Reader Worried About Licorice Fetish

Q. I was alarmed to read that eating licorice can lead to high blood pressure, weakness, fatigue, loss of libido and mineral imbalance. Is this only true of black licorice? I eat a good deal of strawberry licorice (Twizzler's). Besides the obvious excess sugar, are there any problems with this product?

A. You have nothing to worry about (except for the calories). The ingredient that can cause so many serious side effects is glycyrrhizin. This is the natural flavor found in black licorice, but it is absent from red "licorice."

An occasional treat rarely causes people any trouble, but those who eat black licorice regularly can experience hormone imbalance and potassium loss. This is especially dangerous for those taking diuretics, prednisone or Lanoxin (digoxin).

Q. I remember as a young lad some of my mother's friends talking about the stuff you use for making jams or jellies being good for their aching hands. Now as a senior citizen, I too have stiff hands and sore joints, especially the knees.

I would like to try this "home remedy" but I don't know the amounts to use, or whether it gets mixed with anything. Can it be used in conjunction with chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine?

A. You are describing a venerable home remedy-Certo fruit pectin and grape juice. There are various recipes for preparing the mixture, but one of the simplest is a tablespoon of Certo in eight ounces of grape juice. We're not aware of any interactions between glucosamine and chondroitin and the Certo and grape juice mixtures, but there's very little research on home remedies or on supplements interactions.

We discuss this and many other natural approaches to arthritis in The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies. This paperback book is available at local libraries or may be ordered by sending $8.99 to Graedons' People's Pharmacy (Dept HHR), PO Box 52027; Durham, NC 27717-2027.

People sometimes inquire whether white grape juice works as well as purple.

Here's a recent testimonial from a reader: "I have a friend who has been taking a mixture of white grape juice and Certo daily. He's a golfer and was having some hand problems as well as hip pain. Since he started on this mixture a month ago, he's doing so well that he is playing golf again."

Q. Can you suggest an herb that can help circulation in the legs?

A. Ginkgo has been used for centuries to improve circulation. Studies have shown that blood flow to legs and arms increases up to 40 percent when people take ginkgo.

Horse chestnut extract is used in Europe to combat varicose veins. It improves the flexibility and tone of these blood vessels and also increases blood flow.

You may also want to look for graduated compression medical hosiery. These special stockings can also be helpful for those with circulation problems or varicose veins.

Q. My family loves asparagus and we eat it whenever we can. My stepson says it changes the way his urine smells. That doesn't happen to anyone else. Is it a problem?

A. There is no need to worry about this distinctive odor. It comes from a chemical called mercaptan, which is a natural consequence of metabolizing asparagus.

Not everyone makes mercaptan and not everyone can smell it. This variability may explain why no one else in your family has noticed it.