Plantain helps in treating respiratory tract diseases, effective in maintaining digestive health, effective in weight control and also helps in boosting brain function. It is rich in anti-oxidants and contain potassium, Vitamin A.

Plantains look very similar to bananas but that is not the case. They are less – sweet and starchier when compared to the similar looking bananas. They are either a weed or herb grown in temperate climates. Plantains are almost always cooked before consuming as it tastes quite awful when it’s consumed raw. Plantains are a staple diet of the people residing in the tropical.

15 Must Know Benefits of Plantain for Kids

Plantain leaves have been in use for a pretty long time. Their traditional use for curing various health related diseases dates back to the 1500s. Some of the important health benefits from plantain are-

Treating respiratory tract diseases

Plantain has rich anti – inflammatory property. Owing to this plantain helps to soothe the inflamed respiratory tract and bronchial passageways in cases of infections such as cold, bronchitis or flu. You can extract plantain juice and give one teaspoon of this to your child thrice a day.

You can also make a cup of plantain tea to soothe the irritated mucous membranes thus relieving your child of cold and cough.

Natural diuretic properties

Plantain is an important natural cure for treating inflammatory conditions of kidneys and bladder. Plantain is a natural diuretic and demulcent thus helping in frequent urination and elimination of toxins. It can also be used as a cure for treating bed wetting conditions in children.

Effective in maintaining digestive health

Plantain is rich in fibre content. Fibre promotes bowel regularity and also helps to soften stool and increases stool’s overall size and weight.

This is helpful in preventing constipation as bulky stools are much easier to pass. Fibre also increases fullness of the stomach, slows digestion, and may help manage cholesterol. It is also believed that consuming a high fibre diet helps to reduce chances of haemorrhoids and diverticulitis.

Effective in weight control

Plantains comprise of complex carbohydrates and fibre which takes longer time to be processed and digested than simple carbohydrates do. Thus they help in increasing the fullness of the stomach after eating thus preventing consumption of unhealthy snacks.

Rich in anti – oxidants

Plantains are loaded in Vitamin C and this is essential as it acts as an anti – oxidant and helps in boosting the immune system. The anti – oxidants help to protect the body against the harmful effects of free radicals and also some types of cancer.

Contain potassium

Potassium is necessary for proper regulation of heart beat and also helps in enabling the muscles to function normally. Moreover, potassium also helps to maintain the digestive health and bones too.

Contain Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for maintain immunity, eyesight, differentiation o tissues of the body and also reproduction. Inculcating a habit of consuming plantains in your diet proves to be quite beneficial.

Help in boosting brain function

Plantains contain Vitamin B6, pyridoxine that is important for generating several important neurotransmitters in the nervous system. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers which communicate in the nervous system and boost our thinking, processing and working.

Vitamin B6 also helps in lowering homocysteine levels. Hyperhomocystinemia is linked with several heart diseases. Vitamin B6 similar to Vitamin A also promotes eyesight by preventing macular degeneration.

Plantains help to reduce the incidence of aspirin induced ulcers

Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin taken to relieve of pain can cause gastric ulcers. Plantains help in generating the lining of stomach thus decreasing the incidence of ulcers caused by nsaids.

Plantains are an excellent source of magnesium

• The dietary intake of magnesium has become quite minimal due to western diets and depletion of the top layer of soil in farming. But plantains are an excellent source of magnesium. Consumption of adequate quantities of magnesium helps to avert or reverse osteoporosis at later ages.  It can also help reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus
• It is believed that magnesium is associated with treating migraines, insomnias and depression.

Plantains help in strengthening bones

Unripe plantain is rich in calcium and encourages in strengthening bones, nails and teeth.

Other important health benefits of plantains are-

Effective in relieving sunburns

Being packed with tannins, mucilage and aucubin, plaintain has important anti – irritant and expectorant properties. Plantain is also rich in anti – bacterial and anti- septic properties. You can use this to your advantage by extracting the juice and apply it on the affected area. With the anti – inflammatory property it soothes burning and anti – bacterial property helps to prevent itching.

Helps in preventing bleeding

Plantain can be used in cases of minor injuries owing to its anti – septic property. You can either chew the plantain leaf or apply it topically on the bleeding site.

Plantain as an anti – dandruff

Plantain has been used for a long time to treat dandruff and flaky scalp.

Helps in treating acne and rosacea

Owing to the anti – inflammatory property of plantain topical application of this to treat skin diseases such as acne and rosacea. It also helps to prevent scarring by fastening regeneration of skin cells and healing too.

Nutritional facts associated with plantain

When cooked plantains are very similar to potatoes in consideration of calories but contain more vitamins and minerals. They are packed with fibbers, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and minerals magnesium and potassium.

Nutritional facts of plantain are-

Conclusion

Plantain is a herb which is a staple diet of topical region. Plantain is packed with several vitamins and nutrients, fibre which is essential to the diet.

Eating plantain regularly aids in proper digestion, preventing constipation, boosting immunity, aiding in weight loss, treating respiratory tract diseases, promoting eyesight and also in boosting brain function.

References

https://draxe.com/plantains/

https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-plantains-3634.html

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/plantain-nutrition-benefits#digestion