Food & Drink Remedies
Thousands of years ago, Hippocrates said Let food be your medicine. Foods and beverages provide relief from an amazing number of common ailments.
Meat Tenderizer Against Stings
Q. Let's talk about the crawling wasps and hornets of the American Southwest--fire ants and scorpions. These critters give a wallop of a bite or sting without the warning of a buzz. Years ago, when I …
Vinegar Is Secret Weapon Against Dandruff
Q. A few weeks ago someone reporting using Miracle Whip on her scaly flaky scalp. She said that after a couple of hours she had a flake-free scalp and wanted to know why it worked so well. I think the…
Olive Oil Combats Vaginal Dryness
Q. I've read that olive oil can be used for vaginal dryness. I couldn't tell if I should include olive oil in my diet or actually apply it directly to the vagina. A. This remedy calls for topical appl…
Natural Treatments for Doggy Diarrhea
Q. Can I use coconut milk and rice milk or coconut macaroon cookies for my boxer dog's diarrhea? Would it be harmful to her?A. Many years ago we heard from a reader that coconut macaroon cookies c…
Miracle Whip Scrubs Scales
Q. For several months now I have had a problem with a scaly flaky scalp. I finally went to the doctor who prescribed medicated shampoo and mometasone topical solution. Nothing worked. Then a friend su…
How Dangerous Is Brazil Nut Gluttony?
Q. I was taken aback by your remarks about limiting the number of Brazil nuts eaten. Many years ago when I was growing up, my parents bought nuts at Christmastime. Brazil nuts were my favorites and I …
Looking for Licorice to Aid Digestion
Q. I have heard that licorice is helpful with digestion. All I have been able to find is artificially flavored licorice. I assume this won’t work. Where can I find real licorice? A. Real licoric…
Certo and Grape Juice Ease Joint Pain
Q. I have been using Certo in purple grape juice for arthritis pain and it really works. But I wonder if there are any side effects. For example, since Certo is a thickening agent, does it thicken the…
Finding Alternatives for Pomegranate Juice
Q. I was listening to a health show on public radio and heard about the health benefits of pomegranate juice. The juice is pricey. Could you please let me know where I can find pomegranate powder? A. …
Yellow Mustard Is Slam-Dunk Against Leg Cramps
Q. I suffer from leg cramps. Recently while attending a basketball game, I had to leave my seat and try to walk off a severe inner thigh cramp.A security guard, seeing that I was grimacing in pain, ap…
Chocolate for High Blood pressure?
Q. I have spent more than a year trying one kind of blood pressure medicine after another. I have suffered from all sorts of side effects, including heart palpitations and dizziness but the worst was …
Coconut Saves Patient’s Life
Q. I noticed an article on your Web site (www.peoplespharmacy.com) about coconut macaroon cookies stopping diarrhea. I am a hospice nurse, and one of my patients was literally dying of diarrhea. None …
Solutions for Smelly Gas
Q. What is the best thing to do for daily, frustrating, embarrassing gas? I eat high-fiber foods during the week, but I eat various things on the weekends and it doesn't seem to make a difference. I h…
Brazil Nut Warning Causes Worry
Q. You wrote recently about selenium and said three or four Brazil nuts daily supplied enough selenium to cause toxicity. I'm taking 100 micrograms of selenium daily to ward off prostate cancer. Is th…
Banana Peel Battles Warts
Q. I have heard that a banana peel can be helpful against warts but I am not clear on how you would use it. My doctor burns off several warts yearly but they inevitably come back. I would be grateful …
Cherry Juice Eases Arthritis Pain
Whoever said "Growing older isn't for sissies!" probably had arthritis. Although it sometimes strikes younger people, the constant ache in knees and hips can make it hard to keep moving. Pa…
Remedies May Ease Arthritis Pain
Q. I have arthritis in my fingers and I'm sure using the computer has compounded the pain. I can't take anti-inflammatory medication due to an ulcer, so I am hoping you could suggest other sup…
Aloe and Licorice for Canker Sores?
