BANANA PLANTAIN MUSA PARADISIACA

BANANA, PLANTAIN (Musa x paradisiaca L.) ++

Synonym:
M. dacca Horan., M. rosacea Jacq., M. x paradisiaca subsp. sapientum (L.) Kuntze, M. x paradisiaca var. dacca (Horan.) Baker ex K. Schum., M. x sapientum L.

Activities (Banana):
Antacid (f; IED); Antiaggregant (1; JNU; TRA); Antibacterial (1; AAB; TRA; WOI); Antibilious (f; IED); Antidote (1; HAD; TRA); Antidote, arsenic (f; IED); Antidote, opium (f; IED); Antihistaminic (1; MPI); Antioxidant (1; TRA); Antiscorbutic (f; IED); Antiseptic (1; TRA); Antistress (1; ZUL); Antiulcer (1; HH2; MPI; PH2); Aperitif (f; KAB); Aphrodisiac (f; UPW); Astringent (1; TRA); Cardiodepressant (1; MPI); Depurative (1; TRA; WOI); Detoxicant (1; TRA); Diuretic (1; AAB; MPI; TRA); Ecbolic (f; UPW); Emmenagogue (f; UPW); Expectorant (1; TRA); Fungicide (1; HHB; WOI); Hallucinogen (1; HHB); Hemopoietic (1; MPI); Hemostat (f; IED; UPW); Hypertensive (1; UPW); Hypocholesterolemic (f; PH2); Hypoglycemic (1; HHB; MPI); Hypotensive (1; MPI); Immunodepressant (f; ZUL); Immunostimulant (f; ZUL); Memorigenic (f; ZUL); Narcotic (1; PH2); Prebiotic (1; JNU); Tonic (1; JFM; TRA); Vasoconstrictor (1; UPW; WOI); Vermifuge (f; JFM; PH2); Vulnerary (f; KAB).

Indications (Banana):
Abscess (1; AAB); Acid Stomach (f; JFM); Amenorrhea (f; UPW); Anasarca (f; MPI); Anemia (1; JFM; MPI); Anorexia (f; KAB); Atherosclerosis (1; JNU); Ascites (f; KAB); Asthma (f; JFM; UPW); Bacteria (1; AAB; TRA; WOI); Biliousness (f; IED); Bite (f; JFM; MPI; PH2); Bleeding (1; IED; TRA; UPW); Blister (1; AAB); Bronchosis (f; DAV; KAB); Bronchocoele (f; PH2); Burn (1; TRA; UPW); Cancer (f; JFM; JLH); Cancer, colon (1; JNU); Cancer, nose (f; JLH; UPW); Cancer, skin (f; JLH); Cancer, stomach (f; JLH); Cardiopathy (1; JNU; MPI; UPW; WOI); Celiac (1; WOI); Chest Ache (f; JFM); Childbirth (1; AAB; MPI); Cholera (f; KAB); Colic (f; KAB); Colitis (1; WOI); Constipation (f; WOI); Corn (f; JLH); Debility (f; JFM); Dermatosis (f; PH2); Diabetes (1; HHB; IED; PH2; WOI); Diarrhea (1; MPI; PH2; TRA; WOI); Dropsy (f; MPI); Dysentery (f; IED; JFM; MPI; WOI); Dysmenorrhea (f; IED; UPW); Dyspepsia (f; PH2); Dysuria (f; MPI; PH2); Edema (f; MPI); Enterosis (f; MPI; PH2); Epilepsy (f; MPI); Fever (f; DAV; IED; JFM); Fungus (1; HHB; WOI); Gastrosis (f; AAB; MPI; PH2); Gingivosis (1; JFM); Gonorrhea (f; JFM; KAB); Gout (f; DAV; PH2; WOI); Headache (f; JFM); Heartburn (f; IED; KAB); Hematuria (f; MPI); Hemiplegia (f; MPI); Hemorrhoid (f; JFM); High Blood Pressure (1; JFM; JNU; MPI; PH2; WOI); High Cholesterol (1; PH2); Hyperglycemia (1; HHB; MPI); Hysteria (f; MPI); Immunodepression (f; ZUL); Impotence (f; UPW); Infection (1; HHB; TRA; WOI); Inflammation (1; TRA; UPW); Itch (f; DAV; PH2); Jaundice (f; JFM); Leprosy (f; KAB); Leukoderma (1; TRA); Leishmaniasis (f; DAV); Low Blood Pressure (1; UPW); Malaise
(f; UPW); Malaria (f; IED); Marasmus (f; JFM); Menorrhagia (f; KAB); Migraine (f; JFM; UPW);
Morning Sickness (f; UPW); Mycosis (1; HHB; UPW; WOI); Nephrosis (f; PH2; WOI); Neurosis (f; UPW); Ophthalmia (f; KAB); Osteoporosis (1; JNU); Otosis (f; DAV; KAB; UPW); Pain (f; JFM; MPI; PH2); Pertussis (f; SKJ); Pharyngosis (f; PH2); Pulmonosis (1; JFM); Rheumatism (1; TRA; UPW); Rhinosis (f; JLH); Ringworm (f; UPW); Scabies (f; PH2); Shingles (f; JFM); Smallpox (f; MPI); Snakebite (f; JFM; PH2); Sore (f; JFM; JLH); Sore Throat (f; JFM); Sprue (1; WOI); Sting (f; JFM; KAB); Stomachache (f; UPW); Strangury (f; KAB); Stress (1; ZUL); Stroke (1; JNU); Swelling (f; MPI); Thirst (f; KAB; PH2); Toothache (f; UPW); Tuberculosis (1; AAB; DAV; KAB); Ulcer (1; AAB; HH2; MPI; PH2); Uremia (f; MPI; WOI); Urticaria (f; DAV); Uterosis (f; KAB); Vaginosis (f; KAB); VD (f; JFM); Vomiting (f; MPI); Wart (f; JLH); Water Retention (1; AAB; MPI; TRA); Worm (1; JFM; MPI; PH2).

Dosages (Banana):
100 - 200 g leaf/1000 ml water for topical inflammation (TRA).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Banana):
Not covered (AHP; KOM). Health hazards not known with proper therapeutic dosages (PH2) (but PH2 designates no specific quantified dosage! JAD). Amines may trigger migraine. High incidence of myocardial fibrosis in tropics may result from chronic ingestion (PH2). Stem juice, but not fruits, reportedly ecbolic and emmenagogue (UPW).

Extracts (Banana):
Sitoindosides I - IV (10 - 30 ppm) have antiulcer activity (HH2). Sugars in the fruits tend to increase Gram-positive or acidic groups and decrease Gram-negative organisms (WOI). The loss of the µ from µg in the herbal PDR might sell a lot of bananas. If you can believe the herbal PDR (2000) of Gruenwald et al., plantain fruits (p. 597) contain 28 million ppm serotonin, on a fresh weight basis; perhaps 10 times more on a dry weight basis, 7 million ppm tyramine, on a fresh weight basis; perhaps 10 times more on a dry weight basis; 8 million ppm dopamine, on a fresh weight basis; perhaps 10 times more on a dry weight basis, and only 2 million ppm noradrenaline, on a fresh weight basis; perhaps 10 times more on a dry weight basis. That would more than rationalize his suggestions that plantain is used to prepare a narcotic drink. No, we have no bananas. Gruenwald probably had µg/g rather than g/g in mind. At any rate, I'll not cite these figures in my database. This happens to me so often; I have an italicized µg/g in an abstract and the e-mail drops the µ and then I have g/g instead of µg/g.