ARROWROOT
Botanical: Maranta arundinacea Family: Marantacea (prayer plant) - Zingiberaceae (ginger) Other common names: Indian Arrowroot, Maranta Indica, Bamban, Obedience Plant, Maranta Starch, Bermuda, Bermuda Arrowroot, Maranta, St. Vincent Arrowroot, West Indian Arrowroot

Arrowroot is used to soothe and relieve the irritation of inflamed mucous membranes. This easily digested plant is a natural source of calcium and may provide a nourishing diet for convalescents. Arrowroot is thought to be helpful in the treatment of indigestion, bowel complaints and urinary infections.

History:
Arrowroot is a perennial plant, native to South America that has also been naturalized in southern Florida. It is also commonly grown in Brazil and Thailand. Cultivated in tropical regions for its starchy rootstock, it is an important source of commercial arrowroot and tapioca. The Arrowroot plant is an herbaceous perennial, with a creeping rhizome with upward-curving, fleshy, cylindrical tubers covered with large, thin scales. The flowering stem may reach a height of six feet and bears leaves and creamy flowers at the ends of the branches that terminate the long peduncles. Growing in pairs, the plant's numerous, ovate, leaves grow to a length of ten inches with long sheaths often enveloping the stem. Traditionally, the starch is extracted from rhizomes of less than a year old, washed, pulped in wooden mortars, stirred in clean water, and the fibers then wrung out. Next, the milky liquor is strained, allowed to settle and then drained. Clean water is again added, mixed and drained, after which the starch is dried. The resulting powder looks and feels very much like cornstarch. Arrowroot's popular name is a corruption of the Aru-root  of the Aruac (Arawak) Indians of Central and South America, who used the powder as an antidote to arrow-poison. The many species of Arrowroot are usually distinguished by the place from which they are imported.

Beneficial Uses:
Arrowroot is now known to be a superior carbohydrate with demulcent properties that will soothe irritated mucous membranes and can aid in the relief of the temporary discomforts of colic and indigestion.

It is a rich source of digestible calcium, particularly nourishing to children after weaning and delicate persons during convalescence.

Arrowroot is said to be valuable in the treatment of bowel complaints: It is used as a mild laxative but will also help relieve diarrhea.

It is said that when taken internally, Arrowroot is a good antidote for vegetable poisons and a remedy for pus in the urine, reaffirming its traditional uses by Native North and South Americans.

Moreover, Native Americans in both South and North America applied Arrowroot to sores and wounds inflicted by scorpions and black spider bites, and the Maya of Mexico used it to arrest gangrene and smallpox.

Contraindications:
None


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Disclaimer: The information presented herein by Organic Herbs Medicine Cabinet is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.