herbal remedies

Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Emily

Herbal remedies involve using herbs and spices to treat or prevent certain conditions. Common herbal remedies include fennel seeds, turmeric, ginger, peppermint, saffron, and green tea.

These herbs may treat a wide variety of conditions including nausea and vomiting, migraines, menstrual pain, and premenstrual syndrome. Studies show peppermint may even improve athletic performance.

For substantiation of any statements of fact from the peer-reviewed medical literature, please see the associated videos below.

42 videos

All Videos for Herbal Remedies

Licorice root ground up in a bowl on a dark surface

How Much Licorice Is Safe?

Eating licorice or drinking licorice tea can cause the loss of body fat by blocking the effects of a stress hormone, but at what cost?

Ginseng root and supplement capsules on a white surface

The Benefits and Side Effects of Ginseng

What do more than 100 clinical trials on red ginseng, white ginseng, and American ginseng show?

Ginkgo Biloba as a Brain Health Supplement for Dementia

Ginkgo does not seem to play a role in preventing cognitive decline or dementia, but it may play a role in treating it.

Benefits of Garlic for Fighting Cancer and the Common Cold

Raw garlic is compared to roasted, stir-fried, simmered, and jarred garlic.

Are Weight-Loss Supplements Effective?

Are there any safe and effective dietary supplements for weight loss?

Are Weight-Loss Supplements Safe?

Only 2 out of 12 supplement companies were found to have products that were even accurately labeled.

The Best Diet for Upset Stomach

What to avoid and what to eat to help with dyspepsia.

Does Tea Tree Oil Have Hormonal Side Effects?

Do the estrogenic effects of tea tree oil get absorbed through the skin?

Is Tea Tree Oil Safe?

What, if any, are the caveats for tea tree oil use and tips on safe storage?

Ground Ginger to Reduce Muscle Pain

There have been at least eight randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of ginger for pain.

Can Aloe Cure Cancer?

From a case report to a randomized controlled trial, aloe is put to the test against cancer.

Aloe for the Treatment of Advanced Metastatic Cancer

What are the effects of aloe on radiation burns caused by cancer treatment and on the cancer itself?

Does Tea Tree Oil Work for Nail Fungus?

Tea tree essential oil is pitted against the antifungal cream lotrimin for the treatment of fungal nail infection, but what about treating the underlying cause?

Does Tea Tree Oil Work for Dandruff and Athlete’s Foot?

Are the effects of tea tree oil anti-fungal or merely anti-inflammatory?

Black Salve as an Alternative Cancer Cure

Is black salve, a paste made from bloodroot, safe and effective for the treatment of skin cancer?

Is Aloe Vera Gel the Best Treatment for Lichen Planus?

We shouldn’t ever swallow aloe vera, but how does using it topically for a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease compare to steroids?

Shark Cartilage Supplements Put to the Test to Cure Cancer

Shark cartilage supplements carry risks, but so do many cancer treatments. The question is, do they work?

The Risks of Shark Cartilage Supplements

Why are millions of dollars spent on shark cartilage supplements?

Is Aloe Effective for Blood Pressure, Inflammatory Bowel, Wound Healing, and Burns?

I discuss the risks and benefits of aloe vera.

Saffron vs. Memantine (Namenda) for Alzheimer’s

The spice saffron is pitted head-to-head against the leading drug for severe Alzheimer’s disease.

Amla vs. Drugs for Cholesterol, Inflammation, and Blood-Thinning

Extracts of amla (Indian gooseberry) were pitted head-to-head against cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and the blood thinners aspirin and Plavix.

The Best Food for High Cholesterol

Are the apparently amazing benefits of amla—dried Indian gooseberries—too good to be true?

The Best Diet for Fibroids

The same diet that helps regulate hormones in women may also reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting pollutants.

Eczema Treatment with Coconut Oil, Mineral Oil vs. Vaseline

Natural topical remedies for eczema, including licorice root gel, St. John’s Wort cream, and emollients such as coconut oil, mineral oil, and petroleum jelly, are put to the test.

Best Food for Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunction

The spice saffron may not only work as well as SSRI antidepressant drugs like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft without the side effects, but it may even be able to treat the adverse sexual side effects that occur in up to 70 percent of people taking the drugs.

Best Aromatherapy Herb for Alzheimer’s

Lemon balm may beat out drugs for controlling the symptoms of severe dementia.

Dangers of Dietary Supplement Deregulation

The majority of dietary supplement facilities tested were found noncompliant with good manufacturing practices guidelines.

Benefits of Ginger for Menstrual Cramps

An eighth of a teaspoon of ground ginger power is tested head-to-head against the leading drug for the alleviation of painful periods.

Ginger for Nausea, Menstrual Cramps, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Powdered ginger can be a highly effective, cheap, easy-to-use, safer treatment for nausea, migraine headaches, and menstrual blood loss and pain. Does it also work for IBS intestinal cramping?

Treating Infant Colic by Changing Mom’s Diet

Cow’s milk proteins can pass through breast milk—which may explain why maternal dairy-free diets are so effective in treating infant colic.

Treating Acne with Barberries

What happens when the most antioxidant-packed dried fruit available is put to the test in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial for moderate to severe acne?

Treating Dry Eye Disease with Diet: Just Add Water?

Causes of dry eye disease include LASIK laser eye surgery, but there are dietary approaches to prevention and treatment.

Ginger for Migraines

An eighth teaspoon of powdered ginger was found to work as well as the migraine headache drug sumatriptan (Imitrex) without the side effects.

The Cilantro Gene

Why are there such polarizing opinions about the taste of the fresh herb cilantro (also known as coriander leaves)?

P Grant. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2010 Feb;24(2):186-8.

Enhancing Athletic Performance with Peppermint

Study finds remarkable improvements in exercise performance drinking homemade peppermint water, but there may be side effects.

Treating Hepatitis C with Chlorella

Improvements in natural killer cell immune function may explain both the anti-cancer benefits of exercise as well as the apparent anti-virus effects of the green algae chlorella.

Dietary Treatments for Computer Eye Strain

Certain berries may help relieve visual fatigue associated with staring at a computer screen all day.

The Safety of Tarragon

Longstanding concerns about certain isolated components of the spice tarragon have broadened into questions about the safety of even the leaves themselves.

Wake Up and Smell the Saffron

Even the scent of the spice saffron may reduce stress hormone levels, and ease the psychological symptoms of PMS.

Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Death in America is largely a foodborne illness. Focusing on studies published just over the last year in peer-reviewed scientific medical journals, Dr. Greger offers practical advice on how best to feed ourselves and our families to prevent, treat, and even reverse many of the top 15 killers in the United States.