Sunday, August 31, 2008
History of Home Remedies
Homeopathic medicine has been catching on in recent years. People are opting for more natural solutions to medical problems. It is safer and has fewer side effects than many modern medications on the market. The idea is to detoxify the body by returning to friendlier products. It is also more cost effective for those without health or prescription insurance.
For thousands of years, civilization has practiced medicine in one form or another. Depending on where in the world they were, the plants and herbs used grew locally. There was someone who was familiar with the ancient customs and knew what remedies were best for what ailments. He or she may have been called the village holy man or witch doctor or whatever the terminology is.
Ancient Greek, Romans, Indians, Native Americans, and Africans all developed medicinal processes. For the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, the cocoa bean was the basis of their health remedies. The remedies created by these peoples were for prevention, infection, birth, and in some cases, surgery.
The practice of using herbal remedies preceded modern pharmaceuticals. Many of the medicines we use today originated with various plants and herbs. Modern techniques have improved on the form and mode of transmission so that common medicines are more accessible to the public. But, there is something to be said for natural solutions.
So, those old wives’ tales that you have been hearing about from your mother and grandmother have a basis in history. Many sound ludicrous but they work. When people didn’t have modern concoctions they used the next best thing—the plants that produced those modern miracles. Dismissing them out of hand could be a mistake.
Now, working with natural home remedies does require a bit of know-how. There are plants that can have dangerous interactions with each other just like medicines today that can interact or counteract with each other. Many people have become seriously ill or experienced fatal results from drug interactions. Herbs have similar effects but more so the reactions are detrimental to a certain condition, such as using senna during pregnancy. This and a number of other herbs can increase miscarriage.
Home and natural remedies are synonymous in most ways. People can use herbs, botanical, and other items that they have in their kitchens to create remedies for common ailments. So, before heading to the store for an over-the-counter medicine, see what you have around the house that can do the job just as well if not better.
In this report, you will learn about the natural remedies that exist today and the different ailments they affect. Some are ailments that we all would expect to find information on and others are things that we didn’t know there were remedies for. Some are funny to read and others may make you scratch your head as you decide whether to try them or not. Have fun with the information.