ZACH MOORE: Welcome to On Health with Houston Methodist. I’m Zach Moore. I’m a photographer and editor here, and I’m also a long-time podcaster.

KATIE MCCALLUM: I’m Katie McCallum. Former researcher, turned health writer, mostly writing for our blogs.

ZACH: And Katie, when I say, “Home remedies,” what comes to mind for you?

KATIE: What comes to mind for me is lemon-lime soda. When I was growing up, any time my stomach was, like, you know, kinda, hurting, I’d be like, “Oh mom, I have a stomachache.” She’d be like, “Go grab a lemon-lime soda.”

ZACH: Okay. And it worked?

KATIE: I don’t know about that. I was a kid, and I was, like, happy to be told to go have a soft drink.

ZACH: Right. Well, I know, I think that a lot of these so-called home remedies, there’s probably a little placebo effect in there somewhere because again, we learn about them when we’re kids, we’re at home, our parents are the authority on these things. And when they say, “Hey, do this,” and you’re gonna be like, “Oh yeah. I guess that worked, I guess I feel better now.” So, that tracks.

KATIE: Yeah. And I mean, it’s probably things that have been passed through families for, like, potentially generations. I mean, maybe not the lemon-lime soda because that’s…

[Laughter]

But it’s probably -- it’s probably based off something else that used to be recommended…

ZACH: Mm-hmm.

KATIE:  And people were like -- you know, they all, kinda, just start to trickle and vary, and everyone takes their own interpretation of something, and I think that’s what’s interesting about ‘em. What do you think of when you think of home remedies? Any particular ones your mom, sort of, preached when you were growing up?

ZACH: Yeah. When it came to having, like, a sore throat, it was always, you know, drink some honey and vinegar.

KATIE: Oh.

ZACH: Does that surprise you?

KATIE: The honey, not so much. The vinegar sounds intense and not interesting.

ZACH:  I’m not sure what crucial a part the vinegar played…

KATIE: Yeah.

ZACH: In that. But it would work.

KATIE: Do you think it helped just take your mind off your sore throat because you had this disgusting flavor in your mouth?

ZACH: That also might have been  a part of the approach. But no, that’s what I think of. When I think of home remedies, that’s the first thing I think of. And I think it’s interesting now in this day and age with the internet and everyone’s so connected now, everyone can share these stories. You know, in the past -- In years past, right? People just, kinda, had these home remedies, kinda, in their own little sphere, right? Maybe in their family, maybe close friends knew about ‘em, but you weren’t all sharing them. And now it’s interesting when people go compare, you know, what they grew up with or what they still use today. There is a lot of overlap when it comes to these things.

KATIE: Yeah. It’s interesting. I actually kind of -- I think of it in a different way. I think now that there’s the internet, people go figure out, like, what should I do for this thing? And they get on there and certain websites will be like, “Oh, take these medications,” or “Take this.” Whereas, like, when we didn’t have the internet, it was really just like what do I do for a sore throat? In comes your mom saying, “Vinegar and honey,” kind of thing.

ZACH: Yeah.

KATIE: Or when I think of -- I remember seeing it on TV all the time, was like people have a black eye and put, like, a piece of meat on their face, which is wild. And, like, I don’t even know what that could possibly be doing.

ZACH: Yeah, we’re gonna mention that when we talk to our expert. That is on the list because I came with a list of home remedies. Your theory is that the internet killed the home remedy.

KATIE: Yeah. Actually, yeah. That might be my theory. Maybe not killed, maybe the remedy for home remedies was the internet.

ZACH:  Maybe so.

KATIE: No, I definitely think I don’t ask people for home remedies anymore. Like, “What do you do for…” I just, like, pull out my phone and I type it in. I’m like, “What to do for sore throat.”

ZACH: You know, that’s very valid because it used to be, “Hey mom, dad, what do we do?” And now it’s, “Google it.”

KATIE: No, it’s, “Google it.” And it comes back with things like, “Oh, take a nasal decongestant so there’s no drip down your throat.” Like, you get more of the, like, science as to why your symptoms are happening and how you should treat them rather than the, “My stomach’s hurting.” “Hey, go have a lemon-lime soda.” And I never asked a second question because why would I? I was a kid wanting a soda, so.

ZACH: But there is something to be said for that, that personal touch of “My mom told me this and her mom told her that.” You know, we’re losing that. That’s a whole ‘nother conversation.

KATIE:  That is -- Yeah. No, it really is. I think -- Yeah. Whole ‘nother conversation and it’s a larger problem.

