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.
Canned Beets for High Cholesterol
Q. Why can't canned beets be used to reduce cholesterol? I had a significant reduction after only two weeks on the fresh beets but they are expensive and time consuming to prepare. A. Until we receive…
Fennel Seeds Fight Sinus Troubles
Q. In India we offer fennel seeds after meals. This helps avoid flatulence. Fennel is also good against sore throat and sinus problems. I use the following recipe for my sinus trouble: Combine 1 table…
Simple Solution for Itchy Scalp
Q. My life is so much better since I read your column about rinsing my hair with vinegar. I am 56 years old and for the previous 30 years my scalp has itched intensely whenever I sweat. No anti-itchin…
Finding Natural Approaches to ADD
Q. I have a 17-year-old son that I have suspected for years has a mild form of ADD. He tells me he seems to be bombarded with information like hundreds of highways leading to his brain at one time. He…
Don’t Poison Pooch with Gin-Soaked Raisins
Q. I have an elderly dog suffering from painful arthritis in knee and hip. Can I use the gin soaked golden raisins with her safely? How many?She's been X-rayed so I know it's arthritis. She ho…
Red Yeast Rice for Cholesterol
Q. About six years ago I had trouble with statin cholesterol-lowering drugs. My muscles and joints got very sore. Then a friend suggested red yeast rice. The results were amazing.At that time my docto…
Natural Products for Male Potency
Q. I would like to know if there are any herbs used for penis enlargement. I am interested in natural approaches to growing body hair and improving potency. A. Despite extravagant claims that pills ca…
Raisins in Gin to Ease Arthritis
Q. My husband is very interested in the remedy with raisins in gin. He is really suffering with arthritis in both knees. He takes ibuprofen or naproxen but neither helps that much. He has seen an ort…
Garlic Lowered Blood Pressure
Q. An old doctor told my husband that Kyolic garlic capsules might bring his blood pressure down. I started taking them myself, one in the morning and one at night. Now my blood pressure is lower than…
Coconut Pie Calms Diarrhea
Q. My husband had been in the hospital for several weeks with a virulent form of pneumonia. After multiple courses of IV antibiotics he developed serious diarrhea. He was very weak and actually fell t…
Listerine, Vinegar and Vicks for Beautiful Feet
Q. I am a 21-year-old college student, and I have not had a "normal" big toenail on my left foot since I was 14. It came off when I was a freshman in high school as I was removing nail polish. Since t…
Apple Cider Vinegar Is Old Remedy for Stiff Join…
Q. Do you have any information about apple cider vinegar mixed with honey for stiff joints? I have mixed a cup of vinegar with a cup of honey in a gallon jug and then filled it up with cold water. But…
Cinnamon Helps Hot Flashes but Harms Liver
Q. I've been using a lot of cinnamon for the taste on my morning granola and yogurt. My hot flashes have ceased and my cholesterol is down. Unfortunately, my liver enzymes are elevated. I was told to …
Low Carb Diet Helps Against Colds
Q. Once my wife and I had children, I began to get several colds every winter. Of course, the kids would recover in a couple of days, but my own congestion would last a couple of weeks.Eventually, I w…
Coconut and Pineapple for Crohn’s
Q. I read your coconut macaroon article and asked my doctor about using coconut instead of my Crohn's medicine. He said that he has seen it work for others and to give it a try. He said to add pineapp…
Banana Skin Against Warts
Q. I have a cure for warts. As crazy as it sounds, it absolutely works. Rub the wart on the yellow exterior of a banana skin several times a day.I had a wart on my index finger and after trying variou…
Aspartame for Treating Arthritis: Pros & Co…
A reader shared with us his novel approach for treating arthritis with a Aspertame (also known by the brand name NutraSweet®) and Equal.…
Cinnamon and Pycnogenol Fight Hot Flashes
Q. I started taking cinnamon to regulate my blood sugar. (I do not have diabetes, but I want to keep it that way.) A very surprising side effect was that my hot flashes have subsided tremendously. Hav…
Soy Sauce Saves Skin from Scalding
Q. My husband and I recently combined forces in a spectacular kitchen accident. He was heating water in a French press coffee pot in the microwave, and unknowingly heated it too much. As he picked up …
Lemon Banishes Foot Odor
Q. Many years ago I had a boyfriend who had terrible foot odor, maybe from wearing steel-toe boots. I'd read that lemon juice could help relieve the odor so he tried it.He cut a lemon in half and …
