Favorite Home Remedies

Many generations of "kitchen table wisdom" are contained in this guide to our favorite home remedies, which we have been collecting for more than 40 years. The remedies may have been used for hundreds, or even thousands of years, but haven't been tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Now please don't get us wrong. We love science. We also love common sense and experience. The trouble with home remedies is that they can rarely, if ever, be patented. If a drug company can't make money on something readily available from the spice rack or kitchen cabinet, there is little motivation to finance a scientific trial.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is not likely to spend tax payer money on home remedies, even if they might be cost effective and safe. And most researchers cannot afford to spend money out of their own pockets to pursue a quirky remedy that colleagues are likely to make fun of.

As a result, we have relied upon listeners to our public radio show and readers of our books, syndicated newspaper columns and website to supply new and intriguing treatments for common ailments.

Surprisingly, many of the most interesting home remedies we have collected in recent years actually have substantial scientific support.

We now present to you a condensed collection of some of our favorite bits of kitchen table wisdom and home remedies in this health guide.

This eGuide is available only as an online resource.