They are often denigrated as old wives' remedies. But modern science is beginning to admit, even if a trifle unexcitedly, that there is a lot of truth to them. Those unassuming and simple ingredients that spice up your meals do a lot more than just that. They also perform an important role in soothing certain ailments, especially in the initial stages, and offering much-needed relief when the doctor is not at hand.

So it isn't just an apple a day that can keep the doctor away. Garlic, ginger and other kitchen essentials can do as good a job of keeping illness away and assuage pain. Read on about the magical properties that most household ingredients are endowed with and the common ailments that they can cure.

Cold
Raw onions eaten twice or thrice a day will help to clear stuffed nostrils resulting from ordinary cold.

Cough
a simple home remedy for night coughs is honey in a glass of hot milk before bedtime. Turmeric boiled in milk and taken internally relieves coughs and colds.

Constipation
Eat a banana or a thick slice of ripe papaya before going to bed at night. Have meals at fixed times. Drink a glass of hot water half an hour before breakfast and half an hour before retiring for the night. Never fail to answer a call of nature when the need arises.

Eye irritation
for irritation, a good eye bath can be made with plain water mixed with a few drops of rose water. Dissolve a pinch of common salt in cold water to form a weak solution and take this solution in a bowl and dip the eye into this solution and tap the eyelids five or six times with your fingers.

Tired feet
weary feet should be soaked for half an hour in hot water to which a little sodium bicarbonate has been added.

Insomnia
Avoid the use of drugs for sleeplessness. Instead, try a warm bath, followed by a glass of hot milk just before bedtime. So the next time, you're feeling insomniac or constipated, try not to reach for those pills that are advertised. Your kitchen remedies could do as much good, if not more, without leaving a bitter taste in your mouth and a hole in your pocket. Grandma was right after all.