Plantain is one of the most praised herbs in history, and was used in Antiquity to cure headaches and as an antidote to poisonous bites. Herbals dating from the 1500's and 1600's are full of recipes and uses for plantain. It was considered to be almost a panacea - a cure-all. Recent researches have also shown its wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties, excellent anti-aging and anti-wrinkle properties as it works on reducing the appearance of fine lines, dark circles under eyes, droopy eyelids and dark spots related to aging.
Plantain is very high in beta carotene (A) and calcium. It also provides ascorbic acid (C), and vitamin K. Among the more notable chemicals found in plantain are allantion, apigenin, aucubin, baicalein, linoleic acid, oleanolic acid, sorbitol, and tannin. Together these constituents are thought to give plantain mild anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihemorrhagic, and expectorant actions. Aucubin has been reported in the Journal Of Toxicology as a powerful anti-toxin. Allantoin has been proved to promote wound healing, speed up cell regeneration, and have skin-softening effects.
