Today's Studies Prove This Ancestral Remedy Right

black doctor examining a child
Briona Lamback
October 16, 2022

Back in the day, our people didn’t have access to the care we do today. Instead, they ingeniously found remedies for their ailments. 

Here’s one genius way they cured migraines.

With collard leaves! Formerly enslaved women suffering from migraines would wrap their heads in a collard leaf to soothe their symptoms. 

And today’s research shows that they were spot on.

Studies show that eating more folate in leafy greens like collards, spinach, and kale may reduce migraine frequency. The researchers found that women who ate more folate and folic acid had significantly fewer migraine attacks than their counterparts who consumed less.

Herbalist Brooklyn Guillebeau told Refinery29, “We couldn’t depend on the healthcare system to take our emotional and physical state seriously. With all the medical racism we deal with today, we can benefit from herbalism and lean into ancestral wisdom like this.

While professional medical care is essential, we should also lean into ancestral wisdom and seek out doctors and healthcare professionals in our best interests. We never need white supremacy to provide us care.

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