Do you know the type of plant that can produce 1.2 kg of oxygen per day? Even this type of plant can improve water catchment sources through underground flows. This plant is bamboo. Bamboo is a plant that is segmented and hollow at the stem. Bamboo is a grass-type plant. Bamboo has many types.
Bamboo is a clumping plant that has fibrous roots. Bamboo has a round, hollow stem that is hard, tall, and segmented. Usually, bamboo is used for building materials and some household furniture.
Actually, bamboo has become a popular plant in Asia. Almost all parts of the bamboo plant have benefits.
1. Benefits of Bamboo
Bamboo plant roots can resist erosion to prevent catastrophic flooding. The roots of the bamboo plant can also deal with toxic waste caused by mercury poisoning. The roots of the bamboo will filter water that is exposed to waste and accommodate springs so that they are useful as well water supplies.Its stems can be used to build houses, ranging from roofs, walls, kitchen utensils, to musical instruments. In the modern era, bamboo stems are also used both construction and non-construction. There are many minimalist pieces of furniture made of bamboo and sold in the market.
The leaves are used as a food wrapping tool. Bamboo leaves are also used as a traditional medicine to reduce fever in children. This is because bamboo contains substances that are cooling. Likewise with bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots are bamboo shoots. Usually, bamboo shoots are consumed when the bamboo buds are 1-5 months old. Its uses are also quite diverse, especially for health. What are they?
From a nutritional point of view, bamboo shoots are known to contain 90% water. But even so, bamboo shoots are also rich in protein and fiber, and low in calories. That’s why bamboo shoots are suitable for modern society’s diet menu.
Bamboo shoots also contain several types of amino acids that are good for the health of the body. Indeed, there are not many vitamins contained in bamboo shoots except vitamin B1, but bamboo shoots contain many minerals. Bamboo shoots are rich in potassium, so they are good for consumption by people who depend on rice as their staple food. Bamboo shoots are also rich in iron which is good for the blood and can treat anemia.
It can help eliminate toxins in the body, repairing dead cells. Bamboo is a source of minerals for the skin that can make the skin smoother and cleaner. Silica-rich bamboo can protect the skin from bacterial, fungal infections and prevent and treat hair loss. Bamboo water can be drunk and is useful as a “tonic” to relieve thirst and increase energy. Bamboo floors are known to absorb electromagnetic waves. Clothing made of bamboo is very strong, absorbs moisture, removes body odor, and fends off ultraviolet rays well. Bamboo leaf extract contains nutrients including amino acids, sugars, and minerals. Substances that effectively maintain skin moisture, calm the body and mind, and cleanse toxins in the body. Bamboo leaf extract also has compounds that can help increase the body’s metabolism.
2. Bamboo as a Building Material
Bamboo material is a favorite among many people to be used as an alternative to wood which is increasingly expensive. You need to know, bamboo plant cultivation is quite easy to do because the fast-growing process takes about three to five years. This is very different from the process of growing trees which can take decades.
Besides being able to be combined with other building materials, bamboo material is also very suitable for use in various building concepts, ranging from ethnic, modern, to minimalist. Bamboo material can also give a slick and natural impression to the dwelling, this material is suitable for house construction, fences, doors, room dividers, to be used as decoration elements.
One of the advantages of bamboo material is that the price is very economical. Of course, this will provide its own advantages, considering that every year the price of building materials increases. You can also save a budget when building a house by combining bamboo material with other materials such as wood or iron to get the final result you want.
Compared to wood, bamboo is very easy to shape and split. Therefore, bamboo material is often used as home furniture because it can be processed into various sizes. Although very easy to shape, this material still has good strength to withstand tensile, shear, compressive, and bending loads.
The disadvantage of bamboo material is that it is susceptible to fire so it has the potential to be more flammable. Although there are several ways to increase fire resistance, you have to pay a lot of money to replace it in the event of a fire in your home, making it less effective. In addition, a series of bamboo structures usually use pegs, fiber ropes, or nails, thus making the connection strength less than perfect for use in building construction. In fact, there is a potential for bamboo material to break when connected using nails so it must be installed carefully and painstakingly.
Unfortunately, bamboo material has relatively low durability because it is susceptible to powder beetles, pests, moss, and even rainwater so that buildings and furniture do not last long. Meanwhile, the frame of the building made of bamboo material that is not preserved cannot last more than five years, causing its popularity to not be able to compete with wood materials.
3. Interesting Bamboo Facts
First, it turns out that bamboo is a very fast-growing plant. A species of bamboo holds the world record for being the fastest growing plant in the world. The speed is 35 inches or about 89 cm per day. This means that the bamboo tree can grow almost 4 cm long in just one hour!
Second, it is stronger than iron and concrete. Regarding density, bamboo is indeed inferior to iron. Bamboo is also flammable, unlike iron. But there is one aspect that makes bamboo stronger than iron, namely in terms of tensile strength. That is, if a piece of bamboo and an iron rod of the same diameter is pulled with a very large force, then the iron will break first then the bamboo. In addition, bamboo is also stronger than concrete, namely in terms of resisting impact.
Third, it produces more oxygen than other trees. There is another characteristic of bamboo that makes it worthy of being called one of the greatest plants, namely the matter of oxygen production. Bamboo trees produce 35 percent more oxygen than other woody trees.
