The traveler, or "growing along the roads ..."
 That's what our ancestors called plantain. Its Latin name Plantago major comes from two Latin words - "sole" and "follow".

The genus of about 260 species of plantains, 27 of them can be found on the territory of Russia, but we are most known Waybread . That it grows almost everywhere in the village and in the city, and in the dumps and vacant lots, on the field and forest roads, in gardens and orchards ...

Plantain - Plantago major- perennial, rarely biennial herbaceous plant of the family plantaginaceae to 20-25 cm tall. The rhizome is a plant short mochkovidnoe with lots of fine roots. Large, wide egg-shaped green leaves on long stalks, with pronounced veins collected in the rosette. One or more lines of flower arrows can reach heights 10-35sm.

Small greenish-brownish or pinkish-green flowers clustered in a tight elongated ear. It flowers from May to the end of the summer. Fruit - two-alopecia box, with small flat seeds. Fruits ripen from July until late autumn. When ripe top boxes are opened and the seeds fall out. One plant can mature up to 50-60 thousand seeds.

The seeds of plantain have tack and with the dust and dirt cling to shoes man and hooves and paws of animals. That is how the plant spread across the world.

 The traveler, or "growing along the roads ..."
   For example, in America, the plantain was not until there arrived the first white people. Now the plant has spread almost throughout Europe, Asia, America ... In some countries it is cultivated, for example, France and Ukraine.

The leaves are large plantain - just a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. They include vitamins: A, K, C; alkaloids, glycosides aukubin, carbohydrates, flavonoids, mucus, volatile, enzymes, resins, bitter and tannins; citric acid, trace elements - potassium, calcium, magnesium, barium, iron, manganese, boron ...

Waybread to treat a variety of diseases used in antiquity. It is known that in China for medical purposes harvested leaves of plantain seeds and more than 3000 years ago. Its healing properties valued ancient Arab and Persian physicians. Plantain used for medicinal purposes ancient Greeks and Romans. Avicenna wrote about plantain. About him not once mentioned in the medical manual of ancient Russia.

- Juice of plantain Made from fresh herbs used for inflammation of the gastric mucosa with low acidity, chronic inflammation of the colon. Take it 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day for half an hour before meals. 1 month course of treatment.

- The infusion of dried leaves   used for pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic bronchial catarrh, asthma, whooping cough, cough, various inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney disease, cholecystitis, dermatitis, jaundice, to lower blood pressure and calm the nervous system. 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry raw pour 1 cup boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, drain, take ¼ cup 3-4 times a day for 30 minutes before eating.

- Inflammation of the eye infusion is used for washing. When inflammation of the gums and mouth, toothache apply rinse of the infusion.

- Take drugs from psyllium bleeding - hemorrhoids, uterine, lung and stomach.

ATTENTION! It is impossible to ingest drugs from plantain in gastric ulcer with high acidity.

- Plantain leaves are applied on insect bites, for abscesses, boils, swelling, wounds, ulcers and cuts.

- Pulp of the leaves is applied to corn.

- In homeopathy preparations from plantain are used for diseases of the nervous system, trigeminal neuralgia, insomnia, acute dental pain.

In cosmetics   used fresh and dried plantain leaves and the juice extracted from freshly harvested leaves.

- Fresh juice of plantain - the best way to wipe the face with the withering and dry skin. Freshly picked, undamaged plantain leaves wash, mince. Juice stored in the refrigerator.

- If wrinkles pure juice of plantain is added to the cream. But only in the part that is going to be used immediately.

- Lotion.   For ½ cup of the juice of plantain add 1-2 tbsp. tablespoons of vodka, shake. Use for normal to oily skin like a regular lotion. The skin becomes smooth appearance, smooth and visibly rejuvenated. This is due to the fact that the substance contains psyllium, regenerating skin.

- It is useful also to wash infusion of plantain Especially in hot sunny days to avoid excessive dryness and thinning of the skin. 1 tbsp. plantain spoon sugar and 1 cup boiling water, leave for 2 hours. Strain, used for washing and compresses. Making a compress, soak needed infusion of towel or cloth and apply on face, blurred moisturizer for half an hour. Then wash the same infusion.

- The mask for dry and aging skin.   A handful of fresh leaves of plantain mince, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey. Apply to face, neck, chest for 20 minutes. Wash with water at room temperature.

Young leaves of plantain in salads, vinaigrettes, soups, used for cooking omelets, side dishes to meat and fish dishes. Frequent addition of psyllium in food rejuvenates from the inside, giving the skin a healthy look smooth and silky hair.

If desired, plantain can be drier and the winter.
Author: Natalia Alexeeva