Grandma's Home Remedies: Scientifically Proven After All

Ever wondered if your Grandma’s crazy chemistry and self-healing ideas actually work? Do her home remedies from everyday ingredients work as well – or better than today’s over-the-counter drugs? Well, there is increasing evidence that Granny knew her science - and her way is the safer, cheaper and more effective alternative.

After all the recent media coverage about toddlers dying from drugstore cough medicines, it’s no wonders parents want to try an more natural solution. To help your loved ones sleep through the night (and you too) give them a teaspoon of Buckwheat Honey before bedtime. Yup, grandma’s nighttime drink of honey and hot milk has been proven in many studies to work better than many over-the-counter medicines. Honey has antiseptic qualities, which helps rid the body of the cold virus. And as an added bonus, honey coats the throat and sooths the raw tissue allowing a restful night’s sleep. If you don’t like hot milk, simply put a teaspoon of honey on the back of the tongue and let it melt down the back of the throat – as many times throughout the day as needed. Do not give children under the age of 1 honey for risk of botulism.

Colds & Flu

If your Gran became a “Chicken Soup pusher” at the first sign of a sniffle, she knew that the science behind the soup could help you get better faster. First, placing your face over a bowl of hot steamy soup opens up your nasal passages better than any expensive vaporizer. Second, chicken broth contains an amino acid that has anti-inflammatory qualities to help ease your aches and pains. Finally the liquid of the soup helps to flush the body of the virus faster. And in between the servings of soup, Granny would be serving you rounds of tea. Not that you wanted to drink it, but she would get it down you – and inevitably you would feel better. That’s because tea has anti-viral properties, helping to flush the virus out of your body faster.

Minor Skin Infections

Grandma always made grandpa soak his infected ingrown toenail in hot salt water. Why? Because salt has both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Salt has been used to treat many minor medical ailments for centuries. A salt bath can reduce inflammation of muscles and joints from arthritis and flu which relaxes and relieves pain. But today’s table salt is over-processed, so try your health food store for more organic and unprocessed salts and salt crystals.

Asthma Control

With your first wheeze, Granny put on a fresh pot of coffee. Didn’t you feel all grown up sipping a cup of java with the adults, but there is actually scientific proof that caffeinated regular brewed (not the fancy stuff) coffee can help asthmatics to breathe because caffeine dilates bronchial airways. Not to replace your puffer, but caught without an inhaler, a strong cup of coffee (or two) is an emergency remedy to help open airways. If you can’t access coffee easily, use something else with caffeine such as tea or cola.

Cold Sores

If you told Nana that you felt a cold sore coming on, she insisted that you hold an ice-cube on the suspected area, followed by a used tea bag. What is the science behind it? Well, putting ice on a forming cold sore is believed to help slow the virus so you can administer the tea bag. Tea contains tannins - the same ingredient found in many over-the-counter cold sore medications. Tannin has anti-viral properties and can help with the outbreak as long as the tea bag method is applied early (as soon as you feel one starting) and often.

Hay fever and Allergies

If your Granny managed your seasonal allergies by giving you a teaspoon of honey, she was following the same principles of the dreaded allergy shot – just without the needle. Allergies are best managed by administering the sufferer with a small dose of the allergy itself to build immunity against it. That is why Grandma used a teaspoon of locally-produced honey to managed your allergy to trees and weeds. Honey is made from the nectar of flowers that bees collect – which means taking a small dose of raw honey daily can help reliever those itchy watery eyes and sneezing. Today’s herbalists recommend this home remedy daily – and it works almost all of the time.

White Teeth

Grandma used to have sparkling white teeth because she’d brush her teeth with baking soda. Tastes gross – but works. In fact, it works so well that toothpaste companies now sell toothpaste with baking soda. And it’s a trick that can put dental hygienists out of work! Meant to be used in your weekly teeth cleaning regime, baking soda will take the coffee and wine stains off with a simple brush – make sure to do the insides of your teeth too. It will even get the stains out of the heirloom teapot! Grandma would never think to buy expensive teeth whitening strips or get it done at the dentist – she’d spend pennies getting the same result with the baking soda kept in the fridge.

Hiccups

Here is one that keeps scientists baffled to this day – but Grandma knew that a teaspoon of dry sugar, swallowed all at once, cures a case of mild hiccups. This cure is not for diabetics.
So why are you spending all of your hard-earned money at the drug store? Next time you need to self-medicate for a common minor ailment, head to your kitchen cupboard for the cheaper (and better) fix.

Who knew – your grandma did!

Have any home remedy stories to share with everyone?

Tell us what remedies really worked for you at Dr.everyone.