Question: are home remiedies valid and if so, which one is the most effective?

Paul Terrill answered on 17 Feb 2025:

Great question. I don’t have a definite answer to this, but can share my opinion. I think that some home remedies are valid and effective, and others not so much, or at least not actively. For example, drinking honey and lemon can help a sore throat and/or cough and I believe there are some studies conducted that proivide evidence for this. As another example, drinking water can help cure (or prevent) a hangover as alcohol causes dehydration that leads to a headache. What is interesting is that if a person believes a remedy is going to help then it may help them even if it is not actually doing anything. This is called a ‘placebo effect’, where taking an inactive remedy can still lead to an improvement. An issue with home remedies is that some may actually be harmful so they do need to be considered with caution. As to which is the most effective, I really am not in a position to answer that!