Tea Soak for Stinky Feet
Q. A reader was worried about her husband’s stinky feet. The sure fire way to cure this is to soak his feet in a strong tea solution. Boil a quart of water, add 6 or 7 regular tea bags and let t…
Lowering Blood Pressure with Diet
Q. We've just learned that a British product called HeartBeet is showing promise lowering blood pressure naturally. Are beets really effective for natural hypertension control? Are there any other…
Vinegar and Baking Soda Eases Pain of Sting
Q. I used the combination of apple cider vinegar and baking soda on a wasp sting and felt instant relief. The foaming action should amuse children who have been frightened by the sting.A. When you com…
Soy Sauce Eased Pain from Car Repair
Q. Soy sauce for burns really works! I was changing the air cleaner in my car and my metal watchband accidentally arced across a battery terminal.I got a severe burn in the shape of my watchband at th…
Turmeric Eases Neck Pain
Q. Turmeric is excellent for nerve damage. I had a pinched nerve in my neck. I went to the E.R. but the doctors told me they have no painkiller for nerves. Instead they gave me a high-powered pain pil…
Science Supports Honey to Heal Wounds
Q. I work with animals. Yesterday we had a dog rip out her stitches to a point where closure was not an option. Our veterinarian placed honey on a dressing and bandaged up our little beagle. Today the…
Oatmeal and Barley Lower Cholesterol
Q. Oatmeal and barley have lowered my cholesterol significantly. How does it work?A. Oatmeal and barley are rich sources of soluble fiber. They bind to cholesterol in the digestive tract and keep it f…
Certo in Juice Alleviates Joint Pain
Q. I read in your column that someone used "Certo" in juice to relieve painful arthritis in the hands. Is this the pectin with which one makes jelly? I did buy some and started putting a tablespoon in…
Leg Cramp Sufferers Face Quinine Quandary
Q. I am devastated that quinine is no longer available. I have taken it safely for decades to reduce leg cramping, especially at night. Since I ran out and cannot get more I have a terrible time sleep…
Persimmon Punch Eases Heartburn
Q. I read in your column about persimmon punch helping ease acid reflux. I have terrible reflux and would love to know how to make this drink. Can you please tell me? A. The original report on persimm…
Tea and Iron Absorption
Q. Does drinking tea limit iron absorption? I usually have a cup of black decaffeinated tea in the morning after taking my vitamins (and Slow Fe, an iron pill). I drink several glasses of iced tea thr…
Coconut Oil for Lubrication
Q. I read about coconut oil as a lubricant in the Whole Earth Catalog. Needless to say, that means I have been using it for years. My wife and I love it for general massage, more intimate massage, or …
Fresh Onion Juice for Kitchen Burns
Q. While I was working at a restaurant, one of our chefs was burned badly by a fryer. I happened to be in the kitchen when it happened, and the manager screamed, "get me a fresh onion out of the walk-…
Raw Onion For Stings
Q. You’ve written about baking soda and vinegar to ease wasp stings. Until about 35 years ago I used this remedy. Then a friend suggested that I apply raw yellow onion as soon as possible. I tak…
Sauerkraut Conquers Canker Sores
Q. My husband has canker sores in his mouth all the time. The doctors he has seen say there's no cure, so he has to live with it. What can you recommend? He has tried many topical remedies, plus some …
Ginger For Soothing Stomach Disorders
Q. I've been suffering with a constant swollen sore throat due to acid reflux. I've been on several different acid-suppressing drugs that worked temporarily and then stopped working. Today I tried gin…
Pineapple Extract Soothes Sore Hip
Q. I have bursitus in my hip. A friend said that she thought you once published a home remedy that helped. A. Another reader recently took us to task for not recommending bromelain for bursitis: &ldqu…
Bottled Green Tea For Leg Cramps?
Q. I read your column faithfully and have tried all the various remedies for leg cramps. Quite by accident, I discovered that drinking diet Lipton's green tea with citrus at bedtime ended the nigh…
Certo and Grape Juice to Treat Arthritis
A competetive sprinter in his eighties shares his favorite home remedy for treating arthritis pain. 10/25/18 redirected to: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/grape-juice-and/…
Hot Peppers for Treating Psoriasis
Hot peppers and spicy food like salsas could provide relief from the discomforts of psoriasis. We heard from one listener, Andy Flynn, about his discovery that hot peppers helped his condition. Severa…