Ramie (Boehmeria nivea): A Functional Food and Herbal Medicine for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and the Promotion of Optimal Health

Boehmeria nivea, commonly known as ramie, is a functional food ingredient used by Asians. It is also cultivated for its leaf fibres with excellent tensile strength, resistance to shrinkage, and antimildew, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Ramie leaves and roots are also consumed as food, beverages, and medicinal herbs. This plant has been used as ethnomedicine for various health complications, including hepatoprotective, antiviral, antipyretic, detoxification, reduced swelling, etc. The ethnomedicinal uses of ramie in multiple countries, including China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malaysia, have been reviewed. The phytochemicals or secondary metabolites reported in ramie have also been listed. Ramie has been found to exhibit numerous promising pharmacological activities. Four pharmacological activities of ramie that are closely related to treating and preventing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) have been thoroughly reviewed: anti-inflammatory, anti-colitis, anti-oxidative, and laxative.