The ‘C’ word is back on our lips and it is all anyone is talking about. No, not that one, the other one — Covid — if it’s not Covid, then it’s a harsh cold, or a flu, or allergies that we forgot all about it since that two-year lockdown. It feels like everyone is sick at the moment, but it’s easy to just accept that your immune systems have been heavily compromised.
Whilst there is not much evidence presently that we have more patients with immunodeficiencies, GP and women's health specialist Dr Amina Albeyatti tells GLAMOUR: "We are still early into our research and data gathering post-Covid. So far what we are learning is that although the majority of patient who contracted Covid-19 recover within 2-12 weeks there is a significant percentage who have symptoms of long Covid that can cause reduced cognition (brain fog), disturbed sleep, difficulty breathing or not having the same exercise tolerance as pre-Covid and fatigue. These ongoing symptoms for several weeks to months can impact your sleep, appetite and exercise; all of which can in turn impact your immunity and cause recurrent minor illnesses.”
I got Covid three months ago, and have been unwell ever since.
So maybe it’s our lack of sleep, or maybe it’s these arctic conditions our bodies forgot all about after experiencing the hottest UK summer ever, or maybe it’s the stress of handling these skyrocketing energy bills. Whatever it is, ultimately, our bodies are tired and shoving random drugs down our throats is not always necessary.
Growing up in a Black household with African parents meant that I spent most of my childhood watching my parents take care of us using techniques and rituals they learned from their heritage. Me: “Mum, my throat is sore.” Mum: “Chew ginger, raw ginger, I’m bringing some up now.” After jokingly discussing how predictable my mum is, I came to find that this was the most common answer to a cold amongst most of my friends, who were also raised in African households. It's honestly as go-to of a solution as drinking water when you’re thirsty.
Growing up as an athlete, I also spent a lot of my teens with muscle pains, tiredness and needed to maintain maximum health so I could excel on the track as well as in school. “I’m making you tangawizi (a cold tea made of a mix of herbs), I don’t care if you don’t like the taste, you'll get over it.” That was my mum’s remedy for any lethargy, muscle ache, body pains, tiredness you name it. I almost feel like tangawizi was a magic potion for any un-wellness. Unsurprisingly though, as the ingredient list includes a mix of herbs like alligator pepper, bitter kola and raw ginger which have all been proven to carry strong immunity and anti-inflammation benefits, but more on that later.
As always though, test, test, test.
Ultimately my parents often lived by natural remedies for common illnesses as they’d spent their entire lives using it, and for them, they worked like a charm. In fact, a lot of medications we use today are heavily formulated with plants and nature-based ingredients. Although holistic healing has a bad rep as it’s often seen as hippie and unreliable, it has served generations of people well. Dr. Lakshmi Menezes who is an author and MD, says: “Holistic care focused on prevention and wellness has been shown to help patients manage their own health more effectively.” Although attempts to self medicate can be dangerous, these are recommendations for common and non-life-threatening illnesses, which just require something to alleviate the pain. Doing so with natural ingredients that can also mean you're contributing to your general good health — two birds, one stone.
I was curious to see if my parents were the only ones making tea out of boiled bay leaves to treat my headaches, so I asked people around the office if my colleagues had learned interesting natural remedies from their parents that actually worked. Here are five people sharing their favourite natural remedies they’d learned from their heritage.
The sleepiness is real.
Shei, GLAMOUR’s Beauty Writer
On my first day of university, my mum packed me an emergency medical box, it included ibuprofen, paracetamol, multi-vitamins, plasters, you know, the essentials... However, whenever I was home I’d see them using natural remedies. I was curious, so I called my dad to quiz him, because I didn’t want to consistently rely on tablets to medicate. I wanted something that also provided general health benefits and no side effects. Considering how well and healthy they’d aged, I trusted their opinion. Here is what they shared with me.
- Headache: Boil one or two bay leaves with water and drink like tea (add honey to sweeten it up if you find it easier to drink) — Bay leaf is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. These vitamins are all known to support a healthy immune system.
- Toothache: Boil some neem leaves to make tea, raw is best, but if you can only find in powder form, that’s also okay. — Neem contains chemicals that might help heal ulcers in the digestive tract and prevent plaque from forming in the mouth.
- Cold or flu: Chew raw ginger. You can also make a eucalyptus (one leaf only), onion syrup with honey — Both Ginger and onion has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Eucalyptus is known to help to decrease pain, promote relaxation, and relieve cold symptoms and onion
- Muscle ache: Tangawizi tea — Mix ginger, grains of selim, alligator pepper, black pepper, bitter kola, calabash nutmeg and bring to boil. You can also make it as a paste to massage on sore muscles, just don’t add water or bitter kola and make sure the ginger is dry, for that yellow paste finish (can stain clothes) — alligator pepper is known for it's anti-inflamatory benefits and is used as antimicrobial and antifungal remedies.
- Low mood: Mango leaf tea — literally boil the leaves from the mangoes. Mango leaf extracts contains a supplement called Zynamite which can boost a wide range of brain functions for at least five hours according to placebo controlled studies.
