Amish America
5 Amish NATURAL Remedies for Common Ailments
A look at five home remedies used by the Amish for everyday illnesses & ailments.
Amish use a variety of health care and wellness solutions, often depending on the specific Amish group, community, or family. Many Amish use natural and unconventional remedies. In this video we take closer look at five of them, many of which are put to use for multiple ailments. This video is not intended as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.
Sources:
Plain and Happy Living: Amish Recipes and Remedies by Emma Byler – https://books.google.pl/books/about/Plain_and_Happy_Living.html?id=WO5wPQAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y
Nature and the Environment in Amish Life by David L. McConnell, Marilyn D. Loveless – https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12022/nature-and-environment-amish-life
Images: Don Burke (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ozarkinspirations/) Videos by Michael Pilkinton (https://amishofethridge.com/) & videvo.net
My name is Erik Wesner and I'm not Amish. Back in 2004, I met the Amish while selling books. Since then, I've visited 5,000+ Amish homes & dozens of Amish communities. My book on Amish business, Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive, was published in 2010. I run the Amish America website: https://amishamerica.com/
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Note: This video references an older version of the NIH page mentioned which has slightly different wording than the current version.
so when it comes to Health and Medical Care the Amish use a variety of solutions including conventional medicine a lot of times it depends on the community or the family what type of treatment they'll use but a lot of Amish do rely on natural remedies so I wanted to share five of those with you today a lot of these it seems to have multiple uses first of all very common plants in many parts of the country and that would be dandelion now I'm not a natural remedy expert I personally have experience with just one of these and I'll share with you how that went for me so I'm not making any recommendation on whether you should use these this is purely an informational video so dandelion is actually mentioned throughout plain and happy living Amish recipes and remedies by an Amish woman named Emma Byler it actually has more entries than any other remedy in the book it's offered as a treatment for diabetes dropsy as a blood purifier and cleanser and for liver problems among other ailments the author of Nature and the environment in Amish life shared an anecdote they spoke with a bishop in the very traditional swordson Trooper Community the bishop told them quote the lowly dandelion has some very powerful attributes I've seen people with a handful of warts and one pound of dandelion leaf powder takes care of them they drink it in a liquid mixture I call it the poor man's medicine so you see what I mean by some of these remedies having a lot of different uses Emma Byler also had a bit on dandelion wine and she wrote that each spring dad would make up a batch of dandelion wine this wine was only used for medicinal purposes such as for hot toddies and so on it was also one of dad's bases for his bitters he would fill a bottle or jar with his own blend of roots berries some dandelion wine and the tea mentioned below referring to another tea in the book dad would drink a few small sips of this Brew to perk up his heart when it was beating too slowly so there you have a sense of how you know just right off the bat how some of these rim these are used for multiple purposes so next remedy would be golden seal what is golden seal well golden seal is a perennial herb whose roots and leaves are used in traditional remedies Goldenseal appears on eight pages in Emma's book so it's another popular one one of the remedies she discusses is a golden sealed tonic and this is something that Emma seems to feel really strongly about to make this she writes put half a teaspoon powdered golden sealed root in one pint of boiling water and stew it a bit but she notes I buy powder from KDP Hershberger who advertises in the budgets the budget is an Amish newspaper this is one of the most valuable home remedies we use it as a hot tea when the first sign of sore mouth and throat appears dad would also chew the root as a remedy for his peptic stomach Emma also suggests using Goldenseal for treating leg sores poison ivy rash and shingles number three and this is the one that I've had some experience with and that would be what's known as supertonic now what is supertonic so Back To Nature in the environment in Amish life the authors write that on one occasion we visited a home where the women were in the midst of making a year's supply of supertonic concocutive garlic horseradish root onions and ginger all cured in vinegar for six months and then strained the woman of the house was effusive in telling us how a teaspoon per person passed around the dinner table every night had kept her family healthy through the winter so you know the way it's described here supertonic seems to be used as an immune system booster now I took something called supertonic when I fell ill while staying with Amish friends in Pennsylvania one winter I had a pretty I would say severe fever chills Etc so probably some kind of a bug or a flu a very similar recipe I I think this maybe can vary a bit I believe the one that I drink had more chili pepper in it because it definitely had a kick to it I drank it it's kind of tough to drink got in a recliner got under a blanket right by the wood stove fell asleep for probably a couple hours and I did feel better when I woke up so I don't know if that was the reason but I figured it couldn't hurt a lot of Amish seemed to really believe in this remedy you even see it for sale now in some Amish run stores for example I've picked this up a couple of times once in Kentucky once in Pennsylvania and I was also using it for I guess these immune boosting purposes taking a few dropper fulls per day so super tonic another one you can make at home so next we have another flowering plant and this is one I