Food & diet as home remedy to cure common illnesses

But these natural remedies may have some medical credence, according to a new book by Rob Hicks, a GP and hospital doctor.

Combining his medical knowledge with a long-standing interest in complementary medicine, he’s brought together the accepted, the intriguing and really quite bizarre self-help treatments for common ailments.

Despite the flimsy scientific backing, Dr Hicks says that many of these really do seem to have a positive effect.

‘And even if science hasn’t proved a remedy works, if it won’t harm you and you understand that positive effects may be due to placebo, they could be worth a try.’

Here, he outlines some of the most effective – and unusual – home remedies. These remedies should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.

Tomatoes contain compounds called ionones, which are thought to make sulphur compounds odourless.

YOGHURT: Eat a small pot of yoghurt every day – the active bacteria may inhibit the odour-causing bacteria.

CARROTS: Chew raw carrots if you think your breath smells. Bad breath is often caused by rotting food particles stuck between the teeth. When you chew, this stimulates the production of saliva, which helps get rid of food particles. The carrot fibres also act like a toothbrush on teeth and gums.

ONIONS: Mix grated onion with a little salt and pack against the bruise, holding there for up to ten minutes at a time. Onions are a rich source of quercetin, a plant pigment thought to be anti – inflammatory. This, in turn, will reduce the swelling around your bruise.

CUCUMBER: Eat a quarter of a cucumber a day. It is a rich source of liquid and fibre, and has a mild laxative effect that helps overcome sluggish bowels.

LIQUORICE: Drink liquorice tea, chew and swallow liquorice or mix halfa- teaspoon of liquorice root powder with warm water and drink. It’s also known to be a mild laxative.

APPLE: Grate an unpeeled apple to the core, leave the grated bits on a plate for 15 to 20 minutes until it turns brown then eat. The pectin in apples firms the stool and reduces inflammation. The fruit also contains malic and tartaric acids, which regulate stomach acidity. Allowing the fruit to go brown means more of these compounds are available.

BROWN SUGAR: Drink a solution of one to two teaspoons of brown sugar in warm water. The molasses in brown sugar appears to have disinfectant properties that help kill infecting organisms.

The auric and caprylic acids in coconut oil may help tackle any bacteria which enter through the cracked skin.

TEA: Steep four tea bags in boiling water for ten minutes. Allow to cool, and then apply liquid to affected area using a cloth. The tannin in tea works as an astringent to reduce inflammation.

TONIC WATER: Drink up to a glass a day. The quinine in tonic water is thought to have anti-inflammatory and painkilling effects. Some people report a reduction in their symptoms of arthritis when drinking tonic water during flare-ups, and find that daily consumption helps keep symptoms at bay.

TURMERIC: Make a paste with boiling water and, when cool enough to handle, apply to the affected area, fixing in place with cling film, or a dressing and leave for 20-30 minutes twice a day. The spice has been used for centuries to treat minor skin injuries and the active ingredient, cucumin has anti-inflammatory effects.

ONION: Eat half an onion daily on the days leading up to your period. Hormones fluctuate during this time and chromium in onions is believed to have a balancing effect. Raw onion is best, as chromium content is reduced with cooking. The more pungent the onion flavour and smell, the greater its nutritional benefit.

GINGER AND BROWN SUGAR: Add fresh ginger and brown sugar to warm water and drink twice daily. Ginger is a natural painkiller and nutrients in brown sugar are said to tranquillise the nervous system and so also relieve pain.

BAY LEAF: Boil a handful of bay leaves and mash into a poultice (a soft, moist mass). When cool enough, apply to the outside of the throat and leave for 30 minutes. No one knows why this old remedy works, but bay has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and the warmth is soothing.

LAVENDER: Make a compress – a dressing soaked in lavender infusion and left until the temperature is at a level tolerable to skin – and apply to the affected area until it cools. Lavender deadens pain and is anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic.