20 pain cures from your kitchen

8/3/2019 20 Pain Cures From Your Kitchen

1/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

20 PAIN CURES FROM YOUR KITCHEN

Make muscle pain amemory with ginger

When Danish researchersasked achy people to jazz uptheir diets with ginger, iteased muscle and joint pain,swelling and stiffness for up

to 63 percent of them withintwo months. Experts creditginger's potent compoundscalled gingerols, whichprevent the production ofpain-triggering hormones.The study-recommendeddose: Add at least 1 teaspoonof dried ginger or 2

teaspoons of chopped gingerto meals daily.

Cure a toothache withcloves

Got a toothache and can't getto the dentist? Gentlychewing on a clove can easetooth pain and guminflammation for two hoursstraight, say UCLA researchers. Experts point toa natural compound in clovescalled eugenol, a powerful,natural anesthetic. Bonus:Sprinkling a teaspoon ofground cloves on meals dailymay also protect your ticker.Scientists say this simpleaction helps stabilize bloodsugar, plus dampenproduction of artery-cloggingcholesterol in as little asthree weeks


2/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

Heal heartburn with cidervinegar

Sip 1 tablespoon of applecider vinegar mixed with 8ounces of water before everymeal, and experts say youcould shut down painfulbouts of heartburn in as littleas 24 hours. "Cider vinegar isrich in malic and tartaricacids, powerful digestive aids

that speed the breakdown offats and proteins so yourstomach can empty quickly, before food washes up intothe esophagus, triggeringheartburn pain," explainsJoseph Brasco, M.D., agastroenterologist at theCenter for Colon and

Digestive Diseases inHuntsville, AL.

Erase ear aches with garlic

Painful ear infections drivemillions of Americans todoctors' offices every year. Tocure one fast, just place twodrops of warm garlic oil into your aching ear twice dailyfor five days. This simpletreatment can clear up earinfections faster thanprescription meds, sayexperts at the University OfNew Mexico School Of Medicine. Scientists saygarlic's active ingredients(germanium, selenium, andsulfur compounds) arenaturally toxic to dozens ofdifferent pain-causing bacteria. To whip up yourown garlic oil gently simmerthree cloves of crushed garlicin a half a cup of extra virginolive oil for two minutes,strain, then refrigerate for upto two weeks, suggests TeresaGraedon, Ph.D., co-author ofthe book, Best Choices From The People's Pharmacy. For anoptimal experience, warm


3/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

this mix slightly before usingso the liquid will feelsoothing in your ear canal.

Chase away joint andheadache pain withcherries

Latest studies show that atleast one in four women isstruggling with arthritis, goutor chronic headaches. If you're one of them, a daily bowl of cherries could ease

your ache, without thestomach upset so oftentriggered by today'spainkillers, say researchers atEast Lansing's MichiganState University. Theirresearch reveals thatanthocyanins, thecompounds that give cherries

their brilliant red color, areanti-inflammatories 10 timesstronger than ibuprofen andaspirin. "Anthocyanins helpshut down the powerfulenzymes that kick-starttissue inflammation, so theycan prevent, as well as treat,many different kinds of

pain," explainsMuraleedharan Nair, Ph.D.,professor of food science atMichigan State University.His advice: Enjoy 20 cherries(fresh, frozen or dried) daily,then continue until your paindisappears.

Fight tummy troubles withfish

Indigestion, irritable bowelsyndrome, inflammatorybowel diseases...if your bellyalways seems to be in an

uproar, try munching 18ounces of fish weekly to ease your misery. Repeatedstudies show that the fattyacids in fish, called EPA andDHA, can significantlyreduce intestinalinflammation, cramping andbelly pain and, in some cases,

provide as much relief ascorticosteroids and otherprescription meds. "EPA andDHA are powerful, natural,side effect-free anti-inflammatories, that candramatically improve thefunction of the entiregastrointestinal tract,"

explains biological chemistBarry Sears, Ph.D., presidentof the InflammationResearch Foundation inMarblehead, MA. For bestresults, look for oily fish likesalmon, sardines, tuna,mackerel, trout and herring.


