10 Efficient Natural Remedies for Malaria
Malaria is a deadly, widespread disease that threatens people across the globe, but there are a number of effective natural remedies, including grapefruit, fever nut, citrus fruits, holy basil, orange juice, cinnamon, warm water enema, and ginger, among others.
Table of Contents
- What is Malaria?
- Symptoms of Malaria
- Natural Remedies for Malaria
What is Malaria?
Affecting more than 200 million people around the world every year, malaria is a terrible mosquito-borne infectious
disease that kills an average of 500,000 people each year. The majority
of the cases occur around the equator in tropical and subtropical
regions, and it is a particularly dangerous disease in Africa. In fact,
visitors to many South American, African, Asian and Caribbean countries
are strongly urged or even required to take anti-malarial medication
before coming to the country, to prevent infection. The disease is
transferred through the mosquito’s saliva when it bites
you, after the mosquito has been infected by various types of parasitic
microorganisms. Those parasites migrate to the liver and begin to
reproduce, which is when the symptoms begin – about 10-15 days after the
initial bite.
Symptoms of Malaria
Symptoms include vomiting, fatigue, weakness, fever, headaches, jaundice and convulsions, most severely when the infection comes from Plasmodium falciparum. This can often result in respiratory distress (25-40% of cases), encephalopathy, low blood sugar,
shock, spontaneous bleeding and even death. The remaining four species
of Plasmodium capable of infecting humans generally cause mild
symptoms of the illness. There is a very well established treatment
regimen for malaria, as it affects so many people in such concentrated
areas of the world, but excess use
of anti-malarial drugs has also become a problem in terms of drug
resistance. For this reason and many others, people have identified and
relied on various natural remedies for generations. Many of these home
and herbal treatments lack the side effects of powerful antimalarial
drugs, which makes them far more appealing. Now, let’s take a closer
look at 10 of the best natural remedies for malaria.
Natural Remedies for Malaria
Natural remedies for malaria include:
Ginger
A
common and popular treatment for malaria is the use of ginger;
fortunately, ginger is easy to access, particularly in many tropical
areas, and can be boiled down into a powerful decoction that will boost
your immune system and help to speed the recovery process from the
infection. Ginger and its active ingredients
– gingerol and unique hydrocarbons – are known for their
anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities in the body, making this
one of the most effective natural remedies.
Grapefruit
There
is a powerful substance found in grapefruit, similar to quinine, that
has been directly linked to neutralizing those malaria-inducing
parasites. You can extract this substance for a concentrated dose, or
simply add some delicious grapefruit to your daily diet. Grapefruits are
widely available in tropical areas, and can do wonders for promoting
overall health and rapid recovery.
Cinnamon
One of the best ways to get rid of malaria is to tackle its symptoms, namely fever, headaches and diarrhea. Cinnamon is a comprehensive
remedy, as it can help to improve multiple symptoms of the disease at
the same time. Cinnamon has a powerful organic component,
cinnamaldehyde, which has anti-inflammatory properties and has been
connected to a reduction in malaria’s often violent and painful
symptoms.
Citrus Fruits
Although this is a rather vague suggestion, citrus fruits in general are often recommended for the treatment of malaria. Limes and lemons are easy to get a hold of in many malaria hot spots, and the mixture of antioxidant compounds, vitamins and minerals can help eliminate fever, prevent the spread of the infection, and speed up the healing
process. Mixing a few drops of lime and an entirely squeezed lemon into
a glass of water is a popular approach, or just take a bite of those
tart, healthy fruits!
Fever Nut
Fever nut is a popular herbal remedy in India and the surrounding countries, as the seeds
of this nut contain powerful active ingredients that can help to break
your fever and boost your immune system. When a fever breaks, it is
essentially the first step towards recovery, and fever nut (as its name
implies) has been helping people survive malaria for hundreds of years.
Holy Basil
To reduce the symptoms and severity of malaria, people have turned to holy basil for many years; eugenol is the active ingredient
in holy basil, and is largely responsible for its therapeutic
properties, helping to eliminate bacterial infections. Different parts
of this plant are used for dozens of different Ayurvedic remedies,
making it extremely important in Asian countries that deal with many
malaria cases.
Orange Juice
Vitamin C is known as an incredible immune system booster, and this has certainly proven true in the treatment of malaria. Since it can be difficult to keep food
down while suffering through malaria, many people choose to go on a
water and orange juice diet, in order to keep the body hydrated and
promote a concentrated immune system attack on the infection. After a
few days of this, other foods can be added back in, but the antioxidant
and immune-system boosting effects of vitamin C are often enough to
kickstart the recovery process.
Warm Water Enema
Malaria
can also infect the bowels, which is why diarrhea is such a common
symptom, so it is important to keep the bowels clean, and not provide a
new place for the parasite to thrive. A warm
water enema can keep the bowels clean and healthy, while also cutting
back on inflammation and discomfort during the many bathroom trips a
malaria sufferer will inevitably need.
Mosquito Avoidance
The
best way to treat malaria is to never catch it in the first place, but
to avoid mosquitoes in the tropical world is difficult, to say the
least. Powerful bug spray (specifically those good for mosquitoes) is
essential if you’re spending anytime in the wilderness of these risky
areas. Furthermore, you should add mosquito netting to your bed and windows, so you can sleep
soundly, knowing that you won’t wake up in two weeks with the symptoms
of malaria. You should also ensure that there are no large pools of
standing water near your home, as those are the perfect places for
mosquitoes to lay their eggs!
No comments:
Post a Comment