hadn't heard of until I came across it in Emma Byler's book it's known as fever few and I kind of like this because right there in the name it seems like to suggest what it does addressing an ailment right in the name there and this is a plant in the daisy family and as the name suggests Emma recommends using it in a tea sweetened with honey to treat coughs colds and flu but what's interesting here here is that uh in a little bit of eyebrow raising for me anyway she also suggests using it as an insect repellent made into a strong tea and then sprayed on Plants again multiple uses why not I did have a look at the NIH National Institute of Health Website there they say that it's also used for treating migraine headaches rheumatoid arthritis allergies and other maladies however they also know that quote only a few Studies have looked into fever fuse use for migraine headache there's little or no evidence about Feverfew for any other health conditions again not to get into the debate between conventional unconventional medicine just for your information finally and this is my favorite name of any of these remedies and that would be what's known as pig's ear leaves you find this one in Emma's section on remedies for sprains bad bruises and swellings so this is something for when you have an injury and she writes that a good soak of the feet once a day for about 20 minutes or half an hour in a mash made of plantain we Amish call this siora blotter or pig's ear leaves and or comfrey leaves will also help this condition it can't hurt you to try one time when my nephew broke his foot falling off a ladder while siding a house his foot became so swollen the doctor couldn't put a cast on nephew didn't want to stay in the hospital till the swelling went down so he came home his mother gathered plantain cut it up and put it in water as hot as he could stand it this Drew all the soreness and swelling out so that the cast could be put right on I definitely like this name pigsier leaves and you can kind of see from the photos why they might be called that so there you have it there are five natural remedies used by Amish interested to hear what you think let me know in the comments have you used any of these or other natural remedies what was your experience like thanks for watching hit that like button for me if you got some value from this video I do appreciate that helps the channel hit the Subscribe button and the Bell well to stay in the loop for future videos and I will talk to you soon
#Amish #NATURAL #Remedies #Common #Ailments
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What other "Amish life tips" videos would you like to see?
The reason natural remedies lack supporting data is because there’s no money to be made. At least not of the variety which can be trademarked and capitalized upon as a proprietary property. Almost all research is done by companies with a vested monetary interest in developing products and pharmaceuticals, meaning almost exclusively in pursuit of profit.
I've used fever few for migraine and I can attest to it working! With all natural remedies you need to follow a regimen. It's not like one pill and done. Usually several weeks or months of continuous use. Milk thistle, dandelion and another herb I can't remember cleansed and repaired my liver too!!!😊
I grew up on dandelion soup that my grandmother always made
I live in a rural area that is becoming populated with Amish and Menonite families. I noticed many homeopathic tonics and extracts in some of the Amish stores. This got me curious about the use by the Amish. I wondered if there were tonics that were taken on a regular basis or if they used them only on occasion for an ailment. One woman told me that it was only for treatment, but they gave their children cod liver oil on a regular basis. I am always interested in the use of basic plants for treatments of medical conditions, so your video was informative. Thanks.
There's other factors that are missing here. I'm not convinced these herbs are magic. These people live in herd communities, stay fit, grow their own food and basically live simple. Those factors play a role too
What I don't understand is how people use dandelion when you have no idea if a wild animal (deer, coyote, raccoon, mouse, etc.) went to the bathroom on the plant or where the plant will be coming up in the spring. Animals can have diseases, Lepto, Roundworm, Hantavirus, etc., that can stay in the soil. What would prevent someone from getting sick from making dandelion tea if the dandelion or the surrounding soil had been pooped or peed on?
I'm not Amish, but I do have experience with Feverfew (I buy over the counter at drug stores) for migraines. Been suffering since childhood, used multiple doctor prescribed medicines, and Feverfew is the only think that has stopped a migraine and prevent re-occurrence.
Comfrey is likely much more potent than plantain. Comfrey's also known as "knitbone". It helps heal and mend broken bones and torn ligaments. I had a severe torn ligament, and did a full spectrum natural treatment to help heal it, including a main ingredient of comfry leaf and root poultices. The next day, I was off crutches. The next week, I could run a little bit. 2 weeks later, I could jump again. Pretty amazing stuff.
"Super Tonic" is more commonly known as fire cider. A very old rural remedy for many ailments. Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory, the peppers help increase circle, and along with horseradish, tumeric, and apple cider vinegar, all of these ingredients have immune system boosting properties. You can look up different recipes for fire cider on YouTube and pick your favorite. It only takes one month to make a good tincture of fire cider, but 6 months sounds very potent! Thank you for this outstanding video!
Can highly recommend dandelion! 🙂
Hi~ you haven’t posted in 2 months. Hope you are OK.
I make Super Tonic, but we call it Fire Cider.
Can you do a video on the way Amish detox from parasites and worms..and what they use to get them out of the body?
Eric, I hope you are okay? Long time since you have released a new regular length video.
Hey, very informative video. How can I contact you?
