Food & Drink Remedies
Thousands of years ago, Hippocrates said Let food be your medicine. Foods and beverages provide relief from an amazing number of common ailments.
Vinegar to the Rescue in Wasabi Crisis
If you have never had sushi, you might be surprised at the very sharp taste of the wasabi that is a frequent accompaniment. It can hit your nasal passages and sinuses with a wallop. Is there anything …
Will Coconut Macaroons Overcome Bad Diarrhea?
We rarely know the source of home remedies, but we have tracked one carefully. The late Donald Agar wrote to us from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1998 to report a serendipitous discovery. He had foun…
Should You Be Drinking More Coffee?
Coffee lovers have a reason to celebrate their favorite beverage. Two new studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine confirm that people who drink more coffee live longer. Studies of People Who Drink…
Will Olive Oil Protect Your Brain?
Extra-virgin olive oil might help protect your brain against Alzheimer disease. Epidemiologists have noted that people who follow a Mediterranean diet are less prone to cognitive decline. In one study…
Coconut for Crohn’s Supported by Science
In 1998 we received an intriguing letter from a reader of our syndicated newspaper column. Donald Agar, from Pittsfield, MA, contacted us to say he had finally overcome a long-standing battle with inf…
How to Make Gin-Raisin Remedy
Would you like to alleviate arthritis pain without drugs? Many people would, especially when they learn about potential NSAID side effects such as bleeding ulcers or cardiovascular complications. But …
How to Ease RA Pain with Fish
Should you eat a sardine sandwich or tuna salad for lunch if you have rheumatoid arthritis? Surprisingly, fish on the menu might ease RA pain and joint inflammation. Fighting RA Pain with Fish: Resear…
Is Lowering Cholesterol with Saturated Fats a Pa…
If you have been paying attention, you are no doubt aware that saturated fats like butter or coconut oil are a dietary no-no. The theory is that these fats, which are solid at room temperature, can cl…
Are Olive Oil and Wine Really Good for You?
Independent research has shown that both olive oil and wine appear to protect people from cardiovascular disease. For example, a recent review pointed out that red wine, in particular, contains polyph…
Does Chocolate Really Help Your Heart?
The Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study has turned up an interesting observation: people who eat chocolate are less likely to develop atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm abnormality that affects betw…
Can You Lower Blood Sugar with Cinnamon?
You've no doubt heard that type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels in this country and many others. That means that millions more people have pre-diabetes, blood sugar that is headed in the wron…
Why You Should Exercise and Eat Right, Now
We've all been told that we should exercise and eat right. Research to be reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting shows that a healthy lifestyle matters. That's true even after a…
How Will Beetroot Juice Help Your Heart?
Beet juice has developed quite a reputation over the past few decades. Researchers have discovered that it lowers blood pressure and improves athletic endurance. Canadian scientists demonstrated that…
Will a Gluten-Free Diet Help Your Heartburn Symp…
Judging from the popularity of medicines like esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec), heartburn symptoms are extremely common. Is there a better way to prevent the re…
Will Raisins Help You Sleep Through the Night?
How often do you have to get out of bed at night to hike to the bathroom? This scenario is very familiar to men past a certain age, but many women also find they need to urinate at least once during t…
Can You Control Your Blood Sugar with Turmeric?
We are in the midst of a diabetes epidemic. Not only in the US, but around the world, type 2 diabetes has become frighteningly common. While drugs can be useful in lowering high blood sugar, there ar…
How to Calm a Cough with Crystallized Ginger
Even a spring cold can sometimes produce a troublesome cough. Nobody wants to be wakened in the middle of the night with a cough. It isn't pleasant, either, to be coughing through a concert or church …
Pickle Relish Will Do in a Pinch Against Leg Cra…
Over the years, we have collected quite a number of home remedies for sudden painful muscle cramps. Often these are leg cramps, but occasionally muscles in the hands or arms cramp as well. One favorit…
Did Beet Juice Cause Vertigo by Lowering Blood P…
Is it smart to use every possible means of lowering blood pressure? Sometimes we need that kind of intensive effort. But pulling out all the stops isn't always necessary. Could drinking beet juice cau…
Will Spicy Green Tea Stop Your Stomachache?
