Introduction:
Nature has always been a reliable source of remedies, offering a cornucopia of healing properties hidden within its bountiful offerings. In this blog, we explore the world of natural remedies, where food meets medicine.
1. Turmeric: The Golden Healer
Our first stop takes us to the vibrant lands of India, where turmeric reigns supreme. This golden spice has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and holds tremendous potential as a natural remedy. Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has been studied for its potential to alleviate symptoms of arthritis, improve brain function, and even fight cancer. Careful, while it is great for skin... it does stain clothes! Wear black if you make a facial with it!
References:
1. Prasad S, Tyagi AK, Aggarwal BB. Recent Developments in Delivery, Bioavailability, Absorption and Metabolism of Curcumin: The Golden Pigment from Golden Spice. Cancer Res Treat. 2014;46(1):2-18.
2. Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its' Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017;6(10):92.
2. Honey: Sweet Nectar, Sweet Sweet Relief
Bees may be the world's original comedians, but their honey is no laughing matter when it comes to natural remedies. This all natural unimitatable sticky delight has antibacterial properties and soothes sore throats and canker sores. Honey has been investigated for its wound-healing abilities. However, it's important to note that honey should not be given to infants under one year old due to the risk of botulism - I regularly advised this in my stint as a public health (student) RN.
Also, honey is great for the skin and eating local made honey can reduce allergies since it is made with local pollens! I went to Greece and learned so much about bees: did you know that the queen bee literally has servers that place royal jelly on their heads for the queen bee to eat?
The queen bee then has a wedding fly, where she flies high and fast and only the male bee who keeps up with her until the end of that flight gets to mate with her. Sounds fun, right? Not so easy tho, because since the queen bee is the only bee to eat custom royal jelly (basically gourmet honey with extra nutrients made by bee regurgitation), she is very well built and extremely healthy. This means that at the end of her flight she has whittled down her mate to the best fit for her. Also, fun fact: queen bees can literally choose when to lay eggs and they can choose the gender of the eggs they lay! Mind blown? Mine was too!
In Greece, there are very many flowers everywhere, so a wider variety of honey is made with different healing properties. For example, orange blossum honey (sooooo delicious!) is great for circulation, oak honey is good for digestion, and thyme honey is great for soothing sore throats, while Pine honey is a great immune booster. They all have distinct colors and flavors and many of the beekeepers are in the family business for generations. Fun fact: bees produce the wax with their furs (a liquid sort of like sweat forms at the front part of their neck and becomed waxy), and all working bees are female. Also, the honeycombs are very sterile and kept clean, repaired, and sealed with female maintenance worker bees. Any honey or combs that get contaminated are broken apart and removed or are sealed off with a sticky antibacterial gel that the bees make. Also, in Greece, the bees are brown and black or orange and black, and they say that bees are yellow and black only in cartoons! 😅 Maybe Canada is cartoon like in some ways!
They do all the scavenging, detecting which flowers have more nectar and pollen by the amount of UV rays a flower sends out. Those UV rays function as kind of a helicopter landing pad for the bees! Last fun fact: did you know that honey and cinnamon mixed together is such a strong natural remedy for physical health that it was paid in bricks to ancient kings above silver and gold?
Brodschneider, R., & Crailsheim, K. (2010). Nutrition and health in honey bees. Apidologie, 41(3), 278-294.
Kritsky, G. (2015). The tears of re: beekeeping in ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press.
References:
3. Simon A, Traynor K, Santos K, Blaser G, Bode U, Molan P. Medical honey for wound care—still the 'latest resort'? Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009;6(2):165-173.
4. Paul IM, Beiler J, McMonagle A, et al. The Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1140-1146.
3. Garlic: The Vampire Slayer... and More
Garlic is not just a potent weapon against vampires; it also boasts an impressive array of health benefits. This pungent bulb is packed with sulfur compounds that possess antimicrobial and cardiovascular properties. Studies have shown that garlic may help reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and even boost the immune system. Garlic is also a blood thinner, anti inflammatory agent, and antibacterial. The beauty is that taking fresh garlic never loses its potency - so it would be just as strong on day 365 as it would be on day 1 if you ate a fresh clove of garlic a day for a year! Same with fresh honey. Same with fresh turmeric root and giner root. Speaking of ginger....
References:
5. Ried K, Toben C, Fakler P. Effect of garlic on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2008;8(1):13.
6. Arreola R, Quintero-Fabián S, López-Roa RI, et al. Immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic compounds. J Immunol Res. 2015;2015:401630.
4. Ginger: The Spicy Panacea
We conclude our journey with a zesty root that adds a kick to both cuisine and health remedies: ginger. This aromatic spice contains gingerol, a bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Ginger has been traditionally used to alleviate digestive discomfort, including nausea and vomiting. It may also hold promise in managing chronic inflammatory conditions.
I used to know some pilots in training at a local air base, and they had to be velcroed to a wall in a spinning room as part of their training. They had to do this until they did not throw up after several times in that room. Many of them took ginger to stave off the nausea. All of them passed the exams and have various aviation careers! Gooooo, ginger!
Ps, ginger is also an appetite stimulant, as is garlic!
References:
7. Marx W, Ried K, McCarthy AL, et al. Ginger—Mechanism of action in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: A review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017;57(1):141-146.
8. Mashhadi NS, Ghiasvand R, Askari G, et al. Influence of Ginger and Cinnamon Intake on Inflammation and Muscle Soreness Endued by Exercise in Iranian Female Athletes. Int J Prev Med. 2013;4(Suppl 1):S11-S15.
Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating any natural remedies into your routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Embracing nature's gifts can be delightful and potentially beneficial, but let's always approach it with scientific curiosity and a sense of humor!
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice.
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