Bamboo is a cultural icon in China and Asia. It is used as a food, medicine, building material, sacred icon, and, much more. It is the world’s fastest-growing plant, with some varieties growing up to 2 inches per hour.

Here are Five Unexpected Medicinal Uses for Bamboo:

1. Bamboo leaves are being studied for their ability to help prevent asthma caused by inflammation of the lungs.
2. The shoots are useful for treating stomach and respiratory disorders and are easy to add to recipes and side dishes. They can be mixed with other herbs to facilitate labor and ease the expulsion of the placenta.
3. Bamboo leaves can also help prevent maternal hypothyroxinemia during fetal neuronal cell migration in a developing fetus. This function combats autism and other birth defects while promoting healthy neural development.
4. The roots have been used for centuries to cure rabies and stop bleeding, including nosebleeds. The leaves and roots combined fight fevers and convulsions, especially in babies.
5. The dried bamboo sap, known as “tabasheer”, is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine. It is sometimes called bamboo silica as it is rich in silica. Silica is known for strengthening hair, nails, and all the cells in the body.

Find out more about bamboo.  It’s more than an icon of beauty.