in the body. This is a complex pathology, difficult to diagnose, and no specific treatment methods have been found.
These changes require serious and long-term treatment - surgical or medicinal. But many types of infertility have not yet been fully studied (such as immune infertility), and methods for curing them have not been found.