At one point in our lives, most of us have relied on a home remedy to make us feel better. Maybe you boiled some herbal teas for a cold or bought essential oils to ease a headache. Maybe you tried a plant-based supplement for a better night’s sleep or applied vinegar on a mosquito bite.
It’s not exactly clear what makes a home remedy do the trick, but one thing is for sure, there sometimes seems to be a psychological effect. If you really believe something will work and will make you feel better, maybe it will.
As children, our parents and grandparents have passed on plenty of home remedies— some of which have been scientifically proven to work and others are just old wives’ tales.
Today on The Beat of your Workday, Meghan Kelly is sharing some of her family secrets, and we want to know what cross-generational home remedies your family uses?
Drop us a comment on our Facebook page or feel free to text us at 92925 (standard fees apply).
In the meantime, here is a list of popular home remedies.
- Buttermilk for age spots
- Vitamin C for allergies
- Comfrey for back pain
- Petroleum jelly for blisters
- Oatmeal for bug bites
- Aloe for burns
- Aspirin for calluses and corns
- Milk of magnesia for canker sores
- Ground flaxseed for constipation
- Thyme tea for coughs
- Blackberry tea for diarrhea
- Cucumber for eyestrains
- Lavender oil for foot odour
- Globe artichoke extract for GERD and heartburn
- Cherries for gout
- Peppermint oil for headaches
- Sugar for hiccups
- Fennel for indigestion
- Valerian for insomnia
- Green tea for joint pain
- Lemon juice for kidney stones
- Olive oil for lip cracking
- Ginger for nausea
- Soy for osteoporosis
- Avocado for razor burn
- Horehound tea for sore throat
- Cod liver oil for vision problems
- Honey for wounds
- Sea salt for yeast infection
- Tea tree oil for acne
And here is a list of home remedies that are actually backed by science.
- Turmeric for pain and inflammation
- Chili peppers for pain and soreness
- Ginger for pain and nausea
- shiitake mushrooms to boost your immune system
- Eucalyptus oil for pain relief
- Lavender for migraine and anxiety
- Mint for muscle pain and digestion
- Fenugreek for breastfeeding
- Chicken soup cures a cold.
- Honey soothes a cough
- Cool tea for eye bags
- Saltwater for a sore throat