ZACH: Right.

KATIE:  But yeah.

ZACH: Right. Well, like I said, I came with a list of home remedies. Some that I had experience with, some that friends and colleagues had told me. Others, I had to do some research for that I had never heard of before.

KATIE: Are there are some weird ones out there?

ZACH: Yes.

KATIE: Oh, I bet.

ZACH: Yes, there were. And those were fun to ask as well.

KATIE: Another great part of the internet.

[Laughter]

Maybe you’re right. The internet also helps us share some of the weirdness.

ZACH: Exactly, exactly. So, I talked to Doctor Megan Arthur, she’s a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician here at Houston Methodist. And we went down this list, we gave it some thumbs ups, some thumbs downs, and maybe a couple sideways thumbs, but let’s get into it.

[Sound effect plays to signal beginning of interview]

Thanks so much for being here with us today, Doctor Arthur.

DR. MEGAN ARTHUR: Thank you for having me.

ZACH: Now, home remedies. Everybody has some. Do you have any favorites from your home, of your youth?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. I definitely like the tennis ball or frozen water bottle for plantar fasciitis.

ZACH: Okay.

DR. ARTHUR: I see that commonly in my practice, and really patients can present with heel pain, or pain at the bottom of their foot. And I always say we can grab a tennis ball or even a frozen water bottle and rub that on the bottom of your foot, so just roll that across, and that can actually stretch that fascia, it can actually help provide pain relief, and also stretching exercises.

ZACH: And I assume you’ve tried that yourself and --

DR. ARTHUR: I actually have, yeah, yeah.

ZACH: You know, I had mild tendonitis not too long ago and I wish I had known about these then. And my foot were like really hurting, and I was actually concerned. I went to the doctor about it, we looked at it, and you know, I just took some Ibuprofen and then got some inserts for my shoes…

DR. ARTHUR: Mm-hmm.

ZACH: Total world of difference. It felt like I was walking on a cloud after that.

DR. ARTHUR: Awesome.

ZACH: Compared to just powering on through the pain. But yeah, for me, I would say the first real home remedy I can remember is my mom giving us vinegar and honey when you had a sore throat.

DR. ARTHUR: Mm-hmm.

ZACH: And it’s a disgusting thing, right? But it worked.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. I think -- Vinegar and honey -- Vinegar itself probably not as tasteful as the honey. One thing I do like is actually gargling with warm salt water. So, if you actually take a teaspoon of salt and dissolve that in the water, that can actually help to soothe the throat. And it actually can help provide some reduced swelling and then also may flush away some irritants or bacteria.

ZACH: Well, why is that? Because salt -- I mean salt is, kinda, such a coarse thing, it’s counterintuitive that oh, if I put this coarse thing in my throat, it’s gonna feel better?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, yeah. It’s -- So, the idea is that if you do a little bit of salt in the water, it actually should dissolve. So, you shouldn’t actually feel that in that back of your throat.

ZACH: If you’re feeling the salt going down your throat, you’re adding too much salt to that.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, yeah. And then warm tea with honey can also help to soothe as well.

ZACH: Sounds like when it comes to giving it the thumbs up or the thumbs down…

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: The honey…

DR. ARTHUR: Uh-huh.

ZACH: Gargling with the salt and water, you know…

DR. ARTHUR: Warm salt water. Yup.

ZACH: Positive for your throat, clearing a sore throat.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: Now, something like a black eye, if you get a black eye for whatever reason, putting a raw steak on it is something that has been floated out there as a way to, kind of, alleviate it. There’s like some magical components to that. Can you speak to that?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. I definitely do not recommend putting a raw steak over the eye. But I think the idea is that because it’s raw, it’s cold. And so, using a clean, cold compress or even a bag of ice with a clean towel over that, and applying that to the eye, that can actually help to reduce the swelling and even the bruising. So, the idea is the cold, but we prefer to be clean.

ZACH: I think it must have started when we didn’t have all these, you know, frozen bags we could put on our ice. Even like -- it seems like the go-to, like, if you watch movies and TV shows, it’s like the bag of peas…

DR. ARTHUR: Right.

ZACH: Frozen bag of peas. I’m like okay. And I guess that can bend a little bit, and that's kinda the thinking there, but yeah. Yeah, I agree with you. When I saw raw steak, I was like, “I don’t know about that.”

