As I was researching herbal remedies for sore throat, I came across this article on South Asian home remedies which recommends a tea made of holy basil, black peppercorns, crushed cloves and a bit of crushed ginger, to relieve symptoms of common colds and flu.

Basil? Apparently, aside from its antibacterial and other health benefits, basil contain volatile oils that has anti-inflammatory properties, which basically act the same way as your over the counter aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen (source). Want more scientific proof? Check out this animal trial published in Fitoterapia.

The past few days, I’ve been suffering from sore throat. It started as some allergies, I suspect to pollen or dust mite, and while the itching has already subsided, I’m left with a scratchy throat. I know that ginger is a well-known home remedy for sore throat but I’m not particularly fond of ginger (though ginger-cola does sound interesting), so I surfed the web for alternatives.

I’ve found an article that cites 20 alternatives to ginger for curing sore throat! The options range from something as simple as salted water gargle to herbs I’m not that familiar with, such as Goldenseal …read more

Last week, the whole family was down with the flu. It wasn’t really that bad, except that it didn’t leave me well enough for anything else other than moping around, either. Annoying and tiring, but lots of fluids and sleep did wonders.
There’s an herbal extract that has recently been demonstrated in a clinical trial to shorten the duration of the flu. Take note, it’s not a cure, it just speeds up recovery… or so do the data indicate. The results of the study were published in the International Journal of Medical Research.
In a clinical trial, flu patients given Sambucol recovered …read more

A recent study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology says that about 60% of doctors in Scotland prescribes “alternative medicine”, i.e., the use of homeopathic and herbal medicine. These data comes from a survey of around 1.9 million patients from 323 practices from 2003-2004.
According to the results, the top five prescribed homeopathic remedies were:

Arnica montana (for injury, bruising)
Rhus toxicodendron (joint symptoms, headache)
Cupru m metallicum (cramp, poor circulation)
Pulsatilla (PMT, menopausal symptoms, breast feeding problems) and
Sepia (PMT, menopausal symptoms, fatigue).

The top five prescribed herbal remedies were:

Gentian (poor appetite, digestive problems)
Cranberry (urinary tract infection)
Digestodoron (indigestion, heartburn, constipation)
Evening primrose (PMT) and
Laxadoron …read more

Turmeric is a spice that features a lot in Asian, particularly Indian, cuisine. But aside from its use in flavoring food, it is also widely sold as a dietary supplement supposedly to treat a wide variety of ailments, including arthiritis.
However, nobody knows whether they are really effective, and what dosage is necessary.
Researchers from the University of Arizona set out to determine whether (and how) turmeric works as an anti-arthritic using animal models.
Dr. Funk and her colleagues then tested in animal models a whole extract of turmeric root, only the essential oils, and an oil-depleted extract containing the three …read more

We commonly use mint an an herb in cooking or as garnishing in desserts, but we also find it in liniments and palliative ointments and massage oils. It’s pain relieving powers have been long known particularly to those who practive traditional chinese medicine, but there have also been anecdotes that even Hippocrates, the Greek scholar, has used it to treat sprains, join pains and inflammation.
“Swellings and pains in the joints, ulceration, those of a gouty nature, and sprains, are generally improved by a copious affusion of cold water, which reduces the swelling, and removes the pain; for a moderate …read more