10 Surprisingly Effective Natural Remedies
We all have a medicine cabinet in our house
which is stuffed to the brim with solutions for headaches to nausea.
But despite the quick and easy solution these medicines give us, we
recommend taking them wisely and not too often because they may be
harmful in the long run. Sometimes all we have to do is think out of the
box, in this case outside the medicine cabinet, and discover a wide
range of unconventional grandma’s remedies, such as the 10 “drugs”
below, that’ll surprise you even more once you find out how well they
work.
1. Lemon for earaches
Earaches can be a nuisance that can sometimes even affect our daily
routine and prevent us from doing what needs to be done. In order to
quickly relieve the pain and to disinfect the ears from the various
pollutants that have accumulated inside it, squeeze lemon, dip a cotton
round in it and use it to gently clean the ear canal. Lemons work as an
excellent natural remedy for bacterial ear infections, due to the
presence of citric acid, which is also used in many industrial drugs and
inhibits the development of bacterial infections.
2. Dried apricots for constipation and swelling in the lower abdomen
Apricots are an excellent fruit to prevent constipation and reduce
swelling in the lower abdomen due to their richness in fiber and their
other components that help remove harmful bacteria from the digestive
system. To enjoy these health benefits, you can eat a handful of
apricots once or twice a week, but if you want to take advantage of all
the great qualities of this fruit, be sure to eat it in its dried
version. This is explained by the fact that the nutrients in dried
apricots tend to be more concentrated than those in the normal fruit,
and thus our body is able to make the most of this wonderful and sweet
food.
3. Olives for travel sickness
Travel sickness is caused by uneven movement and may attack us at the
most unexpected moments whether we are in our own car, a bus, cruise or
flight, and can cause us to suffer from nausea, dizziness, and vomiting.
If you tend to suffer from this ailment often, a great way to prevent
it is by eating a few olives before you set out. Olives are rich in
tannins, simple compounds that help dry out excess saliva produced by
the body when we suffer from nausea that stimulates the vomiting reflex.
4. Potatoes for a spider bite itch
A spider bite is a rare phenomenon compared with mosquitoes, but when it
occurs, it usually requires a longer recovery process accompanied by
acute itching, swelling and extensive irritation in the area. A
grandma’s remedy perfect for relieving the nasty itch, which has been
scientifically proven, is placing a piece of raw potato on the inflamed
area and bandaging it for about half an hour. The potato in its raw form
is rich in powerful anti-inflammatory agents that inhibit the symptoms
of irritations and make the bite heal faster.
5. Sweet Potatoes for menopausal symptoms
Women may experience a wide range of symptoms during menopause because
of the many hormonal changes they experience. To relieve the symptoms,
many complementary medicine experts recommend wild yams as an effective
supplement because of its richness in phytoestrogen, a component that
allows the body to reach hormonal balance naturally. The sweet potato
can be consumed as an infusion, extract, and formulas that can be
purchased at various natural stores.
6. Baking soda for urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infection is one of the most common infections among
women, causing pain and other physical problems. Cranberry juice is a
well-known remedy for it, but if the sour fruit isn’t available to you
or you’re just not a fan, you can replace it with a glass of water mixed
with ½ a teaspoon of baking soda. The alkali found in high amounts in
baking soda is a water-soluble ionic salt that reduces the acidity of
the urine and thus relieves the burning sensation that accompanies
urination during the infection. In addition, the decrease in acidity
prevents the growth of bacteria in the area and delays the development
of the infection.
7. Raisins soaked in gin for arthritis
Arthritis is a common disease in adults that affects the joints of the
body and is expressed in severe pain. To relieve the symptoms of the
disease, place a handful of raisins in a bowl of gin overnight and eat
them the next morning. Raisins are rich in powerful antioxidants that
fight infections including vitamin C and resveratrol. In addition,
raisins contain various chemicals that act as painkillers such as
ferulic and salicylic acid. The gin, on the other hand, is also rich in
antioxidants, and the alcohol in it breaks up the various chemicals
found in raisins and helps them absorb more easily.
8. Nettle for hair loss
We know nettle from our childhood as a prickly plant that makes our skin
burn and itch. However, the nettle leaves are also a great medicinal
plant that contains a variety of health properties, including the
ability to prevent hair loss. All you have to do is brew six nettle
leaves in a cup of boiling water, wait until they cool, put the brew
through a sieve and rinse the scalp with the remaining liquid once to
twice a week. The benefits of nettle leaves are derived from its
vitamins A, C and D content, and part of the vitamin B group that
strengthens the hairs and act as anti-inflammatory agents that relieve
scalp irritations which weaken their roots.
9. Celery for bad breath
Chewing gum is a great way to get rid of unpleasant odors in your
breath, but if you want to remove the bad smell and enjoy better health,
try fresh celery. This is because, in addition to its health benefits,
celery is rich in fiber, which helps to remove the accumulated plaque on
the teeth which cause bad breath, and sulfur compounds that increase
saliva production in the mouth that fights bacteria.
10. Licorice root for viral warts
For thousands of years, ancient Chinese medicine has made extensive use
of licorice root, as an effective anti-viral drug. A study published in
the journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, in 2015, gave this use
scientific backing after carefully reviewing licorice’s various active
components. One of the common uses of licorice root is to remove warts
by mixing ½ teaspoon licorice powder along with a little Vaseline. Once
mixed, it can be applied to the affected areas. After several hours, the
Vaseline will help soften and remove the wart and the root powder will
effectively fight the infection that may develop where the wart was.