Home Remedy Myth Busting Quiz
From putting Vaseline around your nose to alleviate hay fever to drinking honey and ginger for cold or flu, we Brits are always looking for new quick fixes that actually work.
In fact, on average, there are over 81k searches for ‘home remedies for cough’ every month, while on TikTok, #naturalremedies videos have been watched over 2 billion times!
However, with so many home remedies claiming to cure your ailment overnight, it can be tricky to separate fact from fiction. To help, we’ve created a quiz to test your knowledge and highlight the at-home solutions that actually work.
So, take our quiz, below, to find out which home treatments are worth a try and which ones are just myths.
Which home remedies actually work?
Now you know which home remedies are merely myths, let’s remind ourselves which treatments do work, and what ingredients you should always keep in your medicine cupboard.
Chamomile tea for nausea
There are tons of teas out there that can soothe a range of ailments, from headaches to nausea.
A hot cup of chamomile tea is a great way to soothe an upset stomach. That’s because chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it great for nausea, stomach cramps, and motion sickness. So, the next time you’re feeling a bit nauseated, just flick the kettle on.
Apple cider vinegar for gut health
Fermented foods have long been a staple of East Asian and Eastern European cuisine; dishes like kimchi and sauerkraut are both tasty and great for your gut.
Apple cider vinegar goes through a lengthy fermentation process, making it ideal to aid gut health. Try adding a dash of apple cider vinegar to your salad dressing or soup recipe for a delicious gut health boost, or read our blog about other gut health foods you can add to your meal plan.
Ginger root to boost your immune system
A lot of food items we typically add to our shopping list, or already have sitting in the kitchen cupboard, actually have great health benefits.
Take ginger root, for example. This popular spice can be used to soothe a range of ailments, but it also helps give your immune system a little boost too. This can be beneficial for pain or nausea caused by morning sickness, menstrual cramps, and a cold. Add some ginger to a curry or stir fry to give your dinner time an immune-boosting kick.
Manuka honey for anti-inflammatory purposes
Adding a spoon of something sweet to home remedies can help to make them a bit more palatable, but adding honey can do that and more.
Manuka honey, in particular, has tons of beneficial health properties from anti-inflammatory to antioxidant, and anti-bacterial. This makes it a great upgrade from your regular store bought honey, as manuka honey can be used to help soothe ulcers, small cuts, and a sore throat. Drop a spoon of this into your tea for a tasty and healing cuppa.
Peppermint tea for toothache
Herbal teas are great to drink if you’re looking to cut the caffeine in your diet but can’t part ways with your morning brew. Well, some of them can even help soothe certain dental ailments too.
For example, peppermint tea can help alleviate pain caused by a toothache. Since it contains menthol, applying a wet peppermint tea bag to the painful tooth and gum, it can help to numb the affected area. Place the tea bag in some hot water for about 20 minutes before lightly holding it where you feel pain.
If you want to read about more foods for cold and flu you should keep in your kitchen, or you want to check your go-to hay fever remedy isn’t just a debunked myth, then head over to our Be Healthy hub.
