Crazy Cures

Remember any crazy concoctions your Grandma would use on you that seemed crazy? My husband had his Aunt put pepper in his ear for an ache. Some people call this folk medicine – Or is it just crazy?

In the United States in the 1960s and 70s, there occurred an enormous expanding interest in folk remedies, herbal medicines, vitamins, and so-called health foods and organic foods free of chemical pesticides and other pollutants. As a result the production of such foods became a growing business enterprise. A new surge in the sales of herbal remedies to treat minor ailments and enhance health took place in the 1990s. Today we are seeing a great surge in using essential oils.

I know it is frightening hearing the commercials for drugs that cure one thing and may cause 10 side effects. I am not against using drugs if needed, but I like to start out as natural as possible to see if that works first.

Some folk medicine is indeed crazy. In a book called “Death in Early America” are just a few examples:

Chicken Pox

To cure, go out to the hen house after the sun goes down, lie down, and let a black hen fly over you.

Fever

To reduce fever, swallow a spider with syrup.

Blindness

The eyes of an owl, placed on the eyelids, will cure blindness.

Lice

To cure a head of lice, wash the head with whiskey and sand; the lice will get drunk with the whiskey, and thinking that they are on sand, will fight each other to the death.

Birthmarks

To remove, rub them with the hand of a corpse.

(taken from diynatural.com)

There are some folk medicine that is proven that does work.

Colds

To keep children free from colds, tie a big red onion to the bedpost.

I know they say onions absorb other odors & bacteria, so this may work.

Cough

To make cough syrup, boil goldenrod and add sugar and peppermint syrup.

I have seen on facebook a recipe for a cough drop using sugar, honey, clove & ginger. It uses quite a bit of sugar, but it is probably better for you than the ones I buy at the store

Herbal medicines are a wonderful choice to take for different ailments. They use natural plant substances (botanicals) to treat and prevent illness. Most of us have heard of echinacea. But there is a wide range of herbal medicines for a wider range of problems.

We have three new herbal medicines in the store.

Hawthorn Berry - Heart Health

Green Coffee Bean Extract - May positively affect how our bodies absorb and use carbohydrates.

Milk Thistle - Liver health

Most herbal medicines works slowly. It should be taken for at least 3 months, up to several years or longer, if needed. It is safe to use concurrently with most allopathic drugs. Check with your doctor before taking any new medicine.

Who knew, maybe our Grandma's were on to something?!

Keep Healthy!