Recent discoveries in medieval medical texts reveal health remedies from the Middle Ages that strikingly parallel modern-day wellness fads popularized on platforms like TikTok.
Binghamton University announced the release of the Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine in July, a comprehensive database cataloging Latin medical manuscripts dating from approximately 600 to 1000 A.D.
Associate Professor Meg Leja, who helped compile the database, explained to Fox News Digital that the collection offers a rare glimpse into how early Europeans understood health, science, and medicine during what is often called the “Dark Ages.”
Among the remedies uncovered, several bear a curious resemblance to current health and beauty trends:
The Original Detox Plan
A year-long regimen detailed in the manuscripts prescribes monthly herbal infusions featuring ingredients like cinnamon, sage, ginger, and fennel. These drinks were believed to cleanse the body of mucus and “unwanted matter,” echoing modern juice cleanses.
Vinegar Face Masks for Radiance
One recipe advises applying a paste made from wheat flour and vinegar mixed with oil as a facial plaster to achieve a glowing complexion—an ancient counterpart to today’s DIY skincare trends.
Barley Water for Digestive Health
Barley water, currently touted on social media as a natural digestive aid, was also recommended in medieval times. A text suggests combining barley with hot wine to ease digestion.
Unconventional Vulture Remedies
Some cures, however, veer into the bizarre. A pre-1250 manuscript prescribes using dead vultures for ailments ranging from migraines to eye pain and even to hasten labor, involving rituals and physical applications of the bird’s parts.
Hair Treatments Using Lizard Ashes
A 9th-century manuscript recommends a concoction of fresh savory, salt, vinegar, and ashes of burnt green lizards to promote hair growth.
Goat Dung for Chest Pain
Perhaps the most repugnant remedy involves dissolving goat dung in water as a drink to alleviate chest pain—an unsafe practice that modern medicine strongly discourages.
Medical experts urge skepticism regarding these medieval cures. Dr. J. Matthew Knight, a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, cautions that while some herbs might provide minor benefits, extended detox plans lack scientific support.
He warned that vinegar-based facial treatments may cause skin irritation, and more extreme remedies like goat dung consumption are unsanitary and dangerous.
“These treatments predate germ theory and modern medicine,” Dr. Knight emphasized. “They were based on spiritual or cosmic beliefs rather than scientific evidence. Unfortunately, many popular TikTok trends share the same lack of scientific foundation.”
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