Most families have health traditions passed down for generations that may not be 100% FDA-approved. But there’s something to be said for being sick as a kid and having your mother or grandmother give you Saltine crackers and 7UP for an upset stomach, or rub some Vicks VapoRub on your back when you have a cold.
Even though it’s not exactly what the doctor would order, these traditions, which may have started long before modern medicine, connect us across generations and are an important part of a family’s fabric. Being there for each other when you’re feeling bad is what family is all about.
A Redditor asked fellow users to share their family “cure-alls,” and received plenty of responses from folks who have sworn by these remedies for generations.
Here are 11 of the best responses to the question: “What’s that one ‘cure-all’ home remedy every family seems to have?”
1. Ginger tea
“In my house, it’s ginger tea with honey for EVERYTHING, Cold? Ginger tea. Stomach ache? Ginger tea. Bad mood? Yep… ginger tea. At this point, I’m convinced it’s our family’s official medicine.”
“In ginger tea’s defense, ginger is scientifically proven to have a soothing effect for nausea/stomachache! It’s not super strong, but it’s something.”
If your family prescribed ginger tea when you were sick with the stomach flu, they were actually doing a good thing. According to Johns Hopkins, ginger is good for nausea and helps fight bloating and gas.
2. Vicks VapoRub
“For my mother-in-law, it’s Vicks.”
“I’m Latina and yeah. I’ve had a lot of allergies in my life, so it’s genuinely helped me a lot. I put some on my nose when I’m congested, and it sometimes clears my breathing a bit. If I have sniffled my nose to the point of being sore, it helps reduce the soreness. I put it on my temples when I get a congestion headache. It also helps dull skin itching. It will not replace medicine or an antihistamine if that’s what’s needed. But if you need to keep from scratching, the cooling sensation helps. I use it on bug bites all the time, and I have eczema, so I put it on itchy, irritated skin to prevent myself from scratching it raw. My mom tells me she used to have to eat it (do NOT ingest Vicks) by the spoonful whenever she got sick. And if anyone gets a cut, my grandma recommends Vicks in place of an antibacterial ointment. It’s technically not recommended for open wounds, but apparently it does have some mild antifungal properties due to the camphor? I don’t use it on cuts lol.”
3. Gargle with salt water
“Gargle with warm salt water, for any ailment north of the ankles.”
4. Vinegar
“Vinegar. I’m a redhead, and when I got sunburnt, mom always put vinegar on me.”
“My mom did this, too. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to do for the sunburn.”
Unfortunately, vinegar isn’t going to help a sunburn. In fact, it can dry out your skin, making the sunburn worse.
5. Ginger ale
“In Michigan, nearly everything can be cured with a warm Vernors.”
6. Diet Coke
“Not really a home remedy, but I swear, Diet Coke cures most of my ills. Headache, stomachache, heartache…it always makes me feel better.”
“I don’t drink Diet Coke very often. BUT, I do when I have a headache or stomachache. Works most of the time!”
7. Pretending you aren’t sick
“Pretending they aren’t sick. One section of my family is wealthy and narcissistic. They think 1) they are ‘above’ being ill, and 2) as long as they don’t admit to being sick, they aren’t. It’s wild. Also, if they catch a cold, they always say it’s allergies. Then they continue to go out in public, spreading their germs everywhere. They can’t possibly be contagious, since it’s just allergies.’ So gross.”
Thinking you aren’t sick probably won’t keep you from catching a virus. However, studies show that being mindful, meditating, relaxing, and practicing yoga can help reduce the painful symptoms of an illness.
8. Oreos
“My uncle took Oreos with him on the troop ship to Europe during World War II, and never got seasick. Since then, Oreos are my family’s first line of defense.”
9. Jell-O
“Jello, specifically orange jello.”
“My mom would make me hot jello water (you know, like the form it’s in before you put it in the fridge to set). I have no idea why she did this. But I have not introduced it to my kids, or they would always pretend to be sick!”
10. Honey
“Once my kids were old enough, I gave them a teaspoon of honey when they were under the weather. It seemed to help their sore throat and cough.”
“I actually have a bottle of honey just for being sick because it coats my throat lol.”
11. Chamomile tea
“Grandma swore chamomile tea worked for any stomach upset or nausea. For head colds, Vicks VapoRub, under the nose, on the chest and back, around the neck, followed by inhaling the vapors of the Vicks melted in boiling water. You had to sit under a towel inhaling the steam until the water was cold. She’d then bundle you into bed with the towel around your head and piled on the blankets to make you sweat. You could only get out of bed when you stopped sweating. Hated it cause u don’t like the smell of eucalyptus and felt gross after the sweating part of the treatment.”
