Many of us fall back on home treatments for ailments, whether they’re proven to be effective or not. We asked editors at some of our Reader’s Digest (RD) editions around the world to share those that work for them—and then we checked out which ones are backed by research. Here are our favourites.
FRANCE
VINEGAR
Fights Infection
FRENCH FOLKLORE has it that during the 17th-century plague, a gang of four thieves would rob corpses, yet never catch the plague themselves. Supposedly, anointing their bodies with a concoction of vinegar and herbs protected them.
The so-called vinaigre des quatre voleurs (four thieves’ vinegar) is used today in the belief it fights infection. Many of the ingredients steeped in it—garlic, rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme, juniper berry, black pepper and more—are proven to have antibacterial properties.
“I know people who consume this regularly as an antibacterial,” says Stéphane Calmeyn, Paris-based editor of RD. He adds that a friend of his with Type 2 diabetes credits it with helping regulate his blood sugar.
Though more research is needed, there is evidence that vinegar, particularly apple cider vinegar, can affect blood sugar levels: it delays the rate at which the stomach empties and starch is digested, which reduces the bloodsugar spike after a meal. But check with your doctor before adding it to your diet, particularly if you are taking blood-sugar-lowering medications.
Denne historien er fra August 2021-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
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Denne historien er fra August 2021-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BOOKS
Books review
STUDIO - Off Lamington Road by Gieve Patel
Oil on Canvas, 54 x 88 in
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE
FOODS THAT FIGHT DEMENTIA
TO HELL AND BACK
The Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan is known as the Gates of Hell. I stood on its edge - and lived to tell the tale
THE SNAKE CHARMERS
Invasive Burmese pythons are squeezing the life out of Florida's vast Everglades. An unlikely sisterhood is taking them on
Sisterhood to Last a Lifetime
These college pals teach a master class in how to maintain a friendship for 50-plus years
...TO DIE ON A HOCKEY RINK
ONE MINUTE I WAS PLAYING IN MY BEER LEAGUE, THE NEXT I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL
Just Sit Tight
Broken, battered and trapped in a ravine for days, I desperate driver wonders, \"Will anyone find me?\"
Allow Me to Mansplain...
If there's one thing we know, it's this: We're a nation of know-it-alls
THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR (AND SUGAR SUBSTITUTES!)
It's no secret that we have a serious addiction. Here's how to cut back on the sweet stuff, once and for all.