Today, we rely a lot on modern medicine and drugs. But, many times, our grandparents relied on cures that could be found in the kitchen.
Southern Old School Remedies Grandparents Used to Believe In
Drinking
To break your husband of drinking, skin a live eel, put the skin in some liquor and give it to him. He will never drink again.
Chicken-pox
Go into the chicken house and let the chickens fly over you, or simply push the patient backward into the henhouse.
Chills and Fever
Cut a notch in a piece of wood for every chill you have had, blow on it, and throw it into a running stream where you never expect to pass again. Go home without looking back, and you will have no more chills.
You May Also Like
Typhoid
Typhoid fever may be cured by taking a bath in steeped peach leaves, while a young black chicken is split open and applied bloody and hot to the chest.
Backache
Let a child who has never seen his father, or is a seventh daughter, walk across your back.
Toothache
Pick an aching tooth with a splinter (from the north side of a pine tree that has been struck by lightning) and throw the sliver into running water.
Hiccoughs
May be cured by holding your breath and taking nine swallows of water. Nine grains of pepper for nine mornings or nine shots held in the mouth are equally effective.
Sore Throat
Tie the sock that you have worn all day around your throat with the sole of the sock turned towards your skin. Some believe that salt or warm ashes should be put into the stocking and some insist upon using a dark stocking.
Earache
Take the head off a wood beetle and drop the one drop of blood that comes out into the aching ear. For similar results, get some hair from a young girl and place it in your ear.
As it turns out, some of the old-school remedies our ancestors used are still rich with effective remedies.
In fact, even modern medicine relies on plants more than many of us realize, says Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, senior attending pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital and chief editor of publications for the Natural Standard Research Collaboration, which evaluates scientific data on herbs.
“Practically all of the most widely used drugs have an herbal origin,” Ulbricht says. “The number one OTC medication, aspirin, is a synthetic version of a compound found in the willow tree. Many statins are based on fungi, and Tamiflu originated from Chinese star anise.”
Flashback from fan: “One remedy his father would give would be a couple of drops of kerosene on a spoonful of sugar. Another was liver oil and castor oil and the three 6’s (666). It was explained that the medicine three 6’s got it’s name because it taste like the devil. If someone had swelling somewhere on the body, there was a wild plant that looked like tobacco they would use. The plant would be boiled and then the liquid from it would be used to soak the elbow, knee or whatever part had swelling. It would often help reduce the swelling.”
Following, you’ll find a host of age-old remedies whose remarkable effectiveness has been confirmed by new research.
1. Lemon Balm for Diseases
Tradition says: Melissa officinalis, a lemon-scented member of the mint family, has long been used to banish anxiety, boost memory, and aid sleep and digestion. It is “good against the biting of venomous beasts, comforts the heart, and driveth away all melancholy and sadnesse,” wrote Elizabethan-era herbalist John Gerard in 1597.
Got a presentation or other stressful situation to deal with? A cup of tea made of lemon balm may help you sleep soundly the night before and keep you calm and focused.
Research suggests this plant is effective in extreme situations too. Four weeks of lemon balm aromatherapy cut agitation in patients with severe dementia, reports a 2002 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Lemon balm appears to calm an overactive thyroid (Graves’ disease), according to Eric Yarnell, ND, an assistant professor of botanical medicine at Bastyr University. It also fights viruses; recent studies indicate that lemon balm cream speeds healing of oral herpes lesions and reduces the frequency of outbreaks.
Get the benefit: For lemon balm’s calming effects, try a daily tea made with one-half to one full dropper of tincture or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb steeped in 1 cup of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, says herbalist Linda Different Cloud, a PhD candidate in ethnobotany at Montana State University. Ask your doctor first if you take thyroid medication, as the botanical may change the amount you need. To use topically, follow the instructions on OTC creams, such as Cold Sore Relief or WiseWays Herbals Lemon Balm Cream, available online or at drugstores or health food stores.
2. Castor Oil in and On You
Research says: Castor Oil has been used both internally and externally for thousands of years due to its many wonderful health benefits. Since it can strengthen the immune system, castor oil is considered a great remedy to treat the following major illnesses and ailments:
- Yeast Infections
- Constipation
- Gastrointestinal Problems
- Menstrual Disorders
- Migraines
- Acne
- Sunburn
- Athlete’s Foot
- Ringworm
- Skin Abrasions
- Inflammation
Get The Benefit: Studies have shown that Castor Oil is a very strong laxative, which makes it very effective against constipation. Therefore, simply take a teaspoon of castor oil in the morning. You can mix the oil with orange juice, cranberry juice, prune juice, or ginger juice to take away from the bitter taste without affecting the laxative effects. However, do not take it continuously for more than 3 days. If symptoms persist for longer than 3 days, consult your physician immediately.