How did people treat their heartburn before drugs like omeprazole and esomeprazole? These proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are so good at healing stomach ulcers and easing heartburn that doctors often…
Special Savings on Healing from Your Kitchen Cup…
Have you ever wished you could feel better just by using something simple you already had in your kitchen cupboard? It's not such a far-fetched dream. You probably have a treasure trove of healing sit…
How to Brew Green Tea for Maximum Benefit
You can brew green tea simply by plopping a tea bag in a cup and pouring hot water over it. Or you can make it into a complex ritual as a Japanese tea ceremony. When it comes to getting the most ph…
Did Eating Olives Really Make Warts Disappear?
We have been collecting wart remedies for over 40 years. Some of our favorites include banana peel, bacon fat, duct tape, garlic, Listerine, potato, turmeric and vinegar. We have never heard of olives…
How to Use Cinnamon to Lower Your Cholesterol
Most people who don't have diabetes don't worry about keeping their blood sugar under control, at least not until the doctor points out that it's been creeping up into the range of pre-diabetes. Chole…
You Can Make Your Own Natural Cough Syrup with T…
Wouldn't it be great to know how to make your own simple medicines? You could easily make a remedy for heartburn or a natural cough syrup. One reader did exactly that: Natural Cough Syrup with Thym…
Pomegranate Juice for High Blood Pressure
Should people with high blood pressure start sipping pomegranate juice? That might not be a bad idea, according to a recent study. Juice Lowers Elevated Blood Pressure: A meta-analysis of eight place…
What Diet Can Help Control Hemochromatosis?
Usually, people wonder if they are getting enough iron. But those with hemochromatosis need to be concerned about getting too much iron. This condition leads to iron build-up in organs such as the li…
Will Hot Peppers Really Harm Your Taste Buds?
AÂ reader wrote to us recently asking whether it is true that eating hot peppers can dull the taste buds. As pepper lovers ourselves, we found the question compelling. Scientists have not focused much…
Will Tart Cherry Juice Really Soothe Gout Pain?
People who have had one episode of gout are usually anxious to learn how they can avoid another attack. The pain is so intense that even the light touch of a sheet on the affected joint may be unbear…
Why Should You Put Cocoa in Your Coffee?
Is there an advantage to putting cocoa in your coffee? Recent research suggests that people consuming this flavorful combination improve their performance on certain cognitive tasks. The study was dou…
Will Kiwi Fruit Make Canker Sores Disappear?
Canker sores, technically known as aphthous ulcers, are frequently confused with cold sores, though they are not the same thing at all. Cold sores are caused by an outbreak of herpes virus 1. Canker …
Do You Worry That Hot Peppers Will Dull Your Tas…
Hot peppers are a staple in our kitchen. We are always pleased when we read about their benefits. Often, research focuses on the topical application of this substance to ease pain (Chung & Campbel…
Can You Solve the Pretzel Mystery?
People prone to hypertension are often advised to cut as much salt from their diet as they possibly can. This step would reduce their sodium intake and presumably lower their risk of cardiovascular…
Is Coconut Oil Good or Bad for Your Health?
Some topics seem to generate ongoing confusion. One of these areas of contention is whether or not coconut oil is harmful or beneficial for health. If you search online, you'll find a wide range of op…
How to Help Your Heartburn with Persimmon Tea
Heartburn is an ongoing problem for many people. Gastroenterologists may prescribe a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) such as dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec) or p…
Will a Whiff of Garlic Stop a Stubborn Cough?
How do you calm a cough? We've heard about numerous home remedies for this common problem. One reader surprised us recently with a way to stop a stubborn cough that we had never encountered before. T…
Why Is Olive Oil So Good for Your Heart?
The Mediterranean diet has gotten a lot of attention, but scientists haven't known exactly why it works. A new analysis of data from a randomized trial shows why olive oil is so protective. The PREDI…
Will Tart Cherry Juice Help You Get to Sleep?
Do you have trouble falling asleep? Many people do. Some folks overcome their insomnia with prescription medication, but the side effects discourage many from taking drugs like zolpidem (Ambien) or es…
How Could Spicy Soup Stop Your Migraine?
People who suffer from repeated migraine headaches are usually very eager to find a way to prevent or abort them. There are prescription medications such as sumatriptan, of course. These can be very h…
What Is the Best Diet for Strong Bones?
Is there a connection between diet and osteoporosis? Women who want to keep their bones strong might wish to follow the best diet, which is an anti-inflammatory diet. What Is the Link Between Diet and…