1. 6 Timeless Home Remedies Doctors Still LoveStephanie WoodardWednesday, June 20, 20121. Lemon BalmTradition says: Melissa officinalis, a lemon-scented member of the mint family, has long beenused to banish anxiety, boost memory, and aid sleep and digestion. It is "good against the bitingof venomous beasts, comforts the heart, and driveth away all melancholy and sadnesse," wroteElizabethan-era herbalist John Gerard in 1597.Research proves: Got a presentation or other stress-filled occasion? As in days of old, a teamade of lemon balm may help you sleep soundly the night before and keep you calm andfocused, says a 2003 article in Neuropsychopharmacology. Research suggests this plant iseffective in extreme situations too. Four weeks of lemon balm aromatherapy cut agitation inpatients with severe dementia, reports a 2002 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.Lemon balm appears to calm an overactive thyroid (Graves disease), according to Eric Yarnell,ND, an assistant professor of botanical medicine at Bastyr University. It also fights viruses;recent studies indicate that lemon balm cream speeds healing of oral herpes lesions andreduces the frequency of outbreaks.

2. Get the benefit: For lemon balms calming effects, try a daily tea made with one-half to one fulldropper of tincture or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb steeped in 1 cup of hot water for 5 to 10minutes, says herbalist Linda Different Cloud, a PhD candidate in ethnobotany at Montana StateUniversity. Ask your doctor first if you take thyroid medication, as the botanical may change theamount you need. To use topically, follow the instructions on OTC creams, such as Cold SoreRelief or WiseWays Herbals Lemon Balm Cream, available online or at drugstores or health foodstores.2. OnionTradition says: Onions are considered cure-alls in many cultures. In Middle Eastern traditionalmedicine, they were prescribed for diabetes. During the early 20th century in the United States,William Boericke, MD, recommended onions for respiratory and digestive problems in hisinfluential medical treatise, Homeopathic Materia Medica. Believing that onions would helpimprove athletic performance, ancient Greek Olympians scarfed them down, drank their juice,and rubbed them on their bodies before competitions.Research proves: A stack of new studies has confirmed many old-time uses of onions. Theirthiosulfinates (sulfur compounds responsible for their smell) reduce diabetes symptoms andprotect against cardiovascular disease. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in onions, prevents theinflammation associated with allergies and also protects against stomach ulcers and colon,esophageal, and breast cancers. And it looks like the ancient Olympians had it right: A 2010study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found thatquercetin extract increased endurance by 13%.Get the benefit: Onions may keep the doctor away even better than apples do. Your bodyabsorbs quercetin from onions at least 3 times faster than it does from apples (or from tea,another top source), says a report for the Federation of European Biochemical Societies. To getthe most thiosulfinates, choose red or yellow onions. "The more colorful, the better," saysMichael Havey, PhD, a USDA geneticist and University of Wisconsin professor of horticulture.Heat diminishes the thiosulfinates, so eat onions raw or lightly cooked, Havey adds. "Make thema regular part of a vegetable- and fruitfilled diet." 3. 3. Cayenne PeppersTradition says: Columbus is credited with transporting cayenne peppers--also called chiles, aftertheir Aztec name, chil--from the New World to the Old. Consumed in the Americas for some7,000 years, the fiery-flavored pods reminded the explorer of black pepper, a highly prized--andpricey--spice in Europe at the time. The easy-to-grow chile quickly assumed a central role intraditional cookery and remedies worldwide; folk medicine practitioners used it for everythingfrom pain relief to aphrodisiacs.Research proves: Capsaicin, the ingredient that gives cayenne its heat, is best known today forpain relief--easing muscle aches, postoperative discomfort, and arthritis. Studies show that ittamps down chemical messengers that transmit pain messages in the brain. The latest researchindicates that the sizzling spice may also assist in weight control. A 2009 paper in the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition reports that capsaicin-related compounds helped people loseabdominal fat. Cayenne also appears to control blood sugar. Study participants who ate a lunchcontaining capsaicin had higher blood levels of a sugar-regulating hormone and less ghrelin, the"hunger hormone," than those who ate a bland meal, reported the European Journal ofNutrition last year.Get the benefit: For pain relief, follow package instructions on OTC capsaicin ointments andcreams, including Zostrix or Capzasin-HP Arthritis Pain Relief, available in drugstores or online.No dose has been established for weight control; however, cayenne peppers are on the FDAsGenerally Recognized As Safe list, so add fresh chiles to taste in your favorite dishes (or, moreconveniently, powdered cayenne, available in supermarkets). Chop finely, then cook them in 4. soups and stews or add them uncooked to salad dressings.4. PlantainTradition says: Plantain, or Plantago major, a low-growing, oval-leafed plant found all over theglobe, is a traditional remedy for skin ailments. Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th-centuryBenedictine abbess, healer, composer, and eventually saint, suggested applying it to insect bitesin her renowned medical treatise, Physica. Native Americans apply plantain poultices to insectstings, wounds, burns, and more, says Different Cloud, who lives on the Standing Rock SiouxReservation in North and South Dakota. (Note: Do not confuse this leafy plant with a verydifferent, banana-like tropical fruit that happens to have the same name.)Research proves: The plants antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties help heal breaks inthe skin, researchers have found. Its soothing effects work internally too: Psyllium, the seed ofone type of plantain, is the source of the fiber in some laxatives.Get the benefit: Plantain is difficult to identify, so youre best off buying it from an herbalist.Different Cloud recommends steeping 1/2 cup of dried plantain in 2 cups of hot water for 10 to15 minutes. Dip a clean cloth or compress in the warm liquid and place on skin for up to 30minutes, changing cloths and repeating as necessary. For poison ivy, try Tecnu Rash Relief spray,which contains skin-calming plantain and the traditional itch-relieving herb Grindelia, availableat drugstores or online. 5. 5. Parsley (Kinchay)Tradition says: Parsley root can be used for diseases of the urinary tract, wrote botanist andapothecary John Parkinson in a treatment recommendation he prepared for the Queen ofEngland in1629. Centuries later, Boerickes Homeopathic Materia Medica recommended parsley forurinary tract ailments, as did The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, amanual of the Eclectics, a group of US physicians who practiced from the mid-1800s to the early1900s and were famous for their use of North American botanicals. Of course, after youveeaten all those onions, youll also need this breath freshener of yore. "The strong smell of onionsis quite taken away by the eating of parsley leaves," counseled Parkinson.Research proves: According to Yarnells 2002 World Journal of Urology review of several animalstudies, parsley roots do increase urine output. The German Commission E, a regulatory body,has approved the plant for cystitis and other urinary tract disorders.Get the benefit: If you have a urinary tract infection, try drinking three daily cups of tea, eachmade with 2 g of common parsley (you dont need just the roots), or taking 2 to 4 ml of tincture3 times each day for the duration of the condition. To benefit the urinary tract long-term, eatparsley leaves regularly, advises Yarnell. Munch on the sprig decorating your restaurant meal; athome, add chopped leaves to omelets, salads, and hot dishes. 6. One more benefit of eating it: Parkinsons breath-freshening advice will work as well for you as itdid for the Queen of England, thanks to parsleys odor-zapping chlorophyll.6. Hawthorn BerryTradition says: From China to Europe to Native America, herbalists have used hawthorns greenleaves, white or pink flowers, and tart red fall berries to strengthen cardiovascular health. "Itacts on the muscle of the heart," explained Boericke in the early 20th century; he suggestedprescribing it when "heart muscles seem flabby, worn out." Scientists date the use of this shrubto at least the first century, when Dioscorides, a famed Roman physician, wrote of it in DeMateria Medica, which became the most influential medical treatise of the next 16 centuries.Research proves: Recent studies back up the old-time uses, indicating that antioxidantcompounds in hawthorn relax arterial-wall muscles, increasing blood flow to the heart andpreventing or reducing symptoms of coronary artery disease. Studies also show that theflavonoids may both prevent and treat additional cardiac ailments, including congestive heartfailure. An analysis of existing studies done in 2008 by Cochrane Researchers found thathawthorn extract increases the hearts strength and exercise tolerance, diminishes its oxygenneeds, and reduces cardiac patients shortness of breath.Get the benefit: If you have a cardiac condition, such as CAD, high blood pressure, or congestive 7. heart failure, you should be under the care of a health care professional, who can advise youwhat form to take--tea, tincture, or capsule. Studies showing benefits for the heart used 60 mgdoses 3 times a day.Where to find botanicalsPurchase dried herbs, tinctures, and other nonfood herbal items mentioned here at JeansGreens (518-479-0471; jeansgreens.com) or Starwest Botanicals (800- 800-4372; starwest-botanicals.com). To grow herbs, find seeds at Horizon Herbs (541-846-6704; horizonherbs.com).And remember: When looking for a plant in the wild, bring along a field guide or other visual aid.