Home Remedies
Does the Laxative Psyllium Really Lower Choleste…
Dietary fiber is almost universally acknowledged as beneficial. Diets rich in whole grains and vegetables that supply fiber seem to be associated with better cardiovascular health, better metabolic ba…
Chocolate and Beets Lower Blood Pressure
Doctors love scientific explanations for how things work. That is why they are quick to prescribe medications for a variety of conditions. FDA approval provides reassuring evidence of effectiveness. U…
Will Extra Vegetables Protect You Against Breast…
Nutrition experts have been urging us for decades to eat more fruits and vegetables. Your mother may have told you that, too. If she took her own advice and consumed extra vegetables, she was lowering…
Don’t Smear Molasses on Hemorrhoids!
Hemorrhoids (also known inelegantly as piles) are swollen veins in or near the anus. They are rather like varicose veins, although their awkward location can cause trouble. They may bleed during bowel…
Psilocybin for Depression: Why One Dose May Chan…
For decades, people struggling with major depression have been told they may need antidepressants every day for years, perhaps indefinitely. While some patients may get very good results, many people …
Home Remedies to Combat Frustrating Drug-Induced…
How often has your healthcare provider warned you about side effects of a medication he or she is prescribing? They might mention a serious side effect, but a symptom like drug-induced constipation is…
Coconut Oil for Getting Rid Of Lice
Parents dread the call from school that they must pick up their child now because the youngster has lice. At that point, the question of getting rid of lice suddenly becomes urgent. Kindergarten Teach…
Turmeric and Curcumin for Arthritis
Turmeric and its most active ingredient curcumin have gotten plenty of attention for their anti-inflammatory properties. We have heard from readers that this yellow spice used in curry powder and must…
Can Magnesium Help Your Restless Legs Syndrome?
"Restless legs" hardly sounds like medical terminology, but it describes a neurological condition first described in the late 17th century. People with the condition describe sensations similar to som…
10 Favorite Wart Remedies That Work!
Warts are mysterious. They raise more questions than answers. We do know that warts are caused by a virus (human papilloma virus or HPV). How that virus penetrates the skin on fingers, hands or knees …
Seborrheic Dermatitis: Curing Hair and Facial Da…
Have you been bothered with dandruff-like flakes and itching on your hair or face? A condition called seborrheic dermatitis fits that description. People who suffer seborrheic dermatitis often find th…
Bee Sting Therapy (Apitherapy) for Arthritis Pai…
Most people have never heard of bee sting therapy. The idea that someone would voluntarily seek to be stung seems implausible. And yet apitherapy has a venerable history. We were fortunate enough to i…
How Can You Counteract Muscle Pain from Statins?
The doctors' debate over statins has become heated. You can read what we have written about that here and here. If you prefer, you can listen to our interviews with leading cardiologists here. But pat…
What Are the Consequences of Excess Zinc?
Zinc is an essential nutrient that is frequently overlooked. The best dietary source is oysters, which are too expensive–or possibly too weird–for a lot of people to consume very often. Diets rich…
How to Soothe Allergy Symptoms Without Serious S…
Allergy season takes a terrible toll on people who are susceptible to pollen. This is the time of year when invisible particles in the air trigger sneezing, sniffling, itching and congestion. Allergy …
Can You Ease Sinus Woes Without Decongestants?
Hay fever and other seasonal allergies can cause a lot of discomfort. The congestion such allergic reactions cause can lead to sinus woes that seem to last a long time. Usually, medication choices are…
Treating Seborrheic Dermatitis on the Scalp
There are a number of skin conditions that can be a bit difficult to distinguish. A person who complains about itchy bumps on the scalp and assumes it is acne might actually be treating seborrheic der…
Best Diet for People with Diabetes Is Low in Car…
Diabetes experts have been arguing about the best diet for patients with type 2 diabetes for decades. Past and present studies now show that a diet low in carbs can help people with type 2 diabetes lo…
Can You Lower Your Blood Pressure with Food?
When the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association collaborated on new blood pressure guidelines in 2017, the cut-off numbers for hypertension got lower. That means a lot more …
Make Sure Your Vegetarian Diet Is High Quality
A vegetarian diet can be beneficial, but the quality of the diet matters. Last year, a meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials covering more than 3.5 million participants found that there can…
Is There Any Science to Support Glucosamine for …
For decades, we have been agnostic about the use of glucosamine for arthritis. Some readers praised this dietary supplement while others denounced it. Studies have arrived at conflicting conclusions. …
Is Magnesium a Miracle Mineral? Do Water Filters…
The body needs minerals to function. Without adequate levels of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium we would perish. Doctors often encourage patients to cut back on sodium and increase calcium. P…
Can a Nordic Diet Prevent Dementia?
The Mediterranean diet gets all the headlines. It is supposed to be good for your heart, your brain and just about everything else that ails you. Ask almost any health professional about the healthies…
Will Coconut Macaroons Overcome Bad Diarrhea?
We rarely know the source of home remedies, but we have tracked one carefully. The late Donald Agar wrote to us from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1998 to report a serendipitous discovery. He had foun…
Can Your Gut Microbiome Affect Your Memory?
A decade or so ago, no one would have imagined that the bacteria in your digestive tract could in any way interact with your brain. We assumed that the brain and the belly were completely isolated. Bu…
Putting Old Familiar Brands to New Weird Uses
Do you remember the old TV show called MacGyver? “Mac,” the hero, worked for some secret government agency. He was always being called upon to save the day by repurposing old familiar brands and p…
Do Multivitamins Really Deliver What They Promis…
Many people think of a multivitamin as nutritional insurance—a small daily investment to protect long-term health. Maybe you are one of them. I admit that I am. But a new report from the independent…
How to Control Your Blood Sugar Without Drugs
How is your blood sugar? According to the CDC, 115 million American adults have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar is elevated but doesn't reach the threshold for a diagnosis of diabetes (1…
Will High-Dose Vitamin D Fight COVID-19?
Most people think of vitamin D primarily as a compound that can help bones stay strong. However, research has shown that immune system cells such as macrophages or monocytes rely on vitamin D as well …
How Can You Get Skunk Smell Off Your Dog?
An encounter with a skunk is a fairly common occurrence for dogs who get to run around in the woods. If the dog is too curious, the skunk will protect itself with its most potent weapon. And then you'…
Does Junk Food in the Diet Affect Children’…
Children in North America eat a lot of junk food. A study notes that nearly half of the calories consumed by Canadian preschoolers come from ultraprocessed foods. The investigators wanted to know whet…
Should You Take Vitamin D Supplements for Strong…
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones. When young children don’t get enough vitamin D, they can develop a bone deformity called rickets. This nutrient acts as a hormone in the body. It is vital fo…
How to Mix Certo and Grape Juice for Arthritis
One of the oldest home remedies in the People’s Pharmacy pharmacopeia is a combination of Certo and grape juice for arthritis. Most people have never heard of Certo. That’s because home canning ha…
Old-Fashioned Sugar Remedy Heals Persistent Woun…
When wounds refuse to heal, both patients and caregivers struggle. They suffer frustration as well as pain, not to mention the fear of a serious infection setting in. Several readers have written abou…
Can You Prevent Migraines by Changing Your Diet?
Migraines are a pain. Even worse than the pain, though, is the life disruption. Some sufferers lose days every time a headache strikes hiding in a dark quiet room. They may feel horribly nauseated or …
Is There Something Better Than Sleeping Pills to…
Sleep is precious, but it can be elusive. Many Americans are chronically sleep-deprived, and the problem seems even worse for adolescents. They still need more sleep than adults, but their daily sleep…
Nighttime Restless Legs Wreck Lives, Sleep, and …
Have you ever heard of Willis-Ekbom disease? Most people haven’t—even though millions live with it every day. Better known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), this condition is frequently dismissed o…
How to Manage Your Heartburn Without Drugs
The American diet seems designed to create digestive problems. We love fast food, which is low in fiber and high in processed carbs and fat. We also eat on the run. As a result, many people suffer fro…
Which Diets Boost Longevity?
If you have been wondering what you should eat to improve your chance at a long healthy life, you are not alone. Curious nutrition scientists analyzed dietary data from more than 103,000 UK Biobank pa…
Quercetin Is a Natural Way to Relieve Spring All…
Spring brings warmer days, butterflies, blooming flowers and–pollen. If your spring allergies are bothersome, you might be looking for a natural approach to alleviate itchy eyes, sneezing, headach…