[Laughter]

So, thumbs down on that one? And if we’re keeping track here, we’ll try to keep scores as we go, so to speak. Burns. Light burns like, “Oh whoops, my hand was on the stove,” or something like that. Very low level burns. Butter, coconut oil, like these more greasy substances have been said to alleviate that burn and help it. Is that a positive thing could apply at that point or?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, I actually give this a thumbs down.

ZACH: Oh, okay.

DR. ARTHUR: The reason being is because if you apply butter or even other oils like coconut oil or similar substances, that can actually trap the heat from the burn, and actually could potentially make the burn worse. So, I typically recommend just running cool water over the area for a couple minutes. And then if you want to apply something topical then you can apply some aloe vera or a topical bacitracin ointment to the burn.

ZACH: I don’t think I’ve ever tried the butter thing. I guess I can understand it just in the moment if you’re in the kitchen and you burn your hand. “Oh, what do it got here?” Right? You just grabbing the closest thing you might think help.

DR. ARTHUR: Right.

ZACH: But that’s interesting that it keeps the heat in there. So, it’s really counter --

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: In fact, makes it worse…

DR. ARTHUR: Correct, yes.

ZACH: Than what you’re trying to fix. So, that’s good to know. So, thumbs down on that one. Now, we’re just going all over the body here, I have no real order from top to bottom. But gout, coffee can alleviate gout?

DR. ARTHUR: That’s a great question. So, coffee itself can’t alleviate gout, so definitely a thumbs down for that.

ZACH: Okay.

DR. ARTHUR: But when people think about maybe reducing the risk of a gout attack, some studies have said that potentially maybe coffee could help reduce a gout attack. But the studies are limited, and it varies. So, it actually may not be helpful, or it may be helpful potentially, but definitely not to help alleviate gout.

ZACH: Okay.

DR. ARTHUR: If you are experiencing those symptoms, you wanna seek medical treatment for that.

ZACH: Okay. Just don’t go to the coffee bar and, “Well, I’m gonna keep drinking till this goes away.” Not the answer for gout, okay. Good to know. Warts. I haven’t had any warts, I’ve been fortunate enough not to have that skin condition. But I’ve heard that duct tape might be a good treatment.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, so duct tape commonly used, people think that it may help to basically destroy the wart. Actually, the studies are limited on the evidence of that. There’s no true evidence that it actually works. The idea behind it, if you use the silver duct tape is that it can irritate the skin and help to slowly destroy the wart. But actually, if you use salicylic acid instead, that actually has been proven to be helpful for that. It causes a similar irritation and destruction of the wart over time. So maybe trying them both together.

ZACH: So, it’s a -- maybe like a thumb in the middle on that one?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, thumb in the middle.

ZACH: Okay. Again, that’s one of those things where I think people are just trying to find a true home remedy. Trying to find what you have access to and alleviate what you have going on, so. I mean, I wouldn’t think to put duct tape on a skin condition like that. But hey, no, that’s good to know that there is some logic and science to it, yeah. To that point, pimples. Alright, now I had acne when I was younger, and I heard a trick was to put toothpaste on your pimples before you go to sleep. And I could never really tell if that worked or not, but I would do it anyway just to try and get some help so.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, I’m not sure that that is as helpful.

ZACH: Okay.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: I think there are some like,  “Oh well, the ingredients, it’s gonna dry up your skin.”

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, it has a drying effect, yeah, yeah.

ZACH: I don’t know where that got started but yeah. Anyway, thumbs down on the toothpaste on your pimples. Good to know now. Now, lice. Head lice specifically. For the vinegar, if you, like, douse your head in vinegar, it can suffocate and kill off the lice.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. It doesn’t necessarily suffocate or kill off the lice.

ZACH: Okay.

DR. ARTHUR: Ther have been some studies that show that if you have, like, 50% of vinegar and water, rinse your hair with that after shampooing then it could actually get rid of the nits. Those are actually the empty cases or egg cases that actually stick to the hair. So, you can help to get rid of those, but it wouldn’t actually kill the lice.

ZACH: Okay. So, it’s not gonna hurt you but it’s not gonna solve the problem either so, maybe put that thumb in the middle on that one. But nausea. Now, specifically talking about morning sickness during pregnancy or motion sickness. Can ginger help with that?

DR. ARTHUR: Ginger can help. Ginger can actually increase, like, the gut motility and so it actually can help, sort of, stimulate how fast food and stuff moves through the GI tract, so it actually can help with nausea as well. So, that’s a common thing that we say an over-the-counter use for nausea in pregnancy.

