Home remedy facts vs myths
When you’re feeling under the weather, it can be tempting to search the internet for home remedies that promise an overnight cure. But how many of these remedies will actually soothe your ailment and how many are simply myths?
Take our quiz to put yourself to the test and find out how much you know about the most common home remedies!
If you feel a cold coming, you should reduce your food and water intake.
Whether you’re just feeling the early signs of a cold, or you’re bunged up in bed with a hot water bottle, your body needs plenty of nutrients to fight off illness. Make sure you stay hydrated and well fed any day of the week, but especially when you have a cold.
If you have a burn, you should apply butter to the area to soothe it.
It is likely to make the burn worse if you apply butter to it as the thick and greasy consistency will stop the heat from escaping, causing the burn to go deeper into the skin. Try applying some aloe vera gel or a cooling pack to the area instead.
Applying toothpaste can treat acne spots.
While there are chemicals in toothpaste that can help dry out spots, toothpaste is not designed to be used on skin so it may actually cause further redness and irritation if applied directly to spots.
A hot mug of chamomile tea can help to soothe a nauseous stomach
Who doesn't love a nice hot cuppa? Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties so drinking chamomile tea when you have an upset stomach can help soothe your symptoms.
Cranberry juice can treat a urinary tract infection (UTI).
While cranberry juice can help prevent a UTI, it cannot treat it once you already have one. If you do have a UTI, try drinking water to help flush out the bacteria.
Drinking a shot of apple cider vinegar every day is good for gut health, digestion, and bloating.
The fermentation process apple cider vinegar goes through makes it great for gut health! It’s best to digest it in as raw a form as possible to really feel the benefit. Try adding more fermented foods, such as kimchi and yoghurt, to your diet if you’re looking to improve gut health.
Ingesting fresh ginger root boosts your immune system and can help soothe cold symptoms.
Fresh ginger has tonnes of health benefits! Ingesting ginger helps to boost your immune system and, if you have a cold, can help fight off the symptoms. Also, a great anti-inflammatory, ginger can soothe menstrual cramps and morning sickness. Use fresh ginger root to feel the full benefits.
Eating a clove of raw garlic lowers high blood pressure.
There is no evidence to suggest raw garlic helps with high blood pressure. However, if you are looking for natural ways to lower blood pressure, try breathing exercises at home, exercising more regularly, and eating a balanced diet.
Manuka honey has certain properties that make it better for you than regular honey.
Manuka honey has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that make it better for you than most household honey brands. This means it can help treat small wounds and ulcers, as well as soothe a niggling cough.
Sleeping with onions in your socks will cure your cold.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Sleeping with onions in your socks will not cure your cold overnight, but it will probably leave you having quite a restless and uncomfortable sleep. Instead, use a dehumidifier when you sleep, as it reduces the amount of excess moisture in the air that is likely to contribute to a blocked nose and throat.
Applying a peppermint tea bag to the affected area can help to soothe a tooth ache.
While putting a peppermint tea bag on the painful area won’t cure the infection or problem causing the toothache, the menthol in the tea bag can help to numb the area. Simply place a peppermint tea bag in some hot water, let it steep for about 20 minutes, and then hold it over the area that hurts.
There are loads of home remedies we grow up believing that turn out to be not so true…
But don’t worry! For every false home remedy, there are countless more that will actually help you feel just that bit better.
To learn more about how you can soothe various ailments from the comfort of your own home, like best foods for a cold or the flu, check out a range of useful articles available on our Be Healthy hub.
Some home remedies may have sounded a little too believable but you’re pretty good at spotting a fib!
To learn more about common at home remedies for other ailments, or if you know pollen leaves you bunged up every spring and you’re after some at-hay fever home cures, check out our Be Healthy hub.
It can be easy to fall for a remedy promising a quick cure, but you know anything good is worth waiting for, and you can’t rush your body into healing. From drinking chamomile tea to eating fresh ginger root, you know which home remedies will do the trick.
To learn more about home remedies for all sorts of illnesses, or to find out how you can give your immune system a boost in winter, take a look at our Be Healthy hub.