Plantain Tincture & Benefits
USES FOR PLANTAIN
When made into a tea or tincture, plantain can be consumed internally for the following ailments:
- Indigestion
- Heartburn
- Ulcers
- Chest congestion relief
- Treatment of mouth sores and sore throats (gargle tincture or tea)
When made into a poultice (using a mortar and pestle), plantain can be used to help the following:
- Broken bones
- Snake and insect bites
- As an anti-inflammatory
- Help with healing of wounds and cuts
- Pain or itchiness caused by skin conditions
- Treatment of acne
- Relief of sunburn
The reason(s) I have decided to have this tincture on hand is for a few reasons listed above. I suffer from digestion issues and I will be foraging for more plantain in the next few days to make a plantain infused oil; which I can turn into a salve. Summer is here and I have been chomped on by mosquitoes, bugs and constantly feel the need to itch my skin. I wish I had known about this weed a few years ago when I fractured my femur. The PAIN was excruciating and, of course, the ER doctor wanted to prescribe me some prescription Schedule 1 opioids; to which I said no and stuck with taking over-the-counter Motrin and dealt with the discomfort.
Over the weekend in my down time (hubby is back on the 12 hour shifts plus weekend 8 hour shifts so I had some free time for myself) I watched tons of Dtube and YouTube videos about gardening, cannabis and some cooking recipe videos. I found myself watching a few about plantain and EVERY SINGLE person said... "You can find plantain EVERYWHERE". I shook my head and thought... "I have NEVER seen it HERE!"
So I went outside in the evening to check on the plants and greenhouses and low and behold, guess what I found? YUP- plantain! While it was only four plants, I still found it! I even used my cell phone app to double check the leaves identity.
So this morning before heading out for my weekly errands excursion, I harvested the four plants I found, washed them and let them air dry a little then made the tincture.
Plantain Tincture Recipe
- Plantain leaves cleaned and macerated in a clean glass jar
- 80-100/percent proof Vodka
Store for 4-6 weeks in a dark cupboard. Then transfer to a dark-colored glass jar and seal.
I have had a few conflicting usage amounts from various places online and from YouTube channels. Some say a few drops under the tongue as needed; while a few others said up to 1-2 teaspoons a day as needed.
NOTE: So please research and use at your own discretion
I will be out over the next week looking for more so I can make the infused oil for the salve.
I JUST LOVE foraging and discovering new plants, leaves, flowers and weeds to use for medicinal purposes!
