It’s no mystery that bamboo–as a fabric–has quickly been climbing the ladder in the fashion industry, surpassing its competitors at a rapid speed. And certainly, everyone is well aware of bamboo being used in the building industry due to its incredible strength and durability. Some may even have read about bamboo being utilized for new computer keyboards. So then what is the best kept secret of bamboo?

Get out your pen and paper because you are going to want to write this down. Bamboo, an environmentally friendly, self-sustaining, fastest growing grass in the world, holds natural healing powers beyond your imagination. Yes, it’s true. Bamboo has long been a medicinal plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 3,000 years. This fact is not spoken about or heard about on your local news station, so we, at Green Earth Bamboo, felt duty-bound to bring this inspiring news to you!

Bamboo should not be confused with the plant you all know of as ‘lucky bamboo’, otherwise known as Ribbon Dracaena. This is not truly a bamboo plant and was only given its name as a marketable nickname for a Chinese decorative plant.

Bamboo has several healing abilities. Ask your physician, nutritionist or Chinese herbalist to give you information about these medicines. There may be some that you might not be aware of. Bamboo may just be the cure you’ve searched for to help yourself, a loved one or your child.

The healing properties of the medicine are derived from most of the bamboo plant. Its medicine is made from the shaved young shoots, the resin (both fluid and dried) and the leaves–all with slightly differing applications.

There are many different species of bamboo for use as a medicinal source for products. The main ones, however, are Phyllostachys Nigra (black bamboo)–which grows abundantly along the Yangzi River–and Bambusa Breiflora, Bambusa Tuloides, and Bambusa Texilis. The leaves used in Chinese herbal medicine are collected from Lophatherum Gracile, the smaller of the grass bamboo.

The secret medicine in bamboo resolves a wide range of health issues. They are made into traditional formulas,  which are available and being used today. Some examples include:

• Bamboo Leaf Formulas: used for treatment of chronic ailments, including diabetes. One such formula is Zhuye Shi Gao Tang (Bamboo Leaf and Gypsum combination).
• Bamboo Shavings Formulas: used  for upflowing qi from the stomach. These formulas are used for stomach heat syndromes commonly causing nausea and loss of appetite, as well as hiccups or vomiting. The formula Jupi Zhuru Tang (Aurantium and Bamboo combination) is widely used for these symptoms. Wen Dan Tang (Bamboo and Hoelen combination) is a formula used for these symptoms as well and also helps irritability and insomnia.
• Bamboo Shavings And Tabasheer Formulas: used to treat epilepsy, convulsive disorders and mental illness (including those in children). Ditan Tang (Phlegm-Scouring Decoction) and Zhuru Wen Dan Tang (Bamboo and Ginseng Combinations) are non-toxic formulations with bamboo shavings.

As you can see, there are many healing qualities of bamboo and this  is just a short list of bamboo’s secret powers.

Bamboo is truly a magnificent grassy plant that stems from hundreds of years of self-sustainable growth. Its true beauty lies in the calming brilliance it offers to each and every one of us. From its healing powers to its eco-friendly qualities and its bountiful fields of greatness – it provides medicine, fabric, building materials, shelter and jobs to millions of people. It is environmentally friendly and biodegradable in all its forms. It truly seems that bamboo was rooted here on earth to help the environment and all whom exist in it. A true gift to all of us – it is nothing short of a miracle.

Tagged as: bamboo, medicine