Long before commercial medicines, herbs, spices and their volitile oils (called essential oils) were used to treat ailments. If researched, you would find that most of todays medicines have their roots in plants, pardon the pun. Some still actually use plant materials, while others recreate plant ingredients synthetically. Still, the spice rack in your kitchen can double for the medicine cabinet if you know what you are doing! Try these spicy remedies the next time you have need, and avoid the pahrmacy.
Cayenne has an ingredient in it that iterferes with pain transmission, capsaicin. This makes cayenne the perfect spice for relieving a toothache. Take the cayenne and make a paste out if it by adding a few drops of water to a teaspoon full of cayenne. Then dip a cotton swab into the paste and dab onto the affected tooth. Make sure that you put it on the tooth and NOT the gum.
Cinnamon can help ease diarrhea, as well as dry up the sniffles. For either, just take a teaspoon of cinnamon and add one cup of boiling water, steep for fifteen minutes. After the fifteen minutes, strain it and drink.
Ginger is great for almost any upset stomach, including morning sickness and motion sickness. In fact, it has been proven to be as effective for motion sickness as any over-the-counter remedy. Make a tea from it by adding one teaspoon to one cup of boiling water. Steep for fifteen minutes, strain and drink.
Sage will help reduce the hot flashes and night sweats of menopause if you drink a cup of its tea three times a day. Add 3/4 teaspoon of sage to one cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes, strain and drink.
Thyme is an effective expectorant and antispetic, as it is rich in germ-killing compounds. For a cough remedy, add one teaspoon dried thyme to one cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes, strain, and drink. For sore throats; brew two teaspoons of thyme in one cup of boiling water for ten minutes. Gargle with the brew, then spit it out.
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