3. Onions on Your Body
Tradition says: Onions are considered cure-alls in many cultures. In Middle Eastern traditional medicine, they were prescribed for diabetes. During the early 20th century in the United States, William Boericke, MD, recommended onions for respiratory and digestive problems in his influential medical treatise, Homeopathic Materia Medica. Believing that onions would help improve athletic performance, ancient Greek Olympians scarfed them down, drank their juice, and rubbed them on their bodies before competitions.
Research proves: A stack of new studies has confirmed many old-time uses of onions. Their thiosulfinates (sulfur compounds responsible for their smell) reduce diabetes symptoms and protect against cardiovascular disease. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in onions, prevents the inflammation associated with allergies and also protects against stomach ulcers and colon, esophageal, and breast cancers. And it looks like the ancient Olympians had it right: A 2010 study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that quercetin extract increased endurance by 13%.
Get the benefit: Onions may keep the doctor away even better than apples do. Your body absorbs quercetin from onions at least 3 times faster than it does from apples (or from tea, another top source), says a report for the Federation of European Biochemical Societies. To get the most thiosulfinates, choose red or yellow onions. “The more colorful, the better,” says Michael Havey, PhD, a USDA geneticist and University of Wisconsin professor of horticulture. Heat diminishes the thiosulfinates, so eat onions raw or lightly cooked, Havey adds. “Make them a regular part of a vegetable- and fruitfilled diet.”
4. Cayenne Pepper for Pain and Weight Loss
Tradition says: Columbus is credited with transporting cayenne peppers–also called chiles, after their Aztec name, chil–from the New World to the Old. Consumed in the Americas for some 7,000 years, the fiery-flavored pods reminded the explorer of black pepper, a highly prized–and pricey–spice in Europe at the time. The easy-to-grow chile quickly assumed a central role in traditional cookery and remedies worldwide; folk medicine practitioners used it for everything from pain relief to aphrodisiacs.
Research proves: Capsaicin, the ingredient that gives cayenne its heat, is best known today for pain relief–easing muscle aches, postoperative discomfort, and arthritis. Studies show that it tamps down chemical messengers that transmit pain messages in the brain. The latest research indicates that the sizzling spice may also assist in weight control. A 2009 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that capsaicin-related compounds helped people lose abdominal fat. Cayenne also appears to control blood sugar. Study participants who ate a lunch containing capsaicin had higher blood levels of a sugar-regulating hormone and less ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” than those who ate a bland meal, reported the European Journal of Nutrition last year.
Get the benefit: For pain relief, follow package instructions on OTC capsaicin ointments and creams, including Zostrix or Capzasin-HP Arthritis Pain Relief, available in drugstores or online. No dose has been established for weight control; however, cayenne peppers are on the FDA’s Generally Recognized As Safe list, so add fresh chiles to taste in your favorite dishes (or, more conveniently, powdered cayenne, available in supermarkets). Chop finely, then cook them in soups and stews or add them uncooked to salad dressings.
5. A Plantain a Day…
Tradition says: Plantain, or Plantago major, a low-growing, oval-leafed plant found all over the globe, is a traditional remedy for skin ailments. Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th-century Benedictine abbess, healer, composer, and eventually saint, suggested applying it to insect bites in her renowned medical treatise, Physica. Native Americans apply plantain poultices to insect stings, wounds, burns, and more, says Different Cloud, who lives on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North and South Dakota. (Note: Do not confuse this leafy plant with a very different, banana-like tropical fruit that happens to have the same name.)
Research proves: The plant’s antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties help heal breaks in the skin, researchers have found. Its soothing effects work internally too: Psyllium, the seed of one type of plantain, is the source of the fiber in some laxatives.
6. Ginger Ale for Your Stomach
Tradition says: Use ginger ale whenever you have something going on with your stomach or if you ate something that doesn’t agree with you, or if you just need to “settle” your stomach.
Research proves: While ginger ale is traditionally used as a medicine, scientific evidence supporting its efficacy is limited. Studies have shown that ginger root may have some therapeutic benefits, but the amount of ginger in most commercially available ginger ales is often too low to provide significant medicinal effects. But here are some of the various ailments people have found it good for:
Nausea and Vomiting:
Ginger, the main ingredient in ginger ale, has antiemetic properties that can help reduce nausea and vomiting. This is why ginger ale is commonly consumed during motion sickness, pregnancy, and after surgery.
Gastrointestinal Issues:
Ginger ale can help settle an upset stomach by stimulating digestion and reducing bloating.
Indigestion:
Ginger can help improve gastric motility, which means that food moves through the digestive system faster, reducing indigestion.
Anti-inflammatory Effects:
Ginger contains gingerols, which have anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce pain and swelling associated with certain conditions.
