Healthy at home: These everyday natural painkillers may already be in your pantry

Many over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers, while efficient and useful at times, can be downright dangerous. Did you know that acetaminophen, also called paracetamol, accounts for more than 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations and an estimated 458 deaths each year?

Because acetaminophen-containing painkillers such as Tylenol are often available over-the-counter, people assume that they are safe, however, in reality, an acetaminophen overdose can lead to liver failure, coma and even death.

Next time you are being afflicted by the debilitating effects of aches and pains, forget about rushing to the pharmacy for some OTC pain medication. The healing process can begin at home with everyday kitchen ingredients.

Ginger to tackle joint and muscle pain

While ginger is usually known for its benefits to digestive health, this common kitchen spice can do so much more. In a Danish study, scientists asked pain sufferers to jazz up their diets with ginger. After only two months, 63 percent of the patients experienced less muscle and joint pain and reduced swelling and stiffness.

It is believed that the gingerols in ginger prevent the body from producing hormones which trigger pain. To reap ginger’s pain-relieving benefits, aim to consume at least one teaspoon of dried ginger or two teaspoons of chopped ginger a day.

Cloves to cure a toothache

As stated by UCLA researchers, gently chewing on a clove can ease tooth pain and gum disease for two hours straight. Eugenol, a naturally occurring compound in cloves, cinnamon, sage and oregano, works as a powerful, natural anesthetic with anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.

To improve oral health, cure toothache, regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol, add ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves to your daily meals. Or why not try clove essential oil? According to Cancer Truth, one drop of clove essential oil contains 400 times more antioxidants than wolfberries, which are considered the most powerful of all known fruits. Internal or topical use and diffusion of clove essential oil may have great health effects.

Apple cider vinegar to heal heartburn

Often touted as a cure-all, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water can improve heartburn in 24 hours. Joseph Brasco, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Center for Colon and Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, AL, explained that cider vinegar is a rich source of malic and tartaric acid. These powerful digestive acids help your body break down fats and proteins so that your stomach can empty more quickly, before food washes up into the esophagus, triggering acid reflux or heartburn pain.

Cherries to chase away joint pain and headaches

You can count on cherries to soothe chronic aches and pains. Anthocyanins are powerful, anti-inflammatory antioxidants proven to be 10 times more potent than aspirin and ibuprofen. Eating one bowl of this anthocyanin-rich fruit on a daily basis can ease headaches or chronic pain from arthritis and gout.

Turmeric to tame chronic pain

Turmeric is a versatile spice that can be added to many of our dishes. It has been proven that turmeric is three times more effective at alleviating pain than aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen, and works by shutting down the enzyme responsible for pain-producing hormones. According to Cornell researchers, turmeric’s active compound, curcumin, may ease chronic pain by 50 percent in people suffering from arthritis or fibromyalgia.

Aim to consume ¼ teaspoon of turmeric on a daily basis, and don’t forget to add a pinch of black pepper to increase the absorption of curcumin by 2,000 percent.

Garlic oil to ease earaches

Garlic oil is a rich source of sulfur and selenium which destroy many pain-causing bacteria. According to experts at the University of New Mexico School Of Medicine, pouring two drops of warm garlic oil into the affected ear daily for five days is a more effective painkiller than prescription medications.

Sources include:

UniversityHealthNews.com

CancerTruth.net

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov