Home Remedies
Will You Have Better Poop With Blackstrap Molass…
Some home remedies are perennially popular. Others are more unusual. Although we have heard from readers that blackstrap molasses can ease hemorrhoids, we were surprised when a reader reported that ta…
Will You Do Better on Armour Thyroid?
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland can't produce enough thyroid hormones to keep metabolism normal throughout the body. This problem is surprisingly common, affecting nearly 5 pe…
Can Quercetin Control Your Allergy Symptoms?
Many allergy sufferers may be wishing they had a way to prevent the misery of sneezing and sniffling without relying on antihistamines or decongestants. One reader made a serendipitous discovery: quer…
Peppermint and Probiotics for IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common, affecting 7 to 16 percent of the population in the US (JAMA, March 2, 2021). This diagnosis often frustrates both patients and physicians. People experiencing…
Can You Prevent Alzheimer Disease with L-Lysine?
Intriguing research suggests that the dementia we call Alzheimer disease may sometimes be triggered by a common infection: herpes virus. Although the story is not yet complete, the brain's immune resp…
Listerine Used to Fight Head Lice
Head lice are an icky problem. They are not generally considered dangerous, but they are unpleasant. Back in the 1990s, we started hearing from parents about head lice not responding to the regular tr…
Are Gin-Drenched Raisins a Big Joke?
Whoever said "Getting old isn't for sissies" certainly got it right. As we age, we often accumulate aches and pains that may be attributed to arthritis. People with arthritis are faced with a horrible…
Will Precious Saffron Save Your Eyesight?
A diagnosis of a chronic condition that could lead to a severely diminished quality of life is terrifying. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can result in a significant loss of vision. Consequent…
Is Cinnamon Toxic to the Liver?
How do you know when an herb, spice or supplement is safe? It makes sense to do some reading on anything you are planning to take before you begin swallowing it. Many people are taking cinnamon to con…
Watch Joe & Terry Demo Unusual Remedies for…
We have been collecting hiccup remedies for more than 50 years. Some have been written up in prestigious medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine (December 23, 1971). Others have c…
Can Herbs Prevent a Recurrence of Prostate Cance…
A few decades ago, any suggestion that herbs might reduce the risk for cancer would have been greeted with suspicion. As researchers scramble to find out what natural products might be helpful, they …
Probiotic Can Help Prevent C. Diff Due to Antibi…
Have you ever experienced a bad bout of diarrhea after finishing a course of antibiotics? This reaction is not uncommon. Now, researchers are beginning to recognize that often this problem is caused b…
How to Prevent and Stop the Itch of Mosquito Bit…
Some people are mosquito magnets. They attract mosquitoes like honey draws flies. A bunch of people can be sitting around the back yard enjoying themselves and not being bothered by mosquitoes. That 
Tonic Water, Quinine Side Effects & Tinnitu…
There was a time when you could buy quinine tablets over the counter in the United States. That was so long ago that very few people remember brands such as Legatrin, Quinamm or Q-vel. People took thi…
Excess Vitamin Caused Neuropathy
Most people who take supplements expect that their health will improve as a result. However, we have heard from numerous people who have found, to their chagrin, that the supplement they take has actu…
Why Does Vicks VapoRub Help Against Some Nail Fu…
Home remedies are rarely studied in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. As a result, we don't often have scientific research to show how well–or not–they may work. It is unusual for us to hav…
Show 1431: Vitamin C Studies on Colds & Can…
This week, two scientists discuss the evidence on using vitamin C to treat colds and as part of the treatment for cancer. For years, the medical establishment has maintained that such claims could not…
Could Olive Oil Make Weight Loss Easier?
Have you been looking for natural ways to lower your blood pressure? People who manage their blood pressure with medications are less likely to experience cognitive decline (JAMA, May 19, 2020). What'…
Tart Cherries Fight Pain and Inflammation Natura…
When most people experience pain, they take NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Physicians prescribe medications like celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), meloxicam (Mobic…
What Is the Evidence That Cocoa Flavanols Improv…
An ongoing argument often surfaces around certain holidays, especially Valentine's Day, Easter and Halloween. You'll see a number of feature pieces suggesting that chocolate is actually good for you. …
Will Soap Under Sheets Help Your Leg Cramps?
