Q. My mother has been sending me newspaper clippings with your remedies for years. I hate to admit it, but I didn’t keep all of them. Now she is desperate for the grape juice and pectin remedy to ease arthritis and lower cholesterol. She also wants the power pudding recipe for constipation. I sure hope you can save my cookies! If you have a book with all these remedies in one place, it would make a great present for Mom.
A. You are in luck. The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies is a 264-page collection of our favorite recipes and remedies, including the ones your mother has requested.
There are several variations of the pectin and grape juice remedy. One calls for two teaspoons of liquid plant pectin in three ounces of grape juice. Another calls for a tablespoon of liquid plant pectin (Certo or Pomona’s) in 8 ounces of grape juice daily. It’s fine to experiment to see what works best. Home remedies have plenty of room for improvising.
One reader wrote: “My sister who has had one hip replaced twice was having days where she could not hardly move until mid afternoon because of arthritis pains. I told her about the pectin (Certo) and grape juice, and being my older sister I didn’t think she would listen but she called and said she was starting. I told her don’t expect anything overnight it will take a couple of weeks.
“In the meantime, I had been having “hippy” type of flare ups so I thought what is good for the goose is good for the gander and went and got my bottle of Welch’s grape juice and packet of liquid Certo and off I went.
“I have to tell you BOTH of us are feeling the results.. when my sister told me she was so much better, I was like harrah harrah… she listened… I take a 64 oz bottle of Welch’s grape juice, add packet of liquid pectin and drink 6 ozs each morning while my coffee is brewing.”
Your mother may also be interested in gin-soaked golden raisins or in herbal supplements such as boswellia or turmeric. We hope she’ll find something that eases her joint pain.
The People's Perspective on Medicine