Ancient Chinese Home Remedies

Ancient Chinese home remedies are passed down by each generation just as many recipes are passed down in Western culture from mother to daughter, and the trend goes on for generations. Chinese medicine dates back more than 3,000 years. There are some popular ancient Chinese home remedies used today.

Severe Coughs

• Aniseed is a spice but is also used in many Chinese remedies.

  Aniseed is a well-known herb in China, used for health conditions for centuries. Make a tea out of the seeds for bad coughs. Take 7 teaspoons of aniseed added into four cups of boiling water then simmer until you have about three cups. Strain the liquid then add 4 teaspoons of honey and 4 teaspoons of glycerin (preservative). Take 2 tablespoons every four hours.

Toothache

• Chinese medicine belief is that every condition can be helped with herbs or spices.

  Cloves have been used for very long time in Chinese medicine as well as Ayurveda. Its primary ingredient is Eugenol, which has a high amount of antiseptic and numbing ability naturally. It is widely as a toothache remedy. Take some clove oil, which is sold at herbal stores, and put a few drops inside the tooth cavity. It will numb nerve endings of the tooth and reduce the pain. You may also chew a few cloves instead of using the oil.

Fever With Cold or Flu

• Peppermint leaves are used in many Chinese remedies with other herbs.

  This will not cure your cold or flu, as there is nothing known in medicine that will. However, this will help with the symptoms.

  Mix together the following herbs: 1 ounce dried Elder flowers; 1 ounce dried Peppermint leaves; 1 cup distilled water.

  Place them in a one quart sauce pan. Boil the distilled water. Once boiled, pour over the herbs. Allow to stand in a hot place for about 10 minutes. Do not boil them. Take strainer and strain into another sauce pan. You may add a little bit of honey if you wish to sweeten. This will dramatically reduce high fevers associated with the flu.

Anxiety, Tension, PMS

• Chinese skullcaps brew into a tea used as a remedy in conditions such as anxiety.

  Chinese skullcaps is a traditional herb used in Chinese medicine. It has been used for a variety of conditions, including abdominal pain. In latter years it has developed for possible use in the treatment of allergies and cancer. For anxiety, tension and PMS, skullcap is made into a tea.

  Boil one cup of water. Pour the boiling water over 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves, about five to 10 grams. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. You can drink two to three cups each day.

  Consult a health practitioner, herbalist or Chinese medicine practitioner as to the safety of use since there are disagreements in the health field as to the safety of this herb.

Acne

• Lemon juice acts as an astringent.

  This remedy is said to be an efficient way to get rid of acne.

  You will need the following:

  Table salt

  Warm water

  Lemon juice

  Essential Massage Oil sweet in smell such as lavender, rose, sandalwood or rosewood

  Soft towel

  Take the table salt and pound it with wood mallet until it is fine and looks like a powder. Try to dissolve almost all the salt in the warm water. Make sure you have no tension in your face. (One quick way if you feel tense is to have a cup of chamomile tea.) Add about one cap of lemon juice to the water. Take the towel and dip into water. Put it on your face and let it remain there for three to four minutes. Remove and splash face with coldest water you can stand. Pat dry face lightly and then apply a small amount of the essential massage oil. You can also use coconut oil if you wish to replace the essential oil. This treatment does not work for everyone but is very popular.