- High Fever: Calabash Nutmeg — grind them to a fine powder and bring to boil in water and sieve through. Add honey as the taste can be sour on its own, mix with other spices for extra health benefits — calabash nutmeg is known for its antimicrobial properties
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Deborah, GLAMOUR’s European Editorial Director
Stomach aches, feeling sick, headaches — the answer to it all was ‘Chai Nabat’.
- Period Pains: Whenever I had period pains when I was younger, my Persian grandma would give me saffron sugar crystals on a stick with black tea with cardamom ‘Chai Nabat’. I don’t know if there is any medical reason behind it, but it felt like the cure-all Persian mum solution. And while it didn’t really get rid of my period pains it definitely soothed them. She also used to give me white bread spread with butter and covered in white sugar for breakfast.
Although refined sugar, which is the type we purchase from the shops, is linked to inflammation and bloating, according to WEBMD Natural and pure sugar can have the oppose of those benefits and also help with haemorrhage (heavy bleeding).
Dennis, GLAMOUR’s European Design Director
- Aches, nausea, bites etc: Tiger Balm — Asian mums swear by tiger balm, aches, pains, nausea, bites, even stomach pain if rubbed on the belly, even promotes releasing of gas to relieve bloating. — Tiger balm's primary ingredients include camphor and menthol, which are known to relieve muscle and joint discomfort.
- Fever and diarrhoea: Po Chai pills — I personally still use this to this day, fever, diarrhoea?
- Ease symptoms of sickness: The “real” gua sha — That tool that you use for the face? Not the real deal! My mum still does this on my brother and me, it has proven to relieve symptoms of sickness.
- Energy boost: Ginseng is great for circulation but are also immune and energy boosting. Asian people drink this all year round. Have it with lemon. (Given the lack of evidence about its safety, ginseng isn’t recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.)
- Cold or flu: Sorry to vegans/veggies but bone broth is used for healing properties and health benefits, especially for new mums, cold/flus, to have with goji berries and other herbs but its known as liquid medicine in my culture. — Marrow provides vitamin A, vitamin K2, minerals like zinc, iron, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are great for overall health
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Denise, GLAMOUR’s Commerce Writer
- Cold and flu: Mustard plasters are used to relieve early cold & flu symptoms — They’re essentially paper pouches that are filled with powdered mustard and flour. They’re believed to help with the cold or the flu and provide relief for early symptoms. All you need to do is warm them up in warm water (usually around 40-50C) and place them on areas like the back of the neck (depending on the symptom you’re trying to treat). Just make sure that you don’t leave them on for too long, as mustard can burn and irritate the skin (speaking from experience).
- Improving overall blood flow: Cupping therapy is far from new but it’s great to improve blood flow. Originating from Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, it's believed to be one of the most effective alternative medicine methods to date. As the name implies, cupping involves “cups” that create a local suction on the skin, resulting in an improved overall blood flow. Other benefits include reducing inflammation and boosting cellular immunity.
- Boosting immunity: Rosehip tea can help boost immunity — Rosehip tea is not only delicious to have on its own, but it’s also known for its fair share of benefits. It’s an herbal tea made from the accessory fruit of the rose plant that leaves a pleasantly fresh aftertaste. Personally, it’s my favourite herbal tea ever. It’s also rich in antioxidants (meaning it may benefit heart health), and thanks to the high concentration of vitamin C, it can also be helpful when it comes to boosting your immune system.
Migraine management is a thing.
Vivien, Freelance PA and Office Manager
Bosnians still swear by these methods (though I can’t vouch for how effective they are):
- Upset stomach: Chamomile tea is the go-to for an upset stomach.
- Draw out toxins: Half a raw onion on the soles of your feet is said to draw out toxins and bacteria when you’re ill.
- Coughs and sore throats: Local honey especially when mixed with fresh thyme or sage - is used for coughs and sore throats; the honey coats your throat providing pain relief, and thyme has antibacterial properties. We also drink thyme tea and sage tea.
- Toothache: for general health and immunity…but also for toothache. My grandmother used to rub raw shredded garlic on my wrists when I had my braces tightened.
- Common illnesses: Quite easily my favourite remedy — Rakija — (our homemade grappa) for basically everything. A shot for a headache or sore throat, another shot for digestive issues, you can rub it on mozzie bites, soak a rag and pop it on a sore tooth (works for teething babies), rub it on your forehead to lower a fever, drinking shot can apparently cure depression and anxiety… though that’s probably down to its 60% alcohol content.
- Stabilise blood sugar levels: Bonus content from grandma — Mexican Nopal Cactus pads (from the prickly pear cactus) are proven to stabilise blood sugar levels and have helped her manage her Type 2 diabetes.
Our ancestor's taught us a lot. Many foreign remedies have not been well studied and therefore are often only backed anecdotally. However, life and science doesn't start and end on a lab, so we'll keep trying out these natural remedies that have served our ancestors so well for centuries, that is until something better and healthier comes along…
For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona
