Alternative medicine has the potential to offer new treatments to people that suffer from ailments. While many people may frown upon the use of alternate medicine, the fact that the remedies and healers are not patented the same was as conventional pharmaceutical medication means that there has been no substantial research and development in order to educate the regular person about the possible benefits of these products.

One of the alternate remedies available for arthritis is the gin -raisin remedy. This is a process whereby seedless raisins are immersed in gin for up to two weeks. The raisons soak up all the gin and the alcohol evaporates over the two week period. There are a number of ideal soaking bowls however, according to most sources, a glass bowl with a wide opening, such as a pie dish, facilitates the evaporation process. The bowl must be glass otherwise the raisons will absorb a metal taste from other dishes. An arthritis sufferer should eat nine gin raisins each day to help easy the pain of their ailment. This alternate remedy is also recommended for sufferers of RLS or restless legs syndrome.

Because of the aforementioned lack of patent, there has not been any significant tests done on the gin soaked raison remedy. This leads many people to be skeptical about the effectiveness of this and other alternative remedies such as arthritis diet. Many skeptics believe alternative medicine to be folklore or sometimes even a placebo. While there will always be skeptics challenging alternative medicine remedies and cures, it is important for the individual to try and see each remedy in an objective manner.

If we look at the gin and raison remedy in particular with a objective view, we look and assess the effectiveness and benefits of the healing properties of each ingredient in the recipe that have been highlighted.

To begin with we will analyse the gin and raison remedy. Along with other herbs, the main ingredient in gin is juniper berry. In alternative medicine, the juniper berry is utilized as a diuretic (something to increase urine production). In other remedies it is used to treat ailments such as high blood pressure, heart problems and PMS. It is also used to treat arthritis. Warnings have been attached to the excessive consumption of gin when it comes to kidney infections or problems. As always it is important to check for possible allergic reactions.

In terms of the grape, there are many healing properties in the fruit. Firstly, the skin and the seed have been widely claimed to have antioxidant powers. These days a great number of spas and health centres offer grape wraps to their customers. The popularity of the grape in alternative medicine is not new. In many ancient cultures, may it be Egyptians or Greeks and Romans, grapes have been associated with healing properties. In ancient times, it is claimed that the grape vine leaves were used to top bleeding and therefore reduce inflammation. Lastly, red wine made from grapes is a well known antioxidant. It is claimed to be able to aid in disease prevention such as cancer and heart problems, something that has recently received media interest and attention.