Have you ever leapt out of bed in the middle of the night with a terrible pain in your calf or your hamstring? Nocturnal leg cramps can really wreck a night's sleep. Some people are quite susceptible …
Will Nopal Cactus Control Blood Sugar?
We love it when scientific research reveals that a home remedy actually works. One that seems quite improbable is eating nopal cactus pads to help with blood sugar control. A few readers have tried th…
Power of Pomegranate to Promote Health
Do you agree with me that pomegranate season is too short? In the US, this ancient fruit is available fresh roughly between October and December. That's when we get to savor the sweet-tart flavor of t…
Love It or Hate It, Petroleum Jelly Elicits Stro…
Petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum, is a gooey mix of hydrocarbons that many people use for dry skin. Dermatologists sometimes recommend applying it after washing hands to seal in the moisture.…
Amazing Benefits from Half a Tablespoon of Olive…
We have been writing about the health benefits of olive oil for decades, although at one time doctors thought it was too high in saturated fat to be healthy. Data from long-running cohort studies cont…
Flip Flops on Fish Oil: Omega 3 Fats DO Have Hea…
Are you fed up with flip flops? The latest U-turn on dietary supplements has to do with omega 3 fats. There was a time when Americans were told that the golden footballs containing some kind of fish o…
Do You Know This Surprisingly Versatile “L…
One of the best things about writing a newspaper column or blog is that we learn fascinating things from you, our readers. Some time ago, we heard from one person about a versatile Lowcountry herb som…
Kick-Boxing Granny Wants Bruise Remedy
Some people bruise easier than others. This granny engages in an unusually vigorous sport. It's hardly surprising that she needs a bruise remedy! Q. I am a 70-year-old very healthy woman (still doing …
When Drugs Are Dangerous, Natural Remedies Ease …
People with arthritis often face a terrible dilemma because the medications that are most commonly used to ease stiffness and discomfort in the joints can have nasty side effects. NSAIDs such as diclo…
Is Stevia a Safe Sugar Substitute?
Artificial sweeteners have been controversial for decades. In the 1960s, when the idea of low-calorie substitutes for sugar was still fairly new, animal studies suggested that saccharine and cyclamate…
Can You Lower Blood Sugar with Cinnamon?
You've no doubt heard that type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels in this country and many others. That means that millions more people have pre-diabetes. That means their blood sugar is headed i…
Does Vitamin D Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer?
Colorectal cancer rates declined starting in the mid 1980s. That may have been due in part because of regular screening through colonoscopy. Lately, though, that trend has reversed, especially among y…
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…
Will Yohimbine Offer Help Against ED or Is It To…
Even before there was a practice of medicine, people noticed the effects of herbs that they might consume. Did it cause diarrhea? Perhaps, they reasoned, it might be good as a purge. If the man consum…
Lemon Juice Fights Kidney Stones
Kidney stones occur when minerals in the urine crystallize into particles that can block urine drainage. This is usually extremely painful; moreover, people who have had one such episode are at risk f…
Why You Should Eat the Mediterranean Way
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a number of health benefits. We have written previously about studies showing that a Mediterranean-style eating plan can protect the brain, reduce arthr…
Overdosing on Vegetable Oil Could Be Deadly
For decades, nutrition experts urged Americans to substitute vegetable oil (aka seed oil) for saturated fats such as butter and lard. They assumed that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in oil…
Why You Should Exercise and Eat Right, Now
We've all been told that we should exercise and eat right. That's true even after a person has been diagnosed with colon cancer. A new study shows that staying active can increase a cancer patient's c…
Gin-Soaked Raisins Are Not Suitable for Everyone
People often treat debilitating arthritis with pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen. However, while these OTC nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are pretty good at relieving acute pain, they…
Tincture of Thyme Fended Off Cold
Physicians don't usually learn much in medical school about herbs, home remedies or even dietary supplements. As a result, they often tend to be skeptical of these unconventional approaches to healing…