Commonly used herbal medicine for urinary tract infection and prostatitis – Plantago (Plantain)

Plantago (Plantain) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and folk herbal medicine, which has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxification, diuresis and stranguria, relieving cough and expectoration, cooling blood and stopping bleeding, etc. It is mainly used to treat urinary tract infection, cough and sputum, bleeding symptoms and skin inflammation. Modern research has confirmed that it contains active ingredients such as polysaccharides and flavonoids, and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Plantain – Effects and Functions

1. Diuretic and stranguria-relieving
   Plantago can promote urine production, relieve symptoms such as edema, difficulty urinating, frequent urination and painful urination, and is often used as an auxiliary treatment for urinary tract infection and kidney stones. Its mechanism is related to regulating kidney metabolism and inhibiting pathogens.
2. Clearing away heat and detoxifying

It is traditionally used for sore throat, oral ulcers, carbuncle and swelling caused by heat toxins. Fresh grass is crushed and applied externally to relieve skin inflammation such as mosquito bites, eczema, and mild burns.

3. Cough and expectorant
   The mucus in plantain can lubricate the respiratory tract, relieve cough and sputum symptoms, and has a certain improvement effect on bronchitis and chronic cough.
4. Cooling blood and stopping bleeding
   It has an auxiliary hemostatic effect on nose bleeding, gum bleeding, and mild trauma bleeding caused by blood heat, and can be taken orally or applied externally

Plantago (Plantain) is applicable for the following conditions

1. Urinary System Disorders

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs), cystitis, prostatitis, etc. It can be combined with knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare) and fringed pink (Dianthus superbus) and decocted for oral use.
• For renal edema, it can be paired with poria (Poria cocos) and alisma (Alisma plantago-aquatica).

1. Respiratory Discomfort

• For dry cough or sticky phlegm that is difficult to expel, it is often used with apricot kernel (Semen Armeniacae Amarum) and platycodon root (Platycodon grandiflorus).
• For chronic pharyngitis, Plantago herb can be boiled in water and consumed as a tea substitute.

1. Skin Issues

• Fresh leaves can be crushed and applied topically to relieve mild dermatitis or burns.
• Dried and powdered leaves, mixed with honey, can be applied to eczema-affected areas.

Modern research

1. Plantago (Plantain) has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Plantago polysaccharides and flavonoids can inhibit inflammatory factors (such as TNF-a, IL-6) and reduce inflammatory responses. Experiments show that it is effective for enteritis and arthritis models.
2. Antioxidant and antibacterial
   The extract has an inhibitory effect on common pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus9 and Escherichia coli a, and can scavenge free radicals and delay cell oxidation damage.
3. Potential anti-tumor activity
   Animal experiments have shown that some components in plantain may inhibit tumor growth by inducing apoptosis of cancer cells, but clinical evidence is not yet sufficient.