The therapeutic effect of peppercorn can be used to assist with colds and poor blood circulation, acts as an anti-aging tonic, and helps with gastric problems. Here are some recipes to get you started.
Peppercorn foot bath: Anti-aging remedy
Method: Take 50 grams of peppercorns and wrap in a piece of muslin, fastened with a tie. Boil in water and allow to cool. Once at an acceptable temperature for your skin, soak your feet in the water for about 20 minutes, and rinse with warm water. The peppercorn bag can be used several times for up to a week to soak your feet before going to bed every night. Once the skin on both feet goes red and tingly and there is a slight sweat on your face, then rinse off. Persistence every day is conducive to the improvement of blood circulation in the feet, which may make you healthier and live longer.
Stomach relief
Many people find that after their stomach gets cold energy, they will experience a gassy stomach, and some people will have diarrhea or abdominal pain. To help, you can drink peppercorn water, which is made by cooking seven peppercorns to a bowl of water for a few minutes, add some brown sugar to make it palatable, then drink.
Cold and diarrhea relief
Adding a few peppercorns to ginger date tea and simmering makes peppercorn ginger date tea. This has a stronger effect on cold and dampness and can also stop abdominal pain. The tea is suitable for people who have cold and wet energy, such as female cold (leucorrhoea and thin, long-term dysmenorrhea), male kidney cold, and people with gastrointestinal cold and chronic diarrhea; all can drink this tea frequently.
Treatment of nail fungus
Take 250 grams of vinegar and mash together with 250 grams of garlic and peppercorns. Place all into a large jar. The jar neck should be wide enough to allow your hand to reach inside. Steep for a day, then the peppercorn garlic vinegar is ready for use. Soak the hand with onychomycosis (fungal nail infection) in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes, once a night. The liquid should cover the nail to be treated. Do not replace garlic or vinegar. It also should be noted that the remedy cannot be applied if there is any broken skin around the affected area.
Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome not only causes swelling of the wrist joints, but also restricts the movement of the fingers. When the condition is severe, the pain will extend to the arms, shoulders, and neck. Try peppercorn water to treat your hands. Take a handful of peppercorns and create a decoction by simmering with water, allow to cool to a reasonable temperature acceptable to the hand, soak, and rinse.
Treatment of frequent urination
Chinese medicine believes that yang (energy) deficiency is one of the primary factors in inducing urinary frequency and urinary urgency in the elderly. Those affected can prepare some salt and peppercorns, put them in a microwave oven to make the mixture hot, then wrap it in gauze and apply at an acceptable temperature to the navel and the Guanyuan acupoint (three inches below the navel).
Translated by Jean Chen and edited by Helen
