Kitchen Cures for Pain

When a headache hits, or heartburn sets in, you probably head to the medicine cabinet to pop some pills. But have you ever considered heading to your kitchen for some natural remedies? It’s true; the same herbs that make your meals so tasty offer a wide variety of helpful health treatments. Read on for eight herbal fixes for heartburn, headaches, sinus pain..

For heartburn            

Put the fire out with tumeric. Bitter herbs such as turmeric (a key curry ingredient) help stimulate the flow of digestive juices, moving food along and preventing acid buildup. If using turmeric as a quick kitchen cure doesn’t stop the pain, try two or three turmeric capsules (1/2 to 1 g), available at health food stores, before a meal.

For headache

When your head is throbbing, brew up some rosemary. Rosemary helps keep blood vessels dilated. Use 1 teaspoon of rosemary per cup of hot water, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and sip a cup three times a day.

For headache

Or you can try ginger for headaches, too. Ginger inhibits a substance called thromboxane A2 that prevents the release of substances that make blood vessels dilate. In other words, it can help keep blood flowing on an even keel, which is essential in migraine prevention. For a quick kitchen cure for pain, grate fresh ginger into juice, nosh on Japanese pickled ginger, use fresh or powdered ginger when you cook, or nibble on a piece or two of crystallized ginger candy daily.

For sinus pain or pressure

If your sinus secretions are clear or white, you need a warming, drying herb such as thyme. Thyme is strongly antiseptic and is a traditional remedy for respiratory infections. Drink a cup of fragrant thyme tea—made by steeping one to two teaspoons of dried thyme in a cup of boiling water for about 10 minutes—three times a day.