Oh Wow!! I found on yt 2 years ago Old Fashioned Super Tonic, it has kept me going in winter time! RECIPE: 1 Lb. EACH: Hoberneros-White Onion- Horseradish- Ginger- Garlic chop put in larger container with 1 gallon Apple Cider Vinegar- Stir 2xs a day 2 weeks! Strain- get cookie sheets with wax paper on top, put bits on top of wax paper, Let bits completely dry out, put in Blender and pulse to powder and put in spice jars! Perks up any dish!! Awesome spice to add to pizza sauce!!!
I am from Asia/Europe, but i have been using Goldenseal since I discovered it back in the early 2Ks. It's really good and helped me with my cold a dozen times. I've always paired the root exctract with echinacea. One time, I had helicobadcter pylori, I used Goldenseal root in my water + macca gum from greece for chewing after a 2 unsuccesfull antiubniotic courses and it helped. Didn't cure it though. I then kept searching and started using Pau D'arco. Pau D'arco is potentially dangerous if used for longer periods of time but I f-ing kid you not, I used it for two weeks and my helicobacter has NEVER come back since and I'm not a fan of natural shit but apprently that shit is dangerous to life. lol My bloating, gas, cramps, just disappeared. I did another test to see if any of the bacteria were left, but my helico bacter wasn't there anymore. Mu ulcers went too. I suffered for over a year with it and this just killed it. I used a spoon in hot water per cup and steeped it for a while, then drank it. Mind you, it tastes nice with a bit of your preferred sweetener. I did that 3 daily. I admit to having upped the dose to two spoons per cup here and there which you are NOT supposed to do. I did suffer side effects including toxcity but… i had a helicobacter test before and after and this shit worked. Towards the end of my two week period i felt a bit sick from it and got a headache or two but it all disappeared the moment i stopped. Don't overdo it as it can cause bleeding with long-term use.
It may have been the antibiotics lowering the number of the bacteria + p'au darco killing it all off but I defy recommend it.
I use goldenseal when I have indication of an infection, most effective. Have used for many years.
Interesting
That SuperTonic sounds like it should do something based on the ingredients. All good ingredients for colds and such. Pack them all together in an apparent vinegar extract sounds like it might do the trick.
Is this channel still active..?
I hope you are well and busy but I miss very much your timely videos.
Just checking to see if there are any new updates…. I haven’t seen anything posted in quite some time. Hope all is OK. Miss your Contant big time.
Hi. I'm sorry it took me awhile to notice but you haven't posted a video in two months. I hope you are doing good and that all is well with you. Are you taking some time off? Are you going to be doing some more content on the Amish?
I've never used any of those, but later today, I'm harvesting a huge wild lettuce plant on my property. Its used to make a pain medicine. I have pretty bad arthritis. I hope it works!🙂
Hope you are having a great summer. Miss your vids💕
Here’s one for you as it’s been sneaking into the hundreds this week. How do the Amish, a people known for full body covering cloths, beards, hats, and hard labor stay cool in the hot summer months. I’m assuming AC isn’t allowed.
Thank you so much for passing on this information.. 🙏🏾🙌🏾❤️🩹
My Grandma used Golden seal for any aliment. She lived to be 103. Best Grandma ever! I still miss her.
"Pigs Ear Leaf" is also known as
"Broad Leaf Plaintain" theirs aalso a
"Narrow Leaf Plaintain" that works the same. Blend up as a paste and put on sunburn or other light burns or injuries.
It worked very well for us when scalped injury from boiling water.
i have a question can i marry a amish woman
Plantain works great on bug and spider bites too. Just mash a leaf up put it on bite and in a few no pain or itching
I was on a liver transplant list given 6 months to live 30 yrs ago. A naturopath had me take dandelion root along with milk thistle. 6 months later I was off the transplant list and the 27 adenomas (tumors) on my liver were almost gone. Liver still sluggish so I eat or take dandelion leaf or root about 1 week every month. Works great
I see you haven't posted a few weeks. New to the channel so not sure how often you post, but looking forward to seeing a new video soon.
So what can I do to get rid of warts?
Love this video just like all the other ones you do. Thank you So much!
Very informative! Thank you for sharing
Hi there, I wanted to come back to this channel to ask you something. In previous videos, I noticed that whenever you record a conversation with an Amish, you make sure they aren’t in the camera frames. But I YouTube I tend to find many Amish people who are quite comfortable on camera. Are those the more new order Amish who don’t mind being recorded?
comfrey is one of my favorites and I've used it for many things! I have several comfrey plants on my property. They spread pretty quickly 😛
I was/am Amish a friend didn't miss any work for over 20 years I asked him how he did it . He said whenever he'd feel a sniffle or chill he'd make a hot tonic boil water n pour n a shot of whisky. He jump I a hot tub of water to open the pores then quickly towel off dry gulp the whisky n jump n bed with as many blankets on him as he could stand and n morning he'd have sweated the poison out of him n he'd go to work.
Another great video from Erik. Thanks I always enjoy them.