4/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

Prevent PMS with yogurt

Up to 80 percent of women

will struggle withpremenstrual syndrome andits uncomfortable symptoms,report Yale researchers. Thereason: Their nervoussystems are sensitive to theups and downs in estrogenand progesterone that occurnaturally every month. But

snacking on 2 cups of yogurta day can slash thesesymptoms by 48 percent, sayresearchers at New York'sColumbia University. "Yogurtis rich in calcium, a mineralthat naturally calms thenervous system, preventingpainful symptoms even when

hormones are in flux,"explains Mary Jane Minkin,M.D., a professor of gynecology at YaleUniversity.

Tame chronic pain withturmeric

Studies show turmeric, apopular East Indian spice, isactually three times moreeffective at easing pain thanaspirin, ibuprofen or

naproxen, plus it can helprelieve chronic pain for 50percent of people struggling with arthritis and evenfibromyalgia, according toCornell researchers. That's because turmeric's activeingredient, curcumin,naturally shuts down

cyclooxygenase 2, an enzymethat churns out a stream ofpain-producing hormones,explains nutrition researcherJulian Whitaker, M.D. andauthor of the book, Reversing Diabetes. Thestudy-recommended dose:Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of this

spice daily onto any rice,


5/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

poultry, meat or vegetabledish.

End endometrial pain withoats

The ticket to soothingendometriosis pain could bea daily bowl of oatmeal.Endometriosis occurs when

little bits of the uterine liningdetach and grow outside ofthe uterus. Experts say thesemigrating cells can turnmenstruation into a misery,causing so muchinflammation that theytrigger severe crampingduring your period, plus a

heavy ache that drags on allmonth long. Fortunately,scientists say opting for a dietrich in oats can help reduceendometrial pain for up to 60percent of women within sixmonths. That's because oatsdon't contain gluten, atrouble-making protein that

triggers inflammation inmany women, making

endometriosis difficult to bear, explains Peter Green,M.D., professor of medicineat Colombia University.

Soothe foot pain with salt

Experts say at least sixmillion Americans developpainful ingrown toenails each year. But regularly soakingingrown nails in warm salt water baths can cure thesepainful infections within fourdays, say scientists atCalifornia's StanfordUniversity. The salt in themix naturally nixesinflammation, plus it's anti- bacterial, so it quicklydestroys the germs that causeswelling and pain. Just mix 1teaspoon of salt into each cupof water, heat to the warmesttemperature that you cancomfortably stand, and thensoak the affected foot area for20 minutes twice daily, untilyour infection subsides.


6/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

Prevent digestive upsetswith pineapple

Got gas? One cup of freshpineapple daily can cutpainful bloating within 72hours, say researchers at

California's StanfordUniversity. That's becausepineapple is natually packed with proteolytic enzymes,digestive aids that help speedthe breakdown of pain-causing proteins in thestomach and small intestine,say USDA researchers.

Relax painful muscles withpeppermint

Suffering from tight, soremuscles? Stubborn knots canhang around for months ifthey aren't properly treated,says naturopath MarkStengler, N.D., author of thebook,The Natural Physician's Healing Therapies. Hisadvice: Three times each week, soak in a warm tubscented with 10 drops ofpeppermint oil. The warmwater will relax your muscles,while the peppermint oil will


7/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

naturally soothe your nerves-- a combo that can easemuscle cramping 25 percentmore effectively than over-

the-counter painkillers, andcut the frequency of futureflare-ups in half, saysStengler.

Give your back some TLCwith grapes

Got an achy back? Grapescould be the ticket to aspeedy recovery. Recentstudies at Ohio StateUniversity suggest eating a

heaping cup of grapes dailycan relax tight blood vessels,significantly improving bloodflow to damaged back tissues(and often within three hoursof enjoying the first bowl).That's great news because your back's vertebrae andshock-absorbing discs are

completely dependent on

nearby blood vessels to bringthem healing nutrients andoxygen, so improving bloodflow is essential for healing

damaged back tissue, saysStengler.

