Coconut May Ease Diarrhea

Q. Thank you for your invaluable advice. After a colon resection I had severe diarrhea diagnosed as IBS. Nothing helped except 4 to 6 Lomotil pills daily.
When I tried your remedy of shredded coconut, it worked like a miracle. Can I safely increase the dosage, which is presently 3 teaspoons?

A. It is certainly possible to increase the amount of coconut you are taking. Be careful, though, since too much may lead to constipation. Keep in mind that coconut is high in fat and calories. You may need to adjust your diet to compensate.

Q. I heard that lavender oil and tea tree oil were causing boys to grow breasts. Did I understand that correctly?
I’ve been told that lavender oil is in some children's shampoos and soaps. If mothers have used these products on their sons, do they need to do something to correct the problem?

A. The report that appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine (Feb. 1, 2007) indicated that the boys returned to normal once the products containing lavender or tea tree oil were no longer being used. These oils have estrogen-like activity and also tend to counteract male hormones, explaining why these young boys developed female-appearing breasts.
We would discourage parents from regularly using skin or hair care products containing lavender or tea tree oil on children.

Q. I have high cholesterol and my doctor recommended Vytorin. I don't want to take any medication, and she agreed that I could try diet and exercise first.

What can I eat to help lower my cholesterol? Some people have written to you about eating red grapefruit or taking cinnamon in coffee daily. Is it possible to incorporate such suggestions into the diet in a more varied way? I could imagine eating nuts three times a week, putting cinnamon in my coffee twice a week, and drinking pomegranate juice four times a week. Would this work?

A. No one has put the regimen you describe to a rigorous test. There is only one way to find out if it will work for you: try it. Do keep careful records of your cholesterol levels so that you will be able to tell if you are making adequate progress.

A combination of approaches sounds promising, though. Canadian scientists have found that a dietary portfolio with soluble fiber, nuts, soy instead of animal protein, and cholesterol-lowering margarine can lower blood fats about as well as the drug lovastatin.

We heard from a radio listener, Laura Effel, who put together her own dietary approach and successfully lowered her LDL cholesterol 44 points in five weeks. Her program is included in our book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy (Rodale Books), along with many other natural approaches to control cholesterol.

Q. My doctor prescribed vitamin D3. My pharmacist did not know what the 3 represented and said it was probably a promotional or marketing gimmick. I don't buy that idea. Do you know what it would stand for?

A. This is no marketing gimmick. Vitamin D comes in several different forms, and D3 (cholecalciferol) is the active form. It resembles what your body makes when sunlight strikes the skin and is preferable to D2, which may be found in some supplements and fortified foods.