ZACH: What about ginger ale?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. Ginger ale can be helpful. Just the soothing aspect of that too, but yeah.

ZACH: ‘Cause I know that’s something that my mom used to have me drink if I had an upset stomach so. Logic, score one for mom there. Thumbs up. What about lemon for nausea?

DR. ARTHUR: Lemon. So, the scent of it, it also can help stimulate the production of saliva, so decrease in the dry mouth. And so, that may actually help with nausea too.

ZACH: Okay, okay. So how about nose bleeds? Everybody says, “Tilt your head back, that’ll help.” Does it?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, we don’t recommend tilting your head back. The reason being is because the blood can actually flow down the back of your throat, and we don’t want that to obstruct your airway.

ZACH: Okay.

DR. ARTHUR: So instead, we recommend squeezing the nostril. So, if you can apply pressure -- firm pressure to the nostrils below that bone and actually tilt your head slightly forward, that’s the better way to help stop the bleeding.

ZACH: I feel like again, multimedia does us wrong, ‘cause I feel like in every TV show or movie I’ve seen where somebody had a nosebleed, everyone’s like, “Ah, get their head back.” And I think we just pick up on those things not even realizing it. But if you happen to have something, you just go back to whatever you saw happen.

DR. ARTHUR: Right.

ZACH: Well, that’s good to know guys. So, don’t put your head back. That can make it much worse. Do what you said.

DR. ARTHUR: Right.

ZACH: Great. So, thumbs down. Hard thumbs down on the tilting your head back.

[Music to signal a brief interjection in the interview]

Up after the break, more with Doctor Arthur on home remedies for constipation, hiccups, and more.

ANNOUNCER: From annual checkups to managing chronic conditions, your health care should be personalized to you. At Houston Methodist, our primary care doctors provide customized care for you and your family with more than 40 convenient locations across greater Houston. We offer a variety of ways to get care, from in-person and virtual appointments to same day visits when you're sick. Choose your doctor and schedule online at houstonmethodist.org/stayhealthy. Houston Methodist, leading medicine.

[Sound effect signals return to the interview]

ZACH: Okay, so constipation. Prunes and prune juice have any regular method for people to counteract that? Is there truth to that?

DR. ARTHUR: There is some, yes. I would give this one a thumbs up. So, prunes they’re high in fiber and actually something that’s called sorbitol, and so that can actually increase the frequency of your bowel movements as well as help to soften the stools as well too. So, I generally say if you can eat six prunes, you know, twice a day, that can actually help improve your constipation.

ZACH: I don’t think I’ve ever had a prune.

DR. ARTHUR: They’re not that tasty to me but...

ZACH: I think I’ve had prune juice.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: But no prunes per se. So, I’d probably start with the prune juice myself, but good to know, good to know. And they’re high fiber. Yeah. Fiber -- anything fiber related is gonna help you with that. But for whatever reason, people really seem to like prunes as the answer.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: So, thumbs up on that one, great. UTIs, right? Urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice seems to be the go-to for that. Is that a good cure all for that?

DR. ARTHUR: I don’t recommend cranberry juice for treatment of an acute UTI.

ZACH: Maybe I used the wrong word there, but…

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. I would say that if you’re thinking about potentially preventing a recurrence of a UTI or those symptoms, then the studies are mixed. So, it may be helpful, it may not be helpful. So, I would say thumbs in the middle.

ZACH: Okay.

DR. ARTHUR: But definitely not to treat an infection.

ZACH: Yeah. So, definitely seek the proper medical attention if you have a UTI. Just don’t say, “I’m just gonna drink my cranberry juice and it’ll go away.” Okay good to know, good to know. Now hiccups. This is something that you talk about on the bus in school, in elementary school or whatever, right? How do you stop hiccups? Right? Lots of suggestions from people. Don’t know where they come from. Kids spreading rumors or whatnot. But holding your breath for X amount of time, or my favorite one is scaring someone and it’s stopping them. Kind of resetting your diaphragm, like. What are some -- and tell me if those work. But what are some good, scientific ways to stop hiccups?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. So, the idea is that you wanna, in some way, interrupt your normal respiratory cycle. And so, the common ones we think about like holding your breath, breathing into a paper bag, sometimes getting scared, like if you gasp, or even eating sugar sometimes. It just can, sorta, get your mind off of it and interrupt that respiratory cycle. So, there’s really no, like, best way to do that, but if you do try those, they may help you.