Wash away pain injurieswith water

Whether it's your feet, yourknees or your shoulders thatare throbbing, experts atNew York's ManhattanCollege, say you could kick-start your recovery in one

week just by drinking eight8-ounce glasses of waterdaily. Why? Experts saywater dilutes, and then helpsflush out, histamine, a pain-triggering compoundproduced by injured tissues."Plus water is a key building block of the cartilage that

cushions the ends of your bones, your joints'


8/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

lubricating fluid, and the softdiscs in your spine," addsSusan M. Kleiner, Ph.D.,author of the book,

The Good Mood Diet. "Andwhen these tissues are well-hydrated, they can move andglide over each other withoutcausing pain." One caveat: Besure to measure yourdrinking glasses to find outhow large they really arebefore you start sipping, she

says. Today's juice glassesoften hold more than 12ounces, which means fiveservings could be enough tomeet your daily goal.

Heal sinus problems withhorse radish

Latest studies show sinusitisis the nation's number onechronic health problem. And

this condition doesn't justspur congestion and facialpain, it also makes suffererssix times more likely to feelachy all-over. Horseradish tothe rescue! According toGerman researchers, thiseye-watering condimentnaturally revs up blood flow

to the sinus cavities, helping

to open and drain cloggedsinuses and heal sinusinfections more quickly thandecongestant sprays do. The

study-recommended dose:One teaspoon twice daily(either on its own, or used asa sandwich or meat topping)until symptoms clear.

Beat bladder infectionswith blueberries

Eating 1 cup of blueberriesdaily, whether you opt for

them fresh, frozen or in juiceform, can cut your risk of aurinary tract infection (UTIs) by 60 percent, according toresearchers at New Jersey'sRutgers University. That's because blueberries areloaded with tannins, plantcompounds that wrap around

problem-causing bacteria in


9/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

the bladder, so they can't geta toehold and create aninfection, explains AmyHowell, Ph.D. a scientist at

Rutgers University.

Heal mouth sores withhoney

Dab painful canker and coldsores with unpasteurized

honey four times daily untilthese skin woes disappear,and they'll heal 43 percentfaster than if you use aprescription cream, sayresearchers at the DubaiSpecialized Medical Center inthe United Arab Emirates.Raw honey's natural enzymes

zap inflammation, destroyinvading viruses and speed

the healing of damagedtissues, say the studyauthors.

Fight breast pain with flax

In one recent study, adding 3tablespoons of ground flax totheir daily diet eased breastsoreness for one in three

women within 12 weeks.Scientists credit flax'sphytoestrogens, natural plantcompounds that prevent theestrogen spikes that cantrigger breast pain. Moregood news: You don't have to be a master baker to sneakthis healthy seed into your

diet. Just sprinkle groundflax on oatmeal, yogurt,


10/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

applesauce or add it tosmoothies and veggie dips.

Cure migraines with coffee

Prone to migraines? Trymuscling-up your painkiller with a coffee chaser. Whatever over-the-counter

pain med you prefer,researchers at the NationalHeadache Foundation say washing it down with astrong 12- ounce cup ofcoffee will boost theeffectiveness of yourmedication by 40 percent ormore. Experts say caffeine

stimulates the stomach lining

to absorb painkillers morequickly and more effectively.

Tame leg cramps withtomato juice

At least one in five peopleregularly struggle with legcramps. The culprit?Potassium deficiencies, which occur when thismineral is flushed out bydiuretics, caffeinated beverages or heavy perspiration during exercise.But sip 10 ounces of potassium-rich tomato juicedaily and you'll not onlyspeed your recovery, you'llreduce your risk of painful


11/11

M.C.MOHAN REDDY

cramp flare-ups in as little as10 days, say UCLA researchers.

20 pain cures from your kitchen

Documents