This week’s episode begins with an interview. We speak to Dr. Craig Hopp of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine about why doctors often dismiss home remedies as an old woman’s story.
Next, we describe how to evaluate remedies without randomized controlled trials. Natural products may provide clues for new drug development. For some minor conditions, however, it makes sense to try home remedies. For example, do you have a favorite hiccups cure? Parents may prefer natural cough suppressants to over-the-counter remedies for their children. Have you found one that works?email us [[email protected]] or call 888-472-3366 Between 7:10am and 8:00am EST on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Are natural remedies still effective?
A hundred years ago, pharmacists’ pharmacopoeias still listed many botanical products as standard treatments for common ailments. By the end of the 20th century, almost all of these had fallen out of favor. Doctors learned in medical school that there was no evidence to support its use. Many people are unaware that some manufactured medicines are derived from natural products.However, much like cromolyn for allergies and metformin for blood sugar control, many cancer treatments start with the old woman’s plant. I got
Some common problems are annoying but not serious enough to call a doctor. What do you do when you get heartburn occasionally? What if a mosquito bites me? Many people have a favorite cold medicine. you?
How do we know if the old wives were right?
Of course, you wouldn’t want to use a treatment without some evidence. But you don’t have to do rigorous experiments with placebo groups and double-blinds to gather evidence for some approach. Stopping the bleeding by grinding is nothing but our experience. have you tried it? does it work for you?
If you’ve ever interrupted your sleep and experienced muscle cramps during or after exercise, you’ll welcome home remedies that stop the pain quickly. . Swallowing a teaspoon of yellow mustard is easy and effective. Sipping vinegar is more difficult, but works just as well. I’d love to hear what you do to relieve muscle spasms.
Does Home Remedy Work?
Most home remedies aren’t very flashy. You may have heard that gargling with salt water can soothe a sore throat. You won’t know how well it works until you try it. When he has a cold and a persistent cough, he drinks his tea with thyme flavored with lemon and honey. Another way to harness the power of thymol for coughing is to smear it. Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet before going to bed. Always wear socks so you don’t get your sheets dirty or slip on the bathroom floor.
What did your old wife suggest about nail fungus?
I started writing about your remedies for pesky nail fungus years before the FDA approved an expensive prescription drug to treat this problem. In that case, neither do drugs. In most cases, the success rate for removing nail fungus is modest.
Criteria for home remedies to try:
We’ve already talked about using Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet for coughing. The nurse who spoke to me about this suggested her three criteria as treatments worth trying:
1) It might work.
2) It doesn’t hurt.
3) It doesn’t cost much.
Guests of the week:
D. Craig Hopp, Ph.D., is Associate Director of Extramural Research at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (NCCIH). In addition to serving as Deputy Director, Dr. Hopp continues to oversee the administration of the Product Integrity Policy. This includes an evaluation to ensure that the proposed research material is safe and well characterized. He also focuses on large-scale projects such as drug-natural product interaction research, innovation and technology research centers, and the Consortium for Advancement of Research on Plants and Other Natural Products (CARBON) program. . Dr. Hopp brings his expertise and experience in the field of natural products to help shape research priorities at NCCIH. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/about/staff/d-craig-hopp
Dr. Hopp photo by Lisa Helfert.
Dr. Craig Hopp
Listen to the podcast:
The show’s podcast will air on Monday, May 8, 2023 after airing on May 6, 2023. You can stream shows and download podcasts for free from this site.
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