ZACH: They say eating sugar…

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: You mean like sugar, sugar. Not like eating candy with sugar.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ZACH: Okay. Sugar cubes and…

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, yeah. Potentially, yeah.

ZACH: Okay. Okay, cool. So, don’t be trying to scare people anymore to get ‘em to --

DR. ARTHUR: If they gasp, then technically that interrupts their respiratory cycles.

ZACH: Okay. Fair enough. So, keep trying it, y’all. Keep trying it. Chapped lips, right? Everybody has -- Most people have some ChapStick around somewhere. Maybe in the bottom of their glove compartment or somewhere in their house. But olive oil, just as good or better than ChapStick?

DR. ARTHUR: Maybe just as good. It does have some moisturizing properties, so. Using olive oil or even, you know, in addition to the ChapStick can help with the moisturizer. But I wouldn’t say necessarily better but, it can help.

ZACH: So middle?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: Middle on that one. Don’t throw away your ChapStick. But again, if something happens in the kitchen and you realize, “Oh no, my lips are chapped,” reach for that olive oil. Gotcha. Now, this one is an interesting one that I hadn’t really considered before, but do you have allergies? Seasonal allergies. People recommend eating local raw honey because the logic there is, “Oh, these bees have pollenated the local plants and if you eat this local honey, you’ll build up a resistance.”

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, I am not sure about the scientific evidence for that one.

ZACH: I doubted that one as well.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah, yeah. I don’t necessarily think that that would help with your allergies, but as we talked about earlier, potentially warm tea and honey for soothing the throat could help.

ZACH: Mm-hmm.

DR. ARTHUR: But not sure of any clear evidence for that.

ZACH: Okay, so thumbs down on that one. But honey definitely has its purposes. But more for the soothing elements, not for the “Oh, the bees have the pollen and build up a resistance for the local allergies.” Right, right. Now, one of the most, I guess, stereotypical things to do when you’re sick is, “Hey, eat some chicken soup.” Is it an all-purpose heal all? Like, why do we always go to chicken soup as the go-to when you’re sick?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah. Not an all-purpose heal all, but it can provide hydration and nutrients, and also that soothing effect too. So, good for nutrients and hydration, but definitely not an all-purpose cure all.

ZACH: Yeah, that makes sense ‘cause being the soup is the liquid element, and then there’s protein in chicken. And so, that’s like a well-balanced meal.

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: Especially if you’re sick. And you know, if you’re -- I don’t know, when I’m sick, when I’m really sick, I don’t wanna eat anything. I mean, nobody does, right?

DR. ARTHUR: Yeah.

ZACH: And that’s something that you could, like, okay, just slowly eat that chicken and rice soup, you know that’s another variation of chicken soup, so. There’s a reason why everybody recommends it, right?

DR. ARTHUR: Yes.

ZACH: So, any other things you’ve experienced, or people have come to you with over the years, you’re like, “I don’t know about that one.” Or “This is a good one.” Any home remedies like that you can think of?

DR. ARTHUR: None that I can think of. I think we covered a pretty extensive list, so.

[Laughter]

ZACH: Great. So, big take away from the day is everybody has home remedies, and sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. If you have a question about it, next time you go see your PCP, your primary care physician, doctor. Any appointment you might be at, ask them, “Hey, I’ve bene trying this and it’s working.” And then you can both say, “Wow, that’s great. Might not work for everybody but hey, I’m happy that one’s working for you.” If it’s not working, they can say, “Well, let me explain to you why it’s not working and here’s a better alternative for treatment.” Well Doctor Arthur, thank you so much for taking the time today to go through these home remedies with us.

DR. ARTHUR: You’re welcome. Thanks again for having me.

[Sound effect signaling end of interview]

ZACH: So, Katie, anything that stuck out to you? Anything you’re excited about or disappointed about when we did the true or false about these home remedies?

KATIE: I think we got our answer on the steak on the face for a black eye. As, kinda, silly as we thought it was gonna be. But yeah, how about you?

ZACH: Yeah, the toothpaste on acne was something that I would often try when I was younger ‘cause, you know, I had acne. And I always, kinda, wasn’t sure. Toothpastes are made out of different, you know, materials. So maybe -- maybe a certain toothpaste it worked for, but that one, she was like no, don’t worry about that one. Also, the whole duct tape and warts?

KATIE: Yeah. I had heard some wart ones, but it was more of like freezing them. Like, putting your hand in, like, really cold, like, ice water for a while. I’d never heard the duct tape one.

