People have been using natural ingredients to treat and soothe health issues for thousands of years. Lemons, salt, and pepper are just a few of the items that are commonly found in the kitchen of the average person.
Because lemon peel and juice contain antioxidants and help clear congestion, there are advantages to using them. Because salt effectively draws water out of bodily tissues, it can lessen inflammation and the pain that comes with it. Black pepper and cayenne pepper are the two main types of pepper used in home remedies. Both have flavonoids and antioxidants that are beneficial to your immune system. They can also help the digestive system, reduce pain, and loosen mucus.
Sore Throat
A mixture of warm lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper can help soothe a sore throat and may even help you to get over it faster. Lemon juice is a weak acid, which helps break up mucus in the throat. It’s also a natural antiseptic and contains the antioxidant Vitamin C. Salt draw water from swollen tissues in the throat, which can provide some relief from inflammation. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which can act as a mild pain reliever, if you can stand to gargle or sip it.
Nausea
The strong, pungent scent of lemon is able to help ease nausea, and it encourages constriction of the gastric tissues to move whatever is causing you trouble into the digestive tract. Cayenne pepper also helps stimulate gastric secretions and the movement of the esophagus. A small amount of salt in a cup of water may also help by drawing toxins from the stomach tissues that may be causing nausea. However, don’t drink a lot of salt water, because that can cause problems too.
Nasal Problems
Salt water is useful for helping open up the sinuses. Distilled warm water with salt dissolved in it can open up the sinus tissues and flush out mucus when applied with a neti pot. The smell of lemon can open up blocked sinuses, but don’t snort it. Drinking something with cayenne or black pepper in it can encourage the nose to run, and loosen dried mucus.
Asthma
Habitually using lemon and lemon juice may help with asthma by adding Vitamin C to your diet. This vitamin boosts the immune system and might make it less susceptible to the factors that cause an asthma flare-up. Black pepper and cayenne pepper also contain antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. Don’t forget to incorporate them into your meals.
Toothache
Some recommend easing a toothache with a mixture of salt and pepper paste. The salt will draw out any fluids from swollen gums and the pepper can provide some pain relief. A little lemon peel grated and mixed in can help strengthen the gums and adds the support of Vitamin C, which can help the body fight off an infection. Just be careful about using lemon juice, as this is an acid that can wear away at tooth enamel.
Cold and Flu
When you mix in a little black pepper with your lemon and salt, you’ll get the benefits of the virus and bacteria fighting antioxidants and flavinoids it contains. Lemon backs it up with punch of Vitamin C. Both the black pepper and salt help break up some of the mucus in the throat. Of course, these three ingredients can ease the other symptoms of a cold or flu, such as nausea, sore throat, sinus issues, or just feeling blue because of it.
Depression
When you are dealing with the blues, these basic ingredients may help out too. Depression is associated with low sodium levels and low potassium. Lemons are rich in potassium. Easing up on your low salt diet may also help and you could consider incorporating natural sea salt or Himalayan salt, which don’t have the added chemicals of processed table salt. Black pepper contains piperine, which stimulates the nervous system and may ease depression.
Salt, pepper, and lemon are three very common ingredients you can keep stocked in the kitchen. Incorporate these items into your meals, and reach for them the next time you experience any of these symptoms.