Seven Home Remedies That Work

Feeding a cold, even when you are overfeeding it vitamin C supplements, is not supported by science. However there are many other home remedies that have been proven to work.

In three separate studies since 2001, scientists have directly measured a reduction in acid reflux in subjects who chewed sugar-free gum after a meal, designed to give them heartburn, versus those who did not. The saliva you secrete when chewing gum has a calming effect on acid reflux.

Oats have anti-inflammatory compounds that are effective when applied directly to the skin and can be applied as oatmeal or adding ground oats to a bath. Good for treating poison ivy, irritated skin, or itching due to eczema.

One way to reduce sunburn pain is cucumber. Use a food processor to turn it into paste, apply it to sunburned skin and leave it on until it dries.

In a small study published in the American Journal of Physiology, researchers induced nausea by spinning subjects in a large drum after a heavy meal. Ginger helped ease the nausea of the subjects. Try drinking ginger ale, eating a ginger candy, or dissolving a teaspoon of ginger powder in a cup of water or tea.

According to 2002 research in the Journal of Family Practice, nasal irrigation with a saltwater solution relieved the symptoms of sinus congestion and improved sinus-related quality of life. Add half a teaspoon of salt for every eight ounces of warm water. Use a neti pot or a squeeze bottle to pour the solution into your nostrils while leaning over a sink to catch the drainage.

Apple cider vinegar is an antibiotic and can be used to treat fungus. Soak toes or fingers in apple cider vinegar for twenty minutes twice a day until symptoms go away. It is also good to combat acne as it kills bacteria on your skin and shrinks blood vessels around the acne. Soak a cotton ball with apple cider vinegar, and apply it to affected skin after washing.

According to a 2009 and 2011 studies, tart cherry juice that lists montmorency cherries in the ingredients increases melatonin levels in the body. Melatonin is a hormone instrumental in sleep regulation. Subjects in the studies reduced the amount of time it took to fall asleep and saw significant increases in sleep time and quality

Sunburn and SPF

SPF is an acronym for Sun Protection Factor. SPF is actually a measure of protection from amount of UV-B exposure and it is not meant to help you determine duration of exposure. Sunbathers often assume that they get twice as much protection from SPF 100 sunscreen as from SPF 50. In reality, the extra protection is negligible. Properly applied SPF 15 blocks 93% of UV-B rays; SPF 50 sunscreen blocks 98 percent of sunburn rays. Dermatologists recommend using a SPF15 or SPF30 sunscreen. Higher SPFs do not actually give much more protection.

Sunblock and sunscreen block the rays from the sun being absorbed by our skin. Ninety five percent of the UV (Ultra violet) energy hitting the earth’s surface is UV-A. The other 5% is UV-B. Most of UV-B radiation is absorbed by our atmosphere. UV-A penetrates the skin more deeply than UV-B. However, UV-B causes more problems generally associated with exposure to the sun’s rays, like skin cancer, aging, and DNA damage. UV-B waves are primarily responsible for sunburned skin. Scientists know less about the dangers of UV-A radiation, but the general consensus is that it is less obvious than UV-B damage, but possibly more serious.

Sunscreens generally only block UV-B rays, and not UV-A. To get broad spectrum protection, sunscreen must contain both the organic compounds associated with UV-B absorption and an inorganic associated with UV-A reflection.

Sunburn reactions usually begin about 4 hours after exposure and peak between 8-24 hours, so what we feel while being exposed is just the beginning.
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