Originating from the east of India and neighboring countries, it has gained popularity over centuries and has been taken to America, Africa, Palestine and Egypt by invaders and visitors making it commercially the most important tropical fruit now. Often called the most delicious thing in the world, the seedless fruit has gained the status of the staple food of millions around the world, so much so that the soft ripe banana is the first solid food given to babies.

Characteristics

Vitamins - The ripe fruit is a rich source of Vit-A and a moderate source of vitamins C,B and B2. The unripe fruit is an excellent source of vitamins which do not perish even after cooking at temperatures upto 60°C

Minerals - Magnesium, potassium and phosphorus are some of the minerals present abundantly in the fruit and calcium and iron are others moderately found in it.

Sugar - The numerous varieties of banana contain glucose levels varying between 15 and 27 percent.

Fibre - The stem is rich in fibre and is cooked as a curry in banana - growing regions. Even the inflorescence is made into a curry in the north-eastern regions.

Strictly speaking, the term plantain is used for the cooking variety of banana, though now, both terms are used intermixed.

How it looks - It is a fleshy, decorative tall herb with long sheathing leaves and bright yellow fruits (on ripening)

What we use - Root, leaves, fruit, stem

What it does -

Roots - anthelmintic, antiscorbutic, depurative and tonic
Fruits - sweet, astringent, emollient, aphrodisiac, anthelmintic antidiabetic, antidysenteric

Herbal Medicines

In urinary retention - Take a glassful of the stem juice with a few cardamom seeds crushed into it thrice a day to get rid of painful or burning urination and to dissolve tiny urinary stones.
In anaemia - Take a tsp of the powder of the dried root with milk twice a day.
In wounds - Tie the ripe, clean leaves onto the wounds, to clear it from pus and foul odour. Change this dressing twice a day.
In white discharge - One of the best remedies for excessive vaginal discharge is to mix a tsp of the powder of dried amla seeds and a ripe banana everyday for at least 40 days.
In constipation - A ripe banana with hot milk at bedtime every night is a well known smooth laxative for hard bowels.
In menorrhagia or any other bleeding condition - The fruit of plantain should be consumed everyday mixed with ghee to arrest bleeding either from rectum due to piles, excessive menstrual bleeding, or any other internal bleeding.
In cough and breathing disorders - Roast a banana and peel it after cooling. The banana, so baked should be consumed everyday to relieve from respiratory distress.
When hair is swallowed - Make a curry of plantain stem and consume. The roughage present in it rolls into its bulk hair and other matter present in the alimentary canal and eliminates them .
In boils - Scrape the inside of a ripe banana peel, spread it on a cloth and bandage on to the boil to effect quick healing.
In burns - In an emergency, when nothing is available a banana comes in handy. Mash a yellow ripe banana and spread it over the burn. The demulcent effect of the fruit quickens healing and prevents scar formation. Repeat this procedure for a few days.
In fungal infections - Mix the yellmv ripe banana in neem decoction and apply on the patches and w ash after half an hour. Repeat until cure is effected.
As a cosmetic - The fruit pulp is mixed in honey or used as such as a face mask.

	Bistort
	Blue Flag
	Fennel
	Flax
	Galangal
	Glucosamine
	Gossypol
	Indigo
	Irish Moss
	Jojoba
	Khat
	Khella
	Lady's Mantle
	Lovage
	Red Poppy
	Rose Hips
	Rosemary
	Saffron
	Spirulina
	Stone Root
	Sweet Violet
	Thyme
	True Unicorn Root
	Wild Ginger
	Wild Yam
	Witch Hazel

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