The Navarrese naturopath Txumari Alfaro has died in Pamplona at the age of 73 , thus closing one of the most recognizable chapters in the dissemination of home remedies and natural medicine on Spanish television. His death occurred last Saturday in the Navarrese capital, according to the obituary released by his family.
His full name was Jesús Mari Alfaro Martón, although to the general public he was always Txumari Alfaro, the face of "Grandma's Apothecary ." Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became a regular presence in Spanish homes, with a very personal style when explaining traditional remedies, wellness tips, and alternative therapies.
Details about his death and farewell
According to publicly released information, Txumari Alfaro passed away this Saturday, April 18, in Pamplona , ​​at the age of 73. The specific cause of death has not been disclosed, maintaining the discretion that always characterized his inner circle.
Her body was cremated the Sunday after her death in Pamplona, ​​in a private ceremony attended by family and close friends. The obituary also announces a memorial service for those who wish to pay their last respects.
The funeral will take place at the parish church of Santa MarÃa de la Esperanza de Doniantzu, in Zizur Mayor , a town near Pamplona. The religious service is scheduled for this Monday, starting at 20:00 p.m., and will bring together family, friends, and those who wish to remember him.
On a personal level, Alfaro was married to Charo Larraya and was the father of two daughters , MarÃa and Juncal, who have maintained a very low profile despite their father's media notoriety. This discretion regarding his private life has continued in recent days, with no major public statements from the family.
Origins and training of a Navarrese naturopath
Born in Arguedas, in the Ribera region of Navarre, on December 25, 1952 , Txumari Alfaro grew up deeply connected to his land and local traditions. This connection to the rural environment, agriculture, and locally sourced products significantly influenced his later understanding of health and nutrition.
Over the years, she steered her career toward the field of natural medicine and alternative therapies . She trained in naturopathy, iridology, and other disciplines related to non-conventional approaches to health. In her own professional account, she also highlighted her knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture.
One of the cornerstones of her work was the practice she established in Pamplona. From 1988, she ran a naturopathic medical center in the Navarrese capital, where she treated patients with therapies based on medicinal plants, dietary changes, home remedies, and the relationship between emotions and the body.
He presented himself as having a degree in naturopathy from the International College of Natural Health , and often emphasized his expertise in iridology, a practice that claims to detect health problems by analyzing the iris. These approaches, far removed from conventional medicine, shaped from the outset both the support and the criticism he would later garner.
The leap to fame with "Grandma's Pharmacy"
The big boost to her popularity came in 1996, when she began presenting "Grandma's Apothecary" on Spanish Television. The program, broadcast on La 1, was created by Gontzal MendÃbil and quickly became a recognizable format within the television schedule.
In this space, Txumari Alfaro offered advice on traditional remedies for all kinds of everyday ailments and discomforts, presented as an alternative to pharmacy medications. Its sections included home remedies, medicinal plants, popular uses for pantry staples, and lifestyle recommendations.
In an era before social media and digital platforms like today, the program achieved remarkable audience figures. It averaged around a 27% market share, with approximately 1.5 million viewers, making Alfaro one of the most recognizable faces on television in the 1990s.
His approachable on-camera presence, combined with his direct language and simple staging, allowed him to connect with a wide audience. Many viewers saw him as a kind of family advisor who revived time-honored remedies , something that fit particularly well with morning and afternoon television at that time.
From TVE to Antena 3, Telecinco, La Sexta and IntereconomÃa
The success of "Grandma's Apothecary" did not go unnoticed by other networks. Antena 3 signed him two years after the program began , incorporating him into the afternoon magazine show "Sabor a ti," presented by Ana Rosa Quintana.
In this space, Txumari Alfaro hosted the segment "Txumari's Apothecary ," which maintained the same spirit as his program on La 1: explaining home remedies, discussing plants, and proposing natural alternatives for daily health care. The segment was so well-received that it eventually became an independent program with the same name.
However, "Txumari's Pharmacy" on Antena 3 had a short run . Despite the presenter's prior notoriety, the format failed to gain traction in the new time slot and was pulled from the schedule after only a few months, around four or five months on air.
After this period, Alfaro continued to appear on television, but with a more moderate impact than in his most successful years . He participated in programs such as "A tu lado" (Telecinco), broadcast in 2005 and presented by Emma GarcÃa, where he offered advice and short segments focused on healthy habits and natural remedies.
In 2008 he hosted the program "Salud a la carta" on La Sexta , a format also focused on lifestyle and well-being, and later he joined IntereconomÃa TV with the short-lived program "Los consejos de Txumari", broadcast in 2011. None of these programs managed to repeat the massive impact of his time at TVE, although they kept his image on the television scene for several more years.
Books, lectures and ongoing media presence
Beyond television, Txumari Alfaro built an extensive career as an author and popularizer of science . He published more than a dozen books focused on natural health, nutrition, and the use of medicinal plants.
Among her best-known titles are "Grandma's Apothecary ," "Plants and Natural Remedies," "Health à la Carte: The Power of Food," and "A Body for a Lifetime." These works offered advice, recipes, daily care guidelines, and reflections on the relationship between what we eat, our emotional state, and our overall health.
In his public appearances, lectures, and interviews, Alfaro often emphasized that "there are no secrets, they are simple, everyday things ," advocating the idea that many daily problems could be addressed with readily available resources at home. His discourse frequently appealed to folk wisdom and the revival of traditional practices.
Another key aspect of his message was the importance of emotions and the emotional environment for physical well-being . On more than one occasion, he stated that "love is the miracle medicine, the most powerful remedy there is," a phrase that aptly summarizes the almost philosophical dimension he incorporated into his proposals on health.
Over the years, she continued to participate in conferences, talks, and media collaborations , even as her television appearances diminished. This allowed her to maintain a loyal following interested in her approach to natural health, although increasingly distant from the mainstream media spotlight.
Controversies, medical criticism, and public debates
Txumari Alfaro's career was not without controversy and criticism from the medical and scientific community . From his first television appearances, some doctors and professional societies expressed concern about the type of advice he offered during prime time.
He was criticized, among other things, for presenting certain alternative therapies as substitutes for evidence-based medical treatments . Among the most controversial practices he publicly advocated was urine therapy, which involves drinking one's own urine on an empty stomach, to which he attributed supposed health benefits.
One of the most notorious incidents occurred at a conference in 2018 , part of a congress entitled "A World Without Cancer: What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You." During her presentation, as was widely reported at the time, she went so far as to suggest that nothing should be done after a breast cancer diagnosis, arguing that awareness and mental preparation were enough for the body to fight the disease.
These statements provoked a strong reaction from medical associations and healthcare groups , especially in Catalonia, which had already warned about the content of the congress. He was accused of taking medical concepts out of context, promoting ideas without scientific backing, and trivializing serious illnesses by proposing approaches far removed from conventional medicine.
Despite these controversies, Alfaro maintained a core following who continued to trust her advice on home remedies, nutrition, and emotional well-being . This coexistence of admiration and rejection significantly shaped the public perception of her during her final years in the media.
Link to Navarre, social life and personal profile
Beyond his television role, Txumari Alfaro was always a figure deeply rooted in Navarre and its traditions . His practice in Pamplona became a point of reference for many people interested in natural health in the region, and his presence at social and cultural events was commonplace.
Among other distinctions, he was named an honorary member of the Navarre Wine Brotherhood , a recognition that underscores his interest in local products and their value within Navarre's culinary culture. He was also a member of the Lodosa Piquillo Pepper Brotherhood , another of the region's most representative agricultural symbols.
Their participation in these brotherhoods reflected a vision of health in which food and natural products played a central role . It wasn't just about occasional remedies, but a way of understanding daily life, where the origin and quality of what one eats are key.
Those who knew him also remember him as a faithful attendee of the San FermÃn festivities , both in the streets and at more specific events such as the bullfights. His presence at these celebrations, very popular both within and outside of Navarre, helped to reinforce the image of a public figure close to the people and to traditions.
Despite his fame, Txumari Alfaro tried to keep his family life out of the media spotlight . Married to Charo Larraya and father of two daughters, MarÃa and Juncal, he carefully maintained the boundary between his public persona as a television presenter and his personal privacy, something that has also been respected in the wake of his death.
With his death, an era of television comes to a close, an era in which home remedies and natural medicine occupied prominent slots on mainstream channels . His image remains forever linked to "Grandma's Pharmacy," his practice in Pamplona, ​​and a style of popularization that, with its strengths and weaknesses, influenced an entire generation of viewers in Spain.