Origin
Bamboo is believed to have originated in Asia. The tree grows in wild- all around most parts of India, particularly in the hilly woods of western and southern India, but is cultivated only in the lower Himalayas and in the valleys of the Ganges and Indus.

Methods of usage
Bamboo has extensive curative properties to heal stomach disorders; troubles related to respiration, menstruation and even ulcer sores.

Healing Power and Medicinal Properties of bamboo
The leaves of bamboo tree are rich in stimulus, perfumed and invigorating. They are useful in counterbalancing spasmodic troubles, and checks secretion or blood loss. They also act as an effective aphrodisiac. The leaves do not have any particular taste.

Stomach Disorders healed by bamboo
The leaves are helpful in treating stomach ailments. They are useful in toning up the stomach and boosting its activity. The unripe shoots of the tree are also valuable for stomach disorders. Pickled or cooked, they function as an appetiser. In many parts of India, the leaves of the tree are used in the form of decoction to cure diarrhoea.

Respiratory Disorders cured by bamboo
The unripe shoots are useful in treating respiratory troubles. Decoction of the shoots should be taken with a tablespoon of honey- once or twice daily.

Menstrual Disorders cured by bamboo
A decoction of the leaves stimulates menstrual flow. It boosts and regulates menstrual cycles. A decoction of the nodes of the bamboo stem is also useful for this intention.

Intestinal Worms healed by bamboo
Bamboo leaves are helpful in destroying intestinal worms, particularly threadworms. They should always be taken in the form of decoction.

Wounds and Ulcers healed by bamboo
A poultice of the unripe bamboo shoots is used for cleansing wounds and maggot-infested infections. Decoction or juice of the fresh bamboo leaves is put on as a medicine in such ulcers.

Dosage- The juice of 35 grams of fresh leaves can be taken twice daily, both separately and mingled with any other juice. The decoction distilled from 70 grams of leaves may be used by itself. Around 120 ml of the juice distilled from extremely unripe shoots can be taken twice daily.

Other Uses of bamboo
Abortion, Pregnancy and Post-Delivery Use - Decoction of the unripe bamboo shoots, mingled with palm jaggery is given once or twice a day for a week to induce abortion during the first month of pregnancy. Similar preparation can be used in the last month of pregnancy to cause labour. Its usage after childbirth alleviates the process of expulsion of the placenta and prevents too much blood loss. It is a safe alternative for ergot in such conditions.

Bamboo shoots are used as edibles in numerous processes. They are used in preparation such as bamboo candy, bamboo chutney and canning of bamboo in syrups.

Composition
Bamboo is a perpetual tree which grows upto a height of 12 metres, with its trunk with a width of 8 to 15 cm in diameter. Every year, between July and October, new shoots germinate at the base of the tree. Bamboo trees always grow in bunches.

The stem of the tree is round, even and hollow. Its nodes are inflamed. The tree has no branches but, the lower segments, i.e., three-fourths of the trees have more spines between each node. It has plain, glittery, skinny, rigid, polished and dark green leaves. Flowers grow in bunch and the seeds bear a resemblance to the corn of wheat in shape.

An examination of illustrates that it 88.8% contains moisture, 3.9% protein, 0.5% fat, 1.1% minerals and 5.7% carbohydrates per 100 grams of its eatable portion. Its vitamin and mineral content comprises calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacine and vitamin C. Its vital energy value is 43.

Bamboo leaves are a rich source of hydrocyanic and benzoic acids. Unripe bamboo shoots contain numerous enzymes such as nuclease, deamidase, proteolytic enzyme, amylase, amigdalin splitting and silicon splitting enzymes. Further more, the juice of the pressed bamboo shoots has protease activity, which helps in digesting proteins.