Bamboo - Benefits, virtues, properties, origin
Bamboo
This woody-stemmed plant of the grass family is not only the favorite food of giant pandas. Widely used in phytotherapy for thousands of years, let's discover the many virtues of bamboo ...
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Bamboo is a reed native to India and China whose woody stems can measure more than 10 meters.
Their growth is particularly fast as they can grow up to 30 cm per day!
Bamboo is mainly found throughout tropical Asia, but it has adapted to many climates, so it is now naturally present on all continents except Europe and Antarctica.
Cooked bamboo shoots are eaten as vegetables, but the stem, roots, leaves and sprout are used for their medicinal properties.
Traditional Chinese and Indian (Ayurvedic) medicines have used it for thousands of years by collecting an exudate from the nodules and stems called "bamboosil" in Chinese or "tabashir" in Indian.
And bamboo has more than one string in its bow, since in addition to being a forage, ornamental and medicinal plant, it is also ecological.
In fact, it has the capacity to fix 30% more C02 than leafy trees, thus actively combating the greenhouse effect!
Nutritional assets
Cooked bamboo shoots are equivalent to low-sugar vegetables. They provide 19 calories and 3.2 g of carbohydrates per 100 g only, making them a low-calorie vegetable.
Their high potassium and fiber content makes them highly digestible.
As for the bamboo extracted from bamboo stalks, it is the best known source of silica, as it contains 70% organic silica.
It is from this silica that the bamboo exudate derives most of its medicinal properties.
Bamboo silica also contains vitamins C, B1, B2 and A, as well as flavonoids and polyphenols with antioxidant properties.
Benefits and virtues
The silica contained in bamboo is involved in the constitution of cartilage, bones, nails, hair and skin.
Silica content in the body is closely related to aging, and decreases with age. A cure from bamboo extract is therefore effective for several reasons.
Cartilage reconstruction
Silica stimulates the synthesis of collagen, which is abundant in bone and connective tissue, facilitates the reconstruction of cartilage by remineralizing it and has a strong anti-inflammatory effect.
Thus, bamboo is used to treat all osteo-articular ailments, including demineralization, osteoporosis, back pain, tendinitis and joint discomfort.
Strengthen fragile and weakened nails and hair
Silica nourishes and restructures all dandruff. Very dry and damaged hair, as well as fragile and brittle nails will be strengthened by a bamboo cure, which would also have the ability to increase the growth rate of hair and nails and to maintain the water balance of the scalp.
Fighting against premature skin and joint aging
By stimulating the synthesis of collagen, the silica contained in the bamboo extract slows down the effects of aging, either of the skin (sagging, wrinkles) or of the bone (osteoarthritis, osteoporosis ...).
The antioxidants (polyphenols and flavonoids) contained in bamboo enhance this anti-aging action by combating the harmful effects of oxidative stress.
Dosage
Bamboo has different doses according to its galenic form.
In phytotherapy, bamboo is most often used internally in the form of capsules, extracts, oil or infusion.
The capsules are usually dosed around 100 mg of active ingredient taken once or twice a day.
As a fluid extract, we recommend a teaspoon diluted in a glass of water three times a day.
In infusion, it is a teaspoonful of bamboo leaves that will be infused in a cup of boiling water.
More rarely, bamboo exudate is used as an external poultice, mixed with green clay, and gently massaged directly over the area to be treated.
Side effects and contraindications
To date, no side effects or contraindications have been identified following the use of bamboo, which appears to be safe for the body.
However, it is not yet recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice, as are the vast majority of dietary supplements.
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