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How Much Do You Know About Natural Remedies and Alternative Therapies?

Editor’s note: Medical experts strongly recommend talking to your health care provider before trying new therapies.

Cathie Gandel,

AARP

En español

Published October 24, 2023

7 Questions

b6b27cd7-f296-4f2b-b060-20ee3cd96401

How Much Do You Know About Natural Remedies and Alternative Therapies?

[ {
 "question" : "Which of these natural remedies can relieve itchy bug bites?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Fish oil",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Lemon balm",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Potassium pills",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "St. John’s wort",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Soak 2–4 teaspoons of crushed leaves in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool. Use cotton balls to dab the tea on the sores.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Which natural remedy has been found to help for nausea from chemotherapy?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Hot yoga",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Ginger",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Goldenrod",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Zinc",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "One large study found that people undergoing chemotherapy who take as little as one-quarter of a teaspoon of ginger daily for three days before chemo cut their nausea by 40 percent.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Which of these home remedies can help brittle nails?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Mushroom coffee",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Tea tree oil",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Coconut oil",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Chopped ginger",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "For cracking, brittle nails, try rubbing coconut oil over the entire nail every day after a bath or shower.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Studies found which of these therapies can bring relief from many types of chronic pain?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Berberine",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Acupuncture",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Turmeric",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Magnesium supplements",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Research found acupuncture can stimulate the nervous system, releasing endorphins that may help with pain.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
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}, {
 "question" : "Which of these remedies have studies shown can calm a cough?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Honey",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Valerian root",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Holy basil",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Flaxseed oil",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "A 2020 meta-analysis found that honey provides an inexpensive alternative to antibiotics in controlling cough frequency and severity.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "What is whole-body cryotherapy?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Crying throughout a psychotherapy session",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Standing or sitting in a super-cooled room",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Immersion in a bathtub of ice",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Application of ice to a sore muscle",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Temperatures inside can be as low as minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Beware, some have reported frostbite, rashes and other cold-related injuries.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Which of these herbs may help with a good night’s sleep?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Basil",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Rosemary",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Lavender",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Ginger",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Research has found that lavender has a calming effect on the central nervous system, improving sleep.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Cathie Gandel is a freelance writer based in Studio City, California. She is the author of two nonfiction books as well as articles on health, medicine and lifestyle for Smithsonian Magazine, Newsweek, Reader’s Digest and U.S. News & World Report.