ZACH: No, I had not either. That’s one that I…

KATIE: Yeah.

ZACH: Found online.

KATIE: And if I had heard of it, I guess I just maybe ignored it. But your toothpaste one, I had done the -- I did the same thing as a kid. I think what’s interesting about some of these home remedies that, like, I took away from this is some of them seem, kinda, silly, but I think it just underscores, like, how desperate we get to, like, get rid of some of this stuff. And sometimes it’s just time or it’s just preventing it from happening in the first place kind of thing.

ZACH: And when you are younger, you only have the materials around you at your house…

KATIE: Yeah.

ZACH: So, it makes sense you would try more of these home remedies.

KATIE: And you’re, kinda, like, embarrassed of your acne so you’re just like, “Oh yeah, I don’t have any -- I just put toothpaste on this. I’m gonna be wake up in the morning and it’s gonna be gone.” Yeah. “I don’t wanna ask my mom to like buy -- or like help me with this, like, very embarrassing teenage problem.”

ZACH: Right. Another one was hiccups. I’d always question the hey, scare your friend and then they won’t have the hiccups anymore. Apparently, it interrupts the diaphragm.

KATIE: Yeah.

ZACH: Whatever it takes, right?

KATIE: I thought that was a really cool explanation and one of those ones that I probably wouldn’t have really believed ‘cause it would be like, oh, you’re just like -- when you’re a kid, you’re like using it as an excuse to scare our friends. But no, her explanation was great and it made sense. it’s hard to get rid of hiccups so it’s great that, you know, that actually works.

ZACH: The next time I see you with hiccups, I’m just gonna -- I’m gonna scare you, Katie. Watch out.

KATIE: I’ll be ready.

ZACH: Or don’t be ready ‘cause then you won’t get rid of your hiccups.

KATIE: Yeah, but I don’t like being scared, so.

ZACH: Oh, fair enough.

KATIE: Yeah.

 

ZACH: Well, do you like hiccups more than being scared is really the question you have to ask yourself.

KATIE: You have to ask me when I have hiccups.

[Laughter]

The answer might change.

ZACH: Well, one that we both, kinda, laughed at in our conversation was the -- if you consume a lot of local honey, the bees who are around the local, you know, plants, they will help you build up an immunity to allergies.

KATIE: Yeah.

ZACH: I think we’re both like that seems rather wishful thinking.

KATIE: Yeah. And I -- I mean, not to get too depressing, but I once watched a documentary too about like what really is honey, even in local honey. Same thing with maple syrup, a lot of times they get split. So, like, how much honey, local honey are you actually getting to get local honey? So, I mean, like at that point, you might just be diluting out any of the local parts of it anyways, so.

ZACH: From hive to table, there’s a lot of steps. Okay. Alright, fair enough, fair enough.

KATIE: Yeah.

ZACH: So, it was just fun to go through some of these.

KATIE: It was a fun list. So, did you tally up? I lost track. Did you tally up of thumbs up, thumb downs? What’s our -- what’s our score?

ZACH: I did not tally that up.

KATIE: Okay.

ZACH: But I encourage your listeners to go back and listen again to do so.

KATIE: Yeah.

ZACH: But I think -- you know --

KATIE: It seems like a decent mix.

ZACH: I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if she was gonna say, “Okay, all of these are nonsense. Here’s the true medicine that you should be doing.” A lot of them was actually pretty encouraging. You know, we did talk about the honey and vinegar too, and she too was like, “I don’t think you need the vinegar part.” I’m gonna need to talk to my mom about that part, I guess. But there was honey. I mean, I know we’re, kinda, saying hey, the local honey thing’s not gonna keep you from getting allergies, but honey does have a lot of good attributes to it that can help you with what we’re talking about.

KATIE: Yeah, and I thi -- Yeah. I think that, kinda, makes sense too. I like -- again, I liked your explanation. I think what I enjoyed about this is getting explanations for some of these, whether -- how they do and don’t work. ‘Cause it’s parts of it that you don’t really think about till you’re like, stirring a bunch of honey and vinegar together where you’re like, “I know which one of these taste good and which one tastes bad. So, if I can get rid of the one that tastes bad and this home remedy still works, like, that’s a thumbs up for me.

ZACH: Exactly, exactly so. Alright, well that’s gonna do it for this episode of On Health with Houston Methodist. We drop episodes Tuesday mornings so be sure to share, like, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And until next time, stay tuned and stay healthy.