Our ancestors often used it, both in the kitchen and as a natural remedy: the lance-leaved plantain is one of the most common spontaneous medicinal herbs in our country and can be used for the preparation of infusions, tinctures, and healing syrups.
The lance-leaved plantain is a spontaneous herbaceous plant that grows almost everywhere in our countryside and belongs to the same family as the broad-leaved plantain, the latter being different due to its wider leaves.
In peasant tradition, plantain was used as a “first aid” remedy, to the point that an old peasant saying stated that “the path to plantain is shorter than the path to the doctor.”
Obviously, this plant cannot replace the doctor, but it still offers healing properties that should not be ignored, and we list them below.
The lance-leaved plantain contains flavonoids, iridoids, mucilage, tannins, and minerals, all very rich in health benefits.
It is a plant that stands out for its relaxing and expectorant action, toning of the mucous membranes, antispasmodic, anticatarrhal, healing, and hemostatic.
The lance-leaved plantain can be used in the following ways:
Tincture: Take 3 to 5 ml (60 drops – 1 teaspoon) 3 times a day to combat catarrh or digestive problems, such as gastritis or irritable bowel syndrome. Juice: Use dried leaves to prepare a juice and take 2 teaspoons 3 times a day. This helps fight cystitis, diarrhea, and lung infections. You can also apply the juice to wounds. Infusion: Drink a cup 3 times a day to combat mucus. Use the infusion to gargle and relieve a sore throat. Syrup: Add 225 grams of sugar to 300 ml of infusion and take 5 ml (1 teaspoon) to relieve sore throats and coughs. Compresses: Crush the green leaves to prepare a poultice for slow-healing wounds or chronic ulcers. Also useful in case of insect bites.
Now that you know all the wonderful properties of lance-leaved plantain, the next time you see one, pick it up and try to use it: it’s a wonder of nature.