Is Banana a Herb?
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Debbie
Posted on: January 23, 2002

Is a banana a herb?

Just about every plant has some use – that’s the way we think at Richters. So, yes, even the banana has a herbal use.

According to Andrew Chevallier’s book "The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants" (available from Richters) unripe bananas and their near relatives, plantains, are astringent and are used to treat diarrhea. The leaves can be made into a syrup for coughs and other respiratory prblems such as bronchitis. The root too is astringent and is powerful enough to stop coughing up of blood.

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