13 PROVEN Folk Remedies

These treatments from around the world really work

- Bonnie Munday

MANY OF US use home treatments some passed down through generations for small ailments, whether the treatment has officially been proven to be effective or not. Editors at Reader's Digest editions around the world are no different except we've investigated our favourites to make sure they're backed by solid research. Here are 13 folk remedies that work for us.

CANADA

Wild Blueberries

Improve Heart Health Blueberries both cultivated and wild-are Canada's top fruit export. Wild blueberries can be found in several Canadian provinces but are especially abundant in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Widely known as a super-fruit, wild blueberries in particular are loaded with healthful antioxidants containing nearly twice the amount that the same serving size of cultivated blueberries do. And while slightly smaller in size than cultivated ones, wild blueberries are generally sweeter and more flavourful.

Blueberries get their colour from anthocyanins, a group of antioxidant compounds that are responsible for many of health benefits. Most of the colour, and therefore the fruit's benefits, are found in its skin. Whether cultivated or wild, all blueberries have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, but it's their cardiovascular benefits that really stand out. Multiple studies have found eating at least a cup of blueberries a day offers significant improvements in vascular function and arterial stiffness, with one 2019 study from researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States showing that blueberries could cut the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 15 per cent.