These easy and surprising natural remedies could save you from spending on pricey modern medicines… just don’t get caught by your friends. More and more people are finding out that these old-fashioned, natural, and home-made remedies could be alternatives to toxic over-the-counter or prescription medicines.
1. Vodka For Foot Odor
Soak your feet in a basin of water with vodka to destroy the odor-causing bacteria and fungus. Vodka is an antiseptic [1] due to its high alcohol content which ranges between 30% and 60%. It dries out the moisture that let fungus and bacteria grow.
2. Pencil For Tension Headaches
A tension headache arises when you are stressed or anxious. According to Dr. Fred Sheftel, director of the New England Center for Headache, you can prevent the pain caused by a headache by putting a pencil [2] between your teeth. This relaxes your jaw muscle which is strained when you have a tension headache.
3. Black Tea Tannins for Sunburn
Oversteep some black tea until the water is almost black. Let it cool before you apply the tea to your sunburn. The tannins can soothe the sun-burnt skin, speed up the recovery, and reduce peeling. This has been confirmed by a study [3] published by Pharmacology Review.
4. Yogurt For Bad Breath
A study shows that you can keep your breath fresh by daily consumption of yogurt. Odor-causing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide are reduced by eating this dairy product. Yogurt is a probiotics [4] that inhibits the proliferation of volatile sulfur compounds.
5. Mint For Fatigue
A well-known mouth and breath freshener, mint offers relief from nausea, depression, fatigue, and headache. A Japanese study [5] revealed the effectiveness of a mint chewing gum in improving the levels of anxiety, mood, and fatigue.
6. Chicken Soup For Colds
The therapeutic efficacy of chicken soup is a widely debated topic, but several studies have affirmed its positive effect on colds. One study highlighted the soup’s anti-inflammatory effect [6] as one of the mechanisms by which the soup could be a remedy for symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections whose symptoms include sneezing and runny nose.
7. Cranberry Juice For Urinary Tract Infection
Regular consumption of cranberry juice could be an easy and inexpensive way to treat urinary tract infection. However, there are no randomized studies supporting the effectiveness of cranberry juice for the prevention of UTI. But one study presented that cranberries could be a preventive measure [7] for lower UTI.
8. Lemon Balm Tea For Cold Sores
Lemon balm has antiviral properties that make it as a first-choice herbal treatment for cold sores. Lemon balm tea is prepared by brewing the herb in boiling water. Let the tea cool and dab the cold sores with a cotton ball several times a day. The antiviral effect [8] of lemon balm was proven by a 2008 study published in the journal Phytomedicine.
9. Olive Oil For Eczema
Apply the olive oil directly to the irritated areas to soothe the flare-ups caused by the skin disease. Olive oil is packed with antioxidants [9] that can reduce the inflammation associated with eczema.
10. Clove Oil For Toothache
Clove oil is a natural remedy for a toothache. Apply one or two drops of clove oil directly on your tooth as a means of pain control. Swallowing the oil is not advised since it can irritate your stomach. The analgesic effect [10] of the extracts of clove oil was proven by a 2013 study that appeared in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine.
References:
[1] Loewenthal K et al. 1961. Archives of Dermatology. The antifungal effect of 70 per cent ethyl alcohol. A laboratory study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13763139
[2] Lizzie Mulherin. 2016. Did you know a PENCIL could cure your HEADACHE? http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/643242/pencil-tension-headache-doctor-solve-headache-pain-relief-surprise-method
[3] Radava R. Korac and Kapil M. Khambholja. 2011. Potential of herbs in skin protection from ultraviolet radiation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3263051/
[4] Pandey V et al. 2015. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry. Probiotics: Healthy bugs and nourishing elements of diet https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4415334/
[5] Sasaki-Otomaru A et al. 2011. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health. Effect of Regular Gum Chewing on Levels of Anxiety, Mood, and Fatigue in Healthy Young Adults https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158435/
[6] Rennard BO et al. 2000. Chest. Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11035691
[7] Hisano M et al. 2012. Clinics. Cranberries and lower urinary tract infection prevention https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3370320/
[8] Schnitzler P et al. 2008. Phytomedicine. Melissa officinalis oil affects infectivity of enveloped herpes viruses https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18693101
[9] Vissers MN et al. 2004. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Bioavailability and antioxidant effects of olive oil phenols in humans: a review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15164117
[10] Asl MK et al. 2013. Analgesic effect of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of clove https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4075701/
Image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pencils_hb.jpg (creative commons)
Original article and pictures take herbsandhealth.net site
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