Don’t Laugh At These Old Wive’s Tales -Natural Remedies
08 Sep 2008
Who hasn’t heard an old wife’s tale? "If you touch a toad, you get warts" has no scientific foundation. But in recent years researchers have shown that some tales are medically sound and safer than traditional drugs.
Consumer Reports On Health lists several home remedies that work. For instance, The American Society for Microbiology Research says friendly bacteria, known as probiotics, found in yogurt, can ease stomach aches, improve digestive problems and help tame an irritable bowel. They’re also of use in counteracting the damaging effects of antibiotics and beneficial in fighting vaginal and urinary tract infection.
If you want to try probiotics for any of these troubles, search for a yogurt that contains live active cultures such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the two most studied strains.
Do you suffer from a stuffy nose due to allergies or sinusitis that resists treatment? In 2008 researchers reported in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery a unique experiment on 401 children suffering from a cold or flu. One group was prescribed the usual medication. Others received the same medication along with a daily nasal wash of processed sea water. During the next three months the children using the nasal irrigation had fewer colds and absences from school.
Researchers claim that washing out the nasal passages removes bacteria and allergens. A thorough drenching of hairs in the nose makes them more effective in removing infected material. No mention is made, however, about whether researchers and parents had an enthusiastic response from the children.
How many times have parents heard a child coughing during the night and wondered what to do? Particularly when The American College of Chest Surgeons says the usual cough remedies are largely ineffective and the U.S Food and Drug Administration reports that these over-the-counter drugs pose risks to children under age 2. But there is an answer, a simple cold remedy.
In 2007 the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reported a study of 105 children ages 2 to 18 who suffered from an upper respiratory infection. Children 2 to 5 were given half a teaspoon of honey, those 6 to 11 one teaspoon and those 12 to 18 two teaspoons of honey. Other groups were given no honey and others honey-flavoured OTC cough suppressant.
Children treated with honey had the best results. Researchers believe that honey soothes irritated membranes in the throat and is known to have antioxidant qualities and antiviral effects.
Are you suffering from recurrent urinary infections and concerned about the repeated use of antibiotics? Researchers at The Harvard Medical School discovered that cranberry juice prevents E coli, the main bacterium causing cystitis, from sticking to the bladder wall. But cranberries are loaded with calories. Besides, when they’re processed, the healthier parts, the pomace and seeds, are discarded. A product called Cranberry Women’s Formula circumvents this problem and is processed by a cold press method that captures the whole potential of this powerful berry. Taking two capsules a day is the same as drinking four glasses of cranberry juice. This product is not available in Canada, but can be ordered directly. For more information see the web site www.fruitessentials.com Or use the toll-free number 1-877-328-3784.
Are you anxious about an upcoming operation? Worried you’ll be constipated and need an enema or laxatives? If so, pack several sticks of Wrigley’s sugarless gum in your bag. I remember as a kid chewing on Wrigley’s gum and thought I was just exercising my jaw muscles. But recent studies show that gum also stimulates the bowel which often gets lazy following surgery.
Dr Jeffrey Miller, chief of gastrointestinal surgery at the University of Pennysylvania says, "I encourage my patients to chew gum as soon as they’re awake enough not to choke on it."
Japanese researchers in 2002 reported that patients who chewed gum recovered quicker from laparoscopic large bowel surgery. Another California study showed that patients with abdominal incisions who chewed gum moved their bowels 26 hours earlier.
If you’re suffering from heartburn after a night of overindulgence, gum can help to ease the discomfort. Chewing gum decreases acid levels in the esophagus resulting from an over distended stomach.
