B
genic (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 norad-
renaline, 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.