Indian Spice Rescued Potbellied Pig

Q. My pet potbellied pig (Bradford) was down for six weeks with a disc problem in his back. We tried everything to help him, including prednisone. What finally saved him, just before the vet was set to euthanize him, was turmeric!

A friend recommended giving him curcumin pills. They had worked wonders for her son after surgery. Once Brad ate them, his recovery was almost a miracle. For the first time in six weeks he got up and made himself a bed, he ate without being spoon-fed and drank from a dish rather than a syringe. I believe it saved his life.

We cancelled the vet appointment and he's been a happy, pain-free pig ever since (about two years).

In addition, I have another pig, Snippet, with arthritic front feet who is getting turmeric daily and shows improvement. Have you ever heard of using turmeric or curcumin for animal pain relief? I'm not aware of any side effects for them. Snip gets 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric twice a day right from the spice can with a meal. He seems to like the taste.

A. Thanks for sharing the success you’ve had with turmeric for Brad and Snip. We don’t know anything about pig medicine, but we hear from many humans that turmeric, or its active ingredient curcumin, can be helpful as an anti-inflammatory.

Turmeric is the yellow spice in curry powder and mustard. Scientists have shown that curcumin has antioxidant potential. They are investigating whether it may have benefit in helping to prevent arthritis, cancer and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease.

Q. Eight years ago, when I had my daughter, I needed to use Lansinoh for dry tender nipples due to breastfeeding. Alas, I had to switch to bottle feeding, but I wasn't going to throw out a perfectly good tube of pure lanolin. If it was safe for a baby, it was safe for me.

I started to use it on my lips instead of Chapstick or Vaseline and I have never had dry lips or cracking on the corners of my mouth since. A little goes a long way as it is very thick and does not wear away easily.

A. Readers have told us that the Lansinoh (nipple cream for breastfeeding mothers) is good for dry, cracked skin on the feet, hands and elbows. This purified lanolin product is distributed to pharmacies by Hollister (800) 323-4060.

Q. You are irresponsible to suggest that chocolate has health benefits. Chocolate is high in calories and full of fat and sugar. Anyone who eats chocolate should not be kidding himself that it’s good for him.

A. You are correct that chocolate candy has a lot of calories. But we disagree that there are no health benefits. Research keeps reinforcing the ability of cocoa flavonoids to lower blood pressure, make blood vessels more flexible and prevent blood clots.

A new study from the Netherlands demonstrates that older men who ate chocolate were 50 percent less likely to die of a heart attack during the 15 year follow-up (Archives of Internal Medicine, Feb. 27, 2006).

Chocolate treats don’t have to be high in fat. We are sending you our book, Chocolate Without Guilt which discusses the health benefits of chocolate and offers low-fat and lower sugar recipes. To order a copy, visit the Web site www.peoplespharmacy.com or send $18.95 to: Graedons' The People's Pharmacy®-CWG, PO Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.