Q. At a social function last week, a lady stood up and was hit with a leg cramp so severe she could not move. The hostess rushed to the kitchen, returned with some French’s mustard in a teaspoon and asked her to swallow it at once. The lady swallowed the mustard and the cramp was gone in seconds!
The hostess said that her great-grandmother had told her about this remedy for leg cramps years ago. Have you heard about this? Can you explain it?
A. This is a new one for us. Other readers have reported that yellow mustard relieves heartburn. We have even heard that if you get cold yellow mustard onto minor kitchen burns it can prevent pain and redness.
One possible explanation for these benefits is the turmeric in mustard. This yellow spice (also used in curry powder) has anti-inflammatory properties. Perhaps that is why it helped against leg cramps.
