Below are 53 traditional folk remedies (collected from various old sources). These age-old tips were passed down from our ancestors — simple, practical, and surprisingly effective. Try them and feel the difference!
Quit Drinking
Take about 200g of fresh almond seeds, mix with a bit of MSG, and dissolve into a liquid. Soak this mixture for two days, then add two drops to a cup of alcohol before drinking, followed by a sip of the same liquid. It helps gradually reduce alcohol cravings and supports fast recovery from addiction.
Quit Smoking
Take a fresh betel nut, drill a small hole in the middle, pour in a little vegetable oil, soak it in water for two days, then dry it under the sun. When craving a cigarette, just smell it lightly — the urge disappears immediately. Many who tried this method were able to quit smoking entirely.
Sober Up Quickly
Mix 100g of vinegar, 100g of sugar, and 100g of tea. When drunk, drink this mixture — it helps clear the head quickly, reduces dizziness, and lessens nausea.
Whiten Teeth
Sprinkle a little baking soda on your toothpaste and brush. After three sessions, your teeth become pearly white and clean without harsh bleaching.
Eliminate Bad Breath
Chew a few fresh tea leaves three times a day. After three days, your breath will be fresh and pleasant — no need for expensive mouthwash.
Soothe Hoarseness
Mix 50g of vinegar, 50g of sugar, and 250g of cool water. Stir well and sip slowly throughout the day. This remedy relieves hoarseness and throat pain effectively.
Relieve Constipation
Dip a small piece of fresh green onion (about the size of your little finger) in sesame oil, then gently insert it into the anus, moving it in and out a few times. It stimulates bowel movement. For chronic constipation, use vinegar instead of sesame oil.
Treat Psoriasis
Soak 100g of pine nuts (peeled) in 500ml of rice vinegar for two days. Apply the mixture to the affected area three times daily. It helps reduce flaking and irritation. Alternatively, mix mandarin peel powder with sesame oil and apply for good results.
Instant Toothache Relief
Roast the kernel of a peach pit until hot, then bite it gently near the aching tooth. Pain disappears after several applications.
Stop Nosebleeds Instantly
When nosebleeding, lie on your back and raise the arm opposite to the bleeding nostril. The pressure point contracts and the bleeding stops almost immediately — no cotton or medicine needed.
When a Fish Bone Gets Stuck in the Throat
Hold a mouthful of old vinegar, gargle gently, and swallow slowly. Repeat several times — the bone softens and slides down naturally.
Treat Smelly or Fungal Feet
Pour one liter of rice vinegar into a basin. Soak your feet twice a day for about one hour. Within four days, the smell disappears, fungus is killed, and your feet become clean and dry.
Tinnitus or Hearing Loss After Illness
According to old belief, using a few drops of “garlic-scented cat urine” (folk method) in the ear, three times daily, helps improve mild hearing loss. In ancient times, burnt snake skin ash blown into the ear was also said to have a similar effect. (Note: For historical reference only!)
Control Diabetes
Boil 1kg of fresh corn kernels until soft. Divide into four portions and drink one portion daily. It helps stabilize blood sugar and supports urinary balance.
Stop Snoring and Teeth Grinding
Before bedtime, keep a piece of mandarin peel in your mouth for 15 minutes, then spit it out. Do this for 3–5 nights, and snoring and teeth grinding reduce significantly.
Sweaty and Smelly Feet
Grind alum powder finely and rub it into the soles of your feet for 10 minutes, 3–4 times. It keeps feet dry and odor-free for up to eight months.
Epilepsy (Ancient Term: “Yang Cuoc Feng”)
Mix one earthworm with 50g of alum, pour hot water over it, and drink each morning for ten days. This ancient method was believed to calm convulsions and support nervous balance.
Mouth Ulcers
Eat one pear each morning and evening, chew slowly, and swallow. After 3–4 days, the ulcers heal and pain subsides.
Coronary Heart Disease
Boil 50g of soybeans with a little salt and eat them for 3–4 days straight. It helps regulate blood vessels and support heart health.
Migraine
Apply the peel of a white radish to your temples for 20 minutes at night. It relieves tension and headache quickly.
Hemorrhoids
Dissolve 150g of urea in hot water. Soak a towel, wring it out, and place it on a chair. Sit on it to steam the anus for 10 minutes, three times a day, for seven days. Swelling and pain reduce significantly.
Increase Breast Milk After Birth
Roast black sesame seeds with salt and eat daily. If eaten ten days before delivery, milk flow becomes abundant and smooth.
Insomnia
Cut the white part of a green onion, place it in a small dish beside your pillow. The mild aroma promotes deep sleep within five nights.
Heart Disease
Eat 50g of fresh pineapple twice a day for 5–7 days. It stabilizes heart rhythm and prevents recurrence for up to two years.
Poor Vision and Dry Eyes
Stuff dried apricot kernels into a small cloth pouch and use it as a pillow. Sleeping on it relaxes the eyes and improves circulation.
Cracked Skin on Hands and Feet
Apply rheumatism ointment to cracked skin and leave for 24 hours. The wound heals quickly and smoothly.
Dermatitis
Crush wild gourd leaves and rub vigorously on the affected area until red. Repeat every seven days; mild cases heal after three sessions.
Allergic Rhinitis
Soak cotton in sesame oil, insert into the nostrils for 15 minutes, three times a day for two to three days. For severe cases, soak garlic in vinegar and use similarly.
High Blood Pressure
Cook 200g of fresh seaweed into soup and drink on an empty stomach every morning for ten days. Blood pressure stabilizes.
Weak Kidneys
Boil 100g of fresh cardamom with a pinch of salt. Drink before meals for 3–5 days to restore strength and vitality.
Remove Freckles and Spots
Soak almonds in water, peel, crush, and mix with egg white. Apply to your face overnight, then wash with white wine in the morning.
Weak Stomach
Burn 20 eggshells from red eggs to ash, grind finely, and drink with sugar water twice daily. Helps stomach health and calcium absorption.
Bruises and Injuries
Crush leek leaves, mix with a child’s urine (folk remedy), and apply to the swelling. Reduces inflammation in hours and heals within three days.
Lose Weight Fast
Drink strong Oolong tea daily for seven days. It helps dissolve fat and boost metabolism without dulling the skin.
Longevity and Strength
Exercise regularly, stay calm, and eat garlic soaked in sugar yearly — an ancient secret for cleansing the body and extending life.
Irregular Menstruation
Brew 200g of perilla leaves in hot water and drink like tea. It balances menstruation and eases cramps.
Premature Gray Hair
Boil 500g of clam shells and use the water to wash your hair daily. After 6–8 uses, hair becomes darker and thicker.
Dry Skin
Apply egg white to your face every night for one hour, then rinse. Keeps skin smooth and firm.
Back Pain, Sciatica, Herniated Disc
Roast seven ground beetles into ash, soak in 350ml rice wine for seven days. Drink in the evening and pat the sore area 49 times.
Tuberculosis
Dry 500g of live silkworm cocoons, grind to powder, and take 3–5g twice daily. Strengthens lungs and relieves cough.
Arthritis and Knee Pain
Burn straw to ash, wrap in cloth, and apply to painful joints for one hour nightly. Relieves pain after three uses.
Underarm Odor
Mix 100g of rice vinegar with 5g of star anise powder. Apply several times daily. Odor fades quickly, skin becomes dry and clean.
Itching
Rub a fresh slice of ginger on the sole of your foot for ten minutes. Men rub the left foot, women the right. Relieves itching throughout the body.
Bone Spurs and Joint Degeneration
Burn four sheep bones until yellow, grind to powder, and mix with wine. Drink 1–2 cups nightly for pain relief.
Swallowed Metal Object
Stir-fry leek leaves, chew and swallow. The foreign object passes naturally through stool.
Numb Hands and Feet
Mix equal parts black fungus, peach kernel, and honey. Steam, divide into four portions, and eat daily. Removes numbness completely.
Hair Loss and Dandruff
Boil sliced cabbage roots in a cast-iron pot with vinegar. Use as shampoo for 7–8 days.
Nail Fungus
Crush purple garlic with alum, apply to infected nail, and wrap tightly for 7–8 days. The fungus disappears and new nail grows healthy.
Deworming
Crush 50–100 pumpkin seeds, mix with water and sugar, and drink on an empty stomach. Eliminates intestinal worms safely.
Mastitis
Crush a cactus leaf, add sesame oil, and apply to the swollen area 2–3 times daily to reduce inflammation.
Corns and Calluses
Cut a small hole in tape, stick over the corn, sprinkle urea powder in the center, cover again, and change every three days. Corns fall off after six rounds.
Prostatitis
Boil three dried apples and three rooster livers until soft. Eat both meat and broth for three meals — helps reduce inflammation and ease urination.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Fry young mulberry twigs with wine, then boil and drink morning and night. Reduces swelling, pain, and promotes circulation.
Note:
These are folk remedies passed down through generations. Their effects vary by individual and are not substitutes for medical treatment. Always consult a doctor before trying any of these, especially if you have chronic conditions.