Uses of Banana Leaves

Banana leaves are used for a number of culinary and medicinal purposes.

Bananas are a sweet treat filled with potassium and vitamin C, but the fruit is not the only useful part of the banana plant. Banana leaves can be beneficial as well and are used for cooking and healing purposes.

Features

Banana leaves are large and palpable, so they can be used in cooking. People in Asian countries use the banana leaf to wrap meats while cooking so that the meat will be especially tender, according to the Reader's Digest website. The leaves are also used to store food or line a cooking pit while meats are being prepared.

Prevention/Solution

Banana leaves in their young stage can be made into a poultice for treating burns, according to Purdue University. The Department of Horticulture at Purdue University also asserts that banana leaves are effective for preventing the growth of ulcers and are a suitable diarrhea treatment: "The astringent ashes of the unripe peel and of the leaves are taken in dysentery and diarrhea and used for treating malignant ulcers."

Additional Benefits

Banana leaves can also be used to shield oneself from the rain; according to Purdue University, Latin Americans often hold banana leaves upside down over their backs or heads to serve as umbrellas. The leaves of the Fehi banana can also be used to package items or as cigarette wrappers.

References

• Nutrition Data: Bananas, Raw
• Purdue University: Banana-Other Uses
• Reader's Digest: 9 Uncommon Uses for Bananas