All too often, people go straight to the doctor to get a prescription for drugs whenever an ailment strikes. Doctors and Western medicine can have a tremendous, positive impact on your life. But, there may also be side effects associated with the use of certain treatments. For this reason, people often look for natural alternatives that take less of a toll on the body. The ingredients change, depending on geography. So, take a world tour with us as we explore some unusual herbal remedies that are sure to put a smile on your face.
Frankincense
Before we had high tech manufacturing processes, we had to rely on what we could find in nature. This is true about food and natural substances with medicinal properties. When it comes to food, most people are well aware of maple syrup and the trees that it’s harvested from. But did you know that there’s medicinal tree sap, known as frankincense? People chew the dried sap to help with digestion and to strengthen their gums. It is also said to work as an immunity booster and to reduce stress and anxiety. Frankincense also has topical benefits. You can apply it to wounds to help them heal, or use it as an antiseptic.
Snail Syrup
Tree sap isn’t the only syrup in nature that people believe has medicinal properties. Sometimes, those healing syrups can come from animals… or snails. It’s not clear how this was discovered to be a home remedy, but Germans have been using snail syrup to treat sore throats and coughs. It may not taste like escargot, but this slimy substance is said to thin mucus while simultaneously acting as a cough suppressant.
Kratom Powder
Mitragyna Speciosa trees grow deep in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. You can find these trees in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Locals may refer to its dried leaves as “Biak-Biak”, while the commercial product is known simply as kratom. Sometimes the leaves are crushed and brewed into tea, but the most popular form is as a fine powder. Some manufacturers will refine the powder further into kratom isolate tablets. Whatever the form, kratom is said to have different effects, depending on the amount consumed. You can find kratom online at places like this kratom vendor, which offer lots of kratom strains in fine powder form. If you take a little, it acts as a mild stimulant, similar to coffee. If you take more, it is said to act as an anti-anxiety treatment, a painkiller, and a sedative.
Seaweed Bath
Have you ever felt rejuvenated after taking a dip at the beach? If so, it’s possible that the seaweed floating around your body had something to do with it. Most people know about the nutritional value of consuming seaweed, but it has other uses, too. Seaweed baths have been popular in Ireland for hundreds of years. In fact, they’ve had seaweed bathhouses since the 19th century. First, it acts as a natural moisturiser to keep your skin smoother and younger-looking. These baths are also said to help detoxify the body, so consider a seaweed bath the next time you do a cleanse.
Saffron
If you enjoy Persian cuisine, then you have probably consumed saffron. Native to Iran, it’s an aromatic, purple flower that is often added to desserts. People often add saffron to their after-dinner tea to aid in digestion. People also report that it may have benefits in cancer protection, improved eyesight, heart health, and depression.
Baby Mouse Wine
Most Westerners have limited knowledge of eastern medicine. People often hear about the stimulating qualities of ginseng root, or the pain management effects of acupuncture. But few of them have heard about baby mouse wine as a health tonic. Yet, you can find it in Chinese medicine shops if you know where to look. The wine contains around ten to fifteen baby mice, and it’s said to help with ailments like asthma and liver disease. The mice are very young, so they don’t have any fur. They are typically drowned in the wine according to traditions passed down over the centuries, but the taste is covered by the strong flavour of the wine, which might be compared to gasoline.
Turmeric
This spice is much more common than a remedy like baby mouse wine. Turmeric comes from India, and its bright orange colour makes it easily recognizable. People attest to its healing properties, which include anti-inflammatory traits. This means that it is often used to cure acne and other skin conditions. It’s also a strong antioxidant that can boost your immunity, and which may help reduce risks associated with the brain and the heart. While such benefits would be difficult to prove, it is touted to have more down-to-earth benefits too. These include improved digestion and its use in preventing the common cold.
Acai Berry
When humans were hunter-gatherers, our daily rituals included gathering berries and other edible plants. It’s no surprise, then, that acai berry was discovered to have strong health benefits. Native to Central and South America, it has been used for a variety of reasons. First, it’s high in antioxidants, including anthocyanins that are reported to lower cholesterol to help prevent heart disease. People also ingest it for weight loss, and it can be applied to your skin to reduce the signs of ageing.
