Your Health: How to Stock Your Natural Medicine Cabinet

Arnica in a gel form eases pain in stiff joints, especially if you have osteoarthritis. You can try rubbing it on hands and knees to reduce inflammation and get back some of your movement.

Get migraines? Popping magnesium supplements may help them go away over time. Some early research shows that magnesium may also combat depression symptoms and may lower blood pressure, too.

Adding echinacea to your daily wellness routine may boost your immune system and give you an extra layer of protection against catching a cold. Some studies suggest it can shorten a cold once you have one, but we need more research to be sure. It's available in tinctures, teas, and capsules, among other forms.

If you have diabetic neuropathy, or nerve problems from your diabetes, there's some proof that evening primrose oil can give you relief. Most people take it in capsule form.

Despite the name, there isn't much evidence that feverfew can help lower a fever. It may be a better choice for taming migraines. It won't bring pain relief during a headache, but studies show it could reduce the number you have over time. You can find it in capsules, liquid extracts, teas, and tablets.

You can apply aloe vera, a clear gel from the aloe vera plant, to soothe symptoms of skin conditions like psoriasis and certain rashes.

If you'd rather take a dose of green tea instead of sip it, you can buy capsules or tablets to keep in your medicine cabinet. Green tea helps with mental alertness. And an ointment made from green tree extract has been FDA approved to treat genital warts.

Try it to calm an upset tummy. Coated capsules could help if you have symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). You can also rub the oil on your temples for relief from tension headaches.

Oregano is a common herb found in most pantries. But researchers have studied the oil form as a way to lower inflammation, heal stomach ulcers, and treat yeast infections. We need more research to know for sure if it helps these conditions. Don't take it in essential oil form. It can burn your skin and throat.

You can keep slippery elm on hand to ease a sore throat. A lozenge may work best.

This may be a good go-to when you need to ward off a bacterial or fungal infection. Spread some on your skin to fight acne, athlete's foot, and nail fungus.

Turmeric, a spice in curry, has active ingredients called curcuminoids. Early research shows they may work as well as ibuprofen to control knee pain from osteoarthritis and can calm skin irritation from radiation treatments. You'll find it in a capsule. You can cook with it, of course, but you won't get as high a dose.