One of the strongest, tallest, treelike structures known to be quite primitive owing to its rich history, Bamboos are perennial woody grasses on earth classified under the sub-family Bambusoideae. It is the fifth-largest flowering plant family in the world.

Comprising 1200 extensive species, the bamboo plant is capable of adapting to harsh soils and is abundantly found in temperate, tropical, and subtropical regions across the globe. India has an ample bamboo reserve consisting of 138 species. Bestowing green vibes all around, every part of bamboo such as the leaves, branches and stems tend to remain green in colour all its life unless exposed to some natural calamity. In today's times, bamboo as a herbal drug has gained significant recognition in the global health care domain.

Nutritional Content Of Bamboo

Bamboo is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. It contains amino acids, phosphorus, dietary fibre, magnesium, protein, iron, potassium, copper, selenium, nicotinic acid, zinc, sodium, riboflavin, carotene with plenty of minerals. Besides, bamboo is known to be the silica superfood!  Almost every part of Bamboo can be used in some way such as the stem, stem base, fruit, flower, leaf base, nodes, culm and bamboo shoots. In fact, 17 amino acids have been found in bamboo shoots.

Also read: 5 Incredibly Healthy Reasons Why You Should Eat Bamboo Shoots

The Mysteries Of Bamboo Flowering

Bamboo flowering is a peculiar phenomenon filled with mysteries. Most bamboo plants flower only once in their life cycle. Some species of bamboo flower only once every 30 to 40 years. Moreover, all members of species, wherever they happen to be, flower simultaneously. This means forests of bamboo despite being separated by many miles will flower all together. This mass flowering phenomenon is called gregarious flowering. This process has remained a mystery till date. Another amazing trait Bamboos exhibit is monocarpic flowering behaviour. This means the bamboo dies after flowering. Incredible, isn't it?

Properties of Bamboo

Astringent:

Bamboo has strong astringent properties, therefore it is used for preparing a herbal astringent lotion and at home it is used to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions.

Silica:

Bamboo possesses the richest amount of silica of any plant. In fact, it is ten times the amount of silica than the more popularly known horsetail herb. Silica offers myriad benefits to skin and hair. This essential mineral helps strengthen blood vessels. Silica also produces collagen that results in firmer skin and a youthful bounce. That is why silica is widely used to prepare cosmetics.

Anti-inflammatory:

The methanol extract of bamboo offers a strong anti-inflammatory effect and is widely used for tackling chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, gout and rheumatoid.

Aphrodisiac:

Due to the aphrodisiac properties of bamboo, it can be used for producing medicines to stimulate sexual desires.

Foray Into This Infographic For Bamboo Benefits