Plantago ovata is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean (Southern Europe, North Africa, West Asia). Traditional use of psyllium fiber in plant form mirrors its common uses today.[1] However, traditionally, it has also been touted as a functional food and medicine for wound healing, bowel inflammation, and even pain throughout traditional Chinese, Brazilian, Indian, and Iranian medicine.[2]
Forty-two different First Nations tribes of the Americas (notably the Cherokee and Iroquois tribes) are known to use or have used psyllium in traditional healing of over 40 different conditions and ailments. The most frequently cited uses for psyllium among First Nations tribes include as a general aid for dermatological or gastrointestinal complaints and as a burn dressing.[3]
References
- ^Sarfraz RM, Khan H, Maheen S, Afzal S, Akram MR, Mahmood A, Afzal K, Abrar MA, Akram MA, Andaleeb M, Haider I, Abbas K, Yasmeeni TPLANTAGO OVATA: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON CULTIVATION, BIOCHEMICAL, PHARMACEUTICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS.Acta Pol Pharm.(2017 May)
- ^Zhang S, Hu J, Sun Y, Tan H, Yin J, Geng F, Nie SReview of structure and bioactivity of the Plantago (Plantaginaceae) polysaccharides.Food Chem X.(2021 Dec 30)
- ^Moerman, Daniel ENative American Ethnobotany: A Database of Foods, Drugs, Dyes and Fibers of Native American Peoples, Derived from Plants; University of Michigan-Dearborn, cited May 2024(2023 Oct)