Q. When I get a canker sore I use the gel from an aloe vera leaf directly on the sore. I keep a plant all the time because it's so helpful.A. Aloe vera gel has a long history for healing cuts and …
Health Benefits of Nuts
Q. Could you talk about the relative benefits of various nuts? We know almonds and walnuts can lower cholesterol. Do pecans, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts or hazelnuts offer anything besides calories?A.…
“Power Pudding” for Constipation
Q. My husband has difficulty with his daily bowel movement. We eat dark bread and yogurt every day. He drinks milk but it does not seem to be helping the constipation. He is bloated and feels uncomfor…
Bitters for Flatulence
Q. I would like to know the formula you once printed about using bitters for flatulence.A. The Angostura bitters label suggests taking one to four teaspoonfuls after meals for flatulence. Some readers…
Cayenne Pepper Eases Arthritic Joints
Q. You recently had a question from a person with arthritic fingers who can't use anti-inflammatory drugs because of an ulcer. Many years ago, an old man panning gold in icy water told me of an ar…
Will Vinegar Lower Cholesterol?
Q. Your column often covers high cholesterol issues. Why don't you mention the value of adding a daily dose of organic apple cider vinegar as a great way of reducing cholesterol? I add 1 to 2 teaspoon…
Gin-Soaked Raisins Help RLS
Q. Last summer you ran a letter from a woman who reported that gin-soaked raisins had helped BOTH her arthritis and restless legs syndrome (RLS). Mercifully, I don't have arthritis, but I do have …
Preventing Cold Sores
Q. You had an article about drugs to heal cold sores faster. Why not prevent them? I take L-lysine before meals every day and it prevents cold sores from developing into full-blown blisters. I think p…
Coffee, Tea, Cocoa Interfere with Iron Absorptio…
Q. I'm a vegetarian who gives blood several times a year. Every now and then my hemoglobin is too low and they cannot take my blood. How should I time my caffeine consumption so that it doesn't interf…
Cod Liver Oil Controls Cholesterol
Q. I was saddened to read about people suffering the side effects of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. In less than a year, I have lowered my cholesterol 30 points by doing nothing but take fish oil.…
No Foods to Dampen Sex Drive
Q. My husband has a really high sex drive, but after working all week and keeping the house tidy and cooking, I cannot be bothered. On the weekend when we take care of our baby grandson, I don’t…
No Grape Juice for Dogs
Q. I used your Certo remedy for arthritis with my beloved Rachel Dog for seven years. She thrived without side effects and as pain free as her debilitating arthritis would allow for the duration. I am…
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,…
Vanilla Soothes Minor Burns
Q. I recently read your column about using soy sauce on burns. Vanilla does the same thing. I have used vanilla for many years in my kitchen to soothe burns. A. We always recommend that burns be tre…
Listerine and Vinegar Fight Nail Fungus
Q. You receive many letters about nail fungus and I wanted to share my experience. Our daughter contracted a foot fungus while swimming at a local club when she was six. We've tried a lot of different…
Black Tea Is More Healthful Without Milk
Q. I've read that drinking tea with milk has a negative effect on human blood vessels. Is this true? A. A German study showed recently that drinking two cups of black tea relaxes blood vessels, quadru…
Soy Sauce Is Home Remedy for Burn
Q. I listened to your public radio show and heard a man call in recommending soy sauce for burns. "How weird is that?" I thought. But then, as I took a loaf of bread out of the oven, the inner edge of…
Too Much Cinnamon May Be Harmful
It's a mistake to assume that all natural remedies are safe just because they are natural. Sometimes it takes a while to discover the potential harms of an apparently innocuous compound like cinnamon.…
Duct Tape for Warts Is Controversial
Q. I am a nurse and have always relied on conventional medicines or physician-supervised treatments. I noticed a wart on my upper arm that had grown to about pencil-eraser size and remembered an artic…
Calming Dog During Storm Is Difficult
Q. Perhaps you have come across a solution for thunderstorm-phobic dogs, which my hound is to an extraordinary extent. Even Xanax doesn't help him! He thinks storms are in the apartment and we have to…
Cola Lovers May Risk Bones
Q. My wife and I, 58 and 63, both take bone-density prescriptions and 1200 mg daily of calcium. We get bone density tests periodically. Recently, a medical doctor my wife saw for the first time commen…
Coconut May Ease Diarrhea
Q. I'd like to try coconut macaroons for controlling diarrhea, but I am trying to cut out sugar. Could I make my own macaroons using Splenda instead of sugar? Can shredded coconut be used by itself in…
Bacon Fat Defeats Plantar Wart
Q. I read about someone who wanted to know how to get rid of plantar warts. My grandson had one on his foot for quite some time and was going to a doctor for treatment. His grandpa had him put a piece…