Plantain, or Ribwort, for Chest Colds that won't go away

Helps clear up mucus congestion

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This well-known "weed," familiar to us all, grows in meadows and along roadsides. Plantain or ribwort (Plantago lanceolata) was used as a medicinal plant over 2,000 years ago to prevent bleeding, for blood cleansing, cramps, fever, gastritis, enteritis and as an expectorant. One of its more prominent proponents was Paracelsus who praised the plant's drying and astringent effects on tissues.

A chemical analysis shows the presence of trace elements, enzymes and a glycoside - aucubin - which merits special attention as an antibiotic. The latter is fully preserved in the stabilized cellular ribwort juice. Plantain, like the dandelion, assimilates traces of zinc from the soil. It also contains organic acids, saccharides and tannins. Probably the combination of these various substances in their natural proportion accounts for plantain juice's therapeutic effect. And analysis of minerals found in the ashes of this plant reveals the presence of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sulphur and silicones, with a marked preponderance of potassium and silica.

Modern application of plantain juice is essentially based on its outstanding anti-inflammatory qualities in acute as well as chronic mucus congestion of the respiratory tract. It also yields excellent results with persistent catarrhs of the bronchial tube.

As part of the spring cleansing and blood rejuvenating juice therapy, plantain juice is successfully combined with nettle, dandelion and celery juice. Together they effect a general purification and energizing of the whole system.