(First of two parts)
RECENTLY I had a very bad toothache, but my dentist could not see me immediately. After Googling for pain remedies available in my kitchen, I gargled with warm water and salt and drank peppermint tea. It worked!
It pays to use natural remedies before popping painkillers. Unless they are prescribed by physicians, avoid painkillers. These can be addictive.
The website BabaMail lists some foods that are natural painkillers. Danish researchers found that regular consumption of ginger could reduce chronic muscle and joint pain, as well as swelling and stiffness. Gingerol in ginger inhibits the production of pain-causing hormones.
BabaMail says University of California researchers have found that clove’s organic compound, eugenol, is a powerful natural anesthetic. Clove can also help keep the heart healthy, stabilize blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol levels.
To stop acid reflux or heartburn, use apple cider vinegar. The vinegar has malic and tartaric acids that quicken digestion and help break down fats and proteins.
“Faster digestion means fewer chances for the stomach to overflow with acids, causing the reflux,” BabaMail says. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water before every meal.
Anti-inflammatory
Garlic, often referred to as “nature’s antibiotic,” has powerful anti-inflammatory qualities. Experts from the Mexico School of Medicine claim that two drops of warm garlic oil in the ear can cure an infection in five days. Garlic has minerals such as selenium, germanium and sulfur—which are toxic to most kinds of bacteria.
To make garlic oil, slowly cook (do not boil) three garlic cloves in half a cup of olive oil for two minutes. Filter the oil and use as instructed. The oil can keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Eating fish may help relieve indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome and enteritis (inflammation of the intestine, usually accompanied by diarrhea). Researches have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids in fish can reduce stomach cramping and enteritis.
For women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) pain, a Columbia University study found that two servings of yogurt daily could reduce the intensity of the pain by almost 50 percent. Yogurt is rich in calcium that naturally soothes the nervous system to ease pain.
Turmeric has become today’s wonder food. Studies have found it to be “three times more powerful than ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen,” according to BabaMail. Researchers from Cornell University found that turmeric could help up to 50 percent of people suffering from arthritis and fibromyalgia. The active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, paralyzes the enzyme that causes pain.
An oats-rich diet can help ease the pain caused by endometriosis, when “the tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside the uterus,” causing severe and painful inflammation. Oats, because they do not have gluten that can induce inflammation, can reduce by up to 60 percent the pain within six months.
‘Welcome party’
Newly appointed Trade Secretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. has hardly warmed his seat, but scam artists are already using his name to make money. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) says individuals posing as the new secretary are soliciting contributions for a welcome party. Undersecretary Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba, head of the DTI Consumer Protection Group, denies there is such a thing as a welcome party for Cristobal.
Expect to receive text messages from “the secretary” that you have won in a DTI raffle.
Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City; fax 8974793/94; or e-mail lbolido@inquirer.com.ph