Plantain Tincture

Plantain has exceptional healing and soothing qualities, both externally and internally, as well as a nourishing and versatile tonic.

Plantain is mentioned in Lacnunga, one of the Anglo Saxon medicine texts, as being one of the nine sacred herbs.

It can be most helpful for a damaged intestinal lining (ulcers, gastritis, irritable bowel, bleeding piles, diarrhoea, indigestion/heartburn, constipation), or a damaged lining of the urinary tract.

Many people have a ‘low-grade’ irritation and inflammation of their digestive and urinary tracts. The degree of damage to the gut or the urinary tract can vary from a little to a lot. Sometimes there will be diverse symptoms or pain, bloating and disturbed bowel or bladder function, sometimes people only know that they are much more tired than they should be and they feel that they are not getting the goodness from their food or that they have an irritated bladder with no obvious reason for it. Plantain can offer much to help heal the damaged gut or urinary system.

It is also soothing for inflamed and sore lung membranes, making it ideal for coughs and mild bronchitis, effectively loosening and expelling phlegm and congestion and treating hoarseness.
Plantain makes a great addition to herbal cough syrups and can be so soothing.

Plantain is also perfect in a healing balm externally for all wounds & bites, staunch hemorrhage and ease wounds and bleeding cuts by contracting blood vessels.

Plantain contains potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, fiber and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, C and K.
It is also rich in numerous phytochemicals, including glycosides, phenols, allantoin, salicylic acid, and tannins.

Plantain is also an excellent herb for the mouth, great in the relief of inflamed gums and tooth infections. The tincture can be used for this purpose as a mouthwash.

Plantain Leaf herbal extract contains salicylic acid, the natural property of synthetic aspirin, and it has been effective in relieving pain, including neuralgic pain. An infusion of the herb has been used in the ear for ear infections, as long as the eardrum has not burst, to ease the pain and shorten the duration.

It is also believed to help those who wish to "kick the habit" to stop smoking, by including Plantain tincture in a gargle.

Spiritually/emotionally, Plantain can aid us with strength and the ability to weather storms, but with a calm pliability and tenacity instead of an overblown 'I am not going to move, you will have to go around me' mentality. Plantain is also said to prevent nightmares!

It's easy to discard a herb like Plantain just because of its very 'ordinary' nature. This would be a mistake; some of the most powerful herbs in nature have the most unassuming of shapes!

Dilute in water to the ratio of 2.5 ml of tincture to 1/2 cup of water.