Five ancient medicine treatments that are still in use today

Tuesday, October 11, 2016 by: Daniel Barker
Tags: ancient remedies, traditional medicine, modern health

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(NaturalNews) Many of our modern-day medical remedies and treatments have their basis in antiquity. For thousands of years, cultures throughout the world used natural, effective healing techniques and substances that are still in use today.

Five ancient treatments that we still use in modern times

A recent Medical Daily article explores the history of five ancient remedies and treatments still in use today:

Honey: The antibacterial and healing properties of honey made it a favorite remedy among ancient cultures, including that of the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and many others.

"Hippocrates, the Greek scientist in whose name modern doctors take an oath to do no harm, 'utilized honey for baldness, contraception, wound healing, laxative action, cough and sore throat, eye diseases topical antisepsis, prevention and treatment of scars,' making it a bit of a cure-all for him."

The prophet Mohammed recommended honey as a treatment for diarrhea, and an 8,000-year-old rock painting in Spain depicts a figure robbing honey from a hive – proof that honey has been prized by humans since the dawn of civilization.

Acupuncture: The history of acupuncture dates back to the New Stone Age in China, when stones were first fashioned into needles for medicinal uses. The techniques were later perfected by the Chinese, and have now been adopted across the globe for treating a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, depression, addiction and many other ailments.

A variation on the theme is cupping, in which heated glass cups are used to create suction and then applied to the skin, increasing blood flow and stimulating tissues. Modern-day cupping techniques often use other methods to create suction, and are now often used by athletes and others to speed up healing after training and competition.

Aloe Vera: For millennia, the aloe vera plant has been used both topically and internally for its nearly-miraculous medicinal properties. Aloe is very effective for treating burns and sunburn, and is good for the skin and facial complexion.

Aloe has antioxidant properties, and can be used internally to treat constipation and even to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. It is also useful for treating mouth ulcers and canker sores, and reducing dental plaque.

Hand-washing: Although ancient cultures lacked an understanding of bacteria, viruses and infections, ritual hand washing has been practiced for a very long time:

"Observant Jews throughout history have washed their hands for ritual purposes, such as before meals, and the cleaning is believed to have had a broader effect, such as partly helping to keep the Black Death from ravaging the medieval Jewish community as severely as it had others.

"Since Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis made handwashing a popular idea in the medical community [1850], it has saved countless lives."

Willow Bark: The bark of the willow tree has been utilized since antiquity for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing properties. Aspirin was first derived from salicin, the active ingredient in willow bark.

Willow bark can be used to treat acne, headache, menstrual pain, arthritis and back pain. It is also used in the prevention of heart attacks.

Aspirin is now being investigated for its cancer-fighting properties, and there is evidence that suggests that willow bark may be even more effective in destroying cancer cells.

Our ancestors were smarter than we thought

The reason all of these ancient treatments still survive is because they really work.

Our ancestors weren't as primitive as they are sometimes portrayed; in fact, we have lost much of the wisdom and medicinal knowledge they possessed. Often, modern pharmaceuticals that are based on ancient natural remedies are far less effective than than the original sources, which in many cases contain other beneficial compounds that are lost in refinement.

And often, the refined pharmaceutical versions of the ancient plant-based remedies are actually far more dangerous and even poisonous to our systems, holistically-speaking. We would do ourselves a favor by reexamining the original natural sources to find out what beneficial properties may have been lost along the way.

Sources:

MedicalDaily.com

HeathmontHoney.com.au

ACOS.org

AuthorityNutrition.com

MedicalDaily.com

CancerDefeated.com