10 Home Remedies That Work

Home health remedies are as close as your cupboard and, in some cases, more effective than over-the-counter products. — Photo by Nola Lopez

5. Menthol rub. Applying mentholated ointments such as strong-smelling Vicks VapoRub has been shown to be a safe, cost-effective treatment for toenail fungus, often more effective than over-the-counter products.

A small study this year found that applying Vicks to the affected nails once daily helped 15 of 18 adults either cure or partially clear up their fungus.

Sally Stroud, professor of nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina, says Vicks is easy to apply and worth trying "before turning to more costly alternatives."

Stroud also suggests first wiping the affected nails with a cotton ball soaked in white vinegar, then applying the VapoRub.

6. Tart cherry juice. Drinking tart cherry juice can help prevent gout attacks, relieve muscle soreness after exercise, and possibly help with arthritis pain because of its natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Gout expert Naomi Schlesinger, M.D., says the juice seems to reduce the joint inflammation that gout causes. Schlesinger led a study that found patients who took a tablespoon of tart cherry juice concentrate twice a day for four months cut the frequency of their gout attacks in half.

More than a third remained gout attack-free. Other studies have shown that drinking tart cherry juice daily helps runners reduce muscle soreness and reduces inflammation in overweight patients.

Unlike its sweeter cousins, the Bing and black cherry, the tart cherry is bright red and higher in antioxidants.

7. Witch hazel. Witch hazel is derived from the leaves and twigs of a flowering shrub. For more than a century, the clear, refined extract has been used as an astringent to help tighten the skin and relieve inflammation.

It is the main ingredient in commercial hemorrhoid pads, used to relieve mild itching and irritation, but you can do the same at home with pads you moisten with witch hazel, according to Hagen. For even more relief, use chilled witch hazel.

8. Water. Daily gargling with plain tap water can help cut the number of colds and respiratory infections you get, as well as relieve symptoms if you're already sick.

A 2005 study of nearly 400 healthy volunteers ages 18 to 65 in Japan found that those who gargled three times a day with tap water had nearly 40 percent fewer respiratory infections during cold and flu season than did the control group. When the subjects did get sick, gargling reduced bronchial irritation, researchers reported.

Other studies also support gargling, whether with salt water or water with lemon and honey, as a safe, effective way to soothe and cleanse a sore throat.

Hagen says the salt in the water also draws out excess fluid from the throat's inflamed tissues, "and warm water may help cleanse them a bit better."

9. Milk of magnesia. Dabbing this milky liquid on canker sores — small ulcers that typically appear inside the mouth — can temporarily soothe their pain. "Milk of magnesia won't heal the sores, but it does give relief from the symptoms," Hagen says. Experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggest first dabbing the sore with a mixture of half water and half hydrogen peroxide, then dabbing on the milk of magnesia.

10. Cranberries. If you're prone to bladder infections, drinking cranberry juice daily won't cure them, but it can help prevent them, say the urologic disease experts at NIH.

Just be careful if you are taking blood-thinning medication like warfarin (Coumadin), Plavix or aspirin, warns Hagen: "Possible interactions between cranberry juice and warfarin may lead to bleeding."

Taking a 500 mg cranberry extract pill twice a day is also effective at preventing urinary tract infections.

A Dutch study published this year compared women who took a daily low dose of an antibiotic to prevent infections and women who took the cranberry pills. The antibiotic was somewhat more effective, but it also caused more antibiotic resistance in the bloodstream.

Unlike antibiotics, which kill bacteria, cranberries keep bacteria from attaching to the bladder walls.

Also of interest: Eat to stay young. >>

Candy Sagon writes about health and nutrition for the AARP Bulletin.