Molasses helps relieve reader’s constipation
Q. I fought constipation for years until I discovered blackstrap molasses. I take two or three spoonfuls of it three times a week in the morning. It has kept me regular for 40 years.
A. What a record! Blackstrap molasses is thick, dark syrup that is a byproduct of sugar refining. Cooks use it for gingerbread and baked beans. Blackstrap molasses contains minerals and other nutrients, but we don’t know why it might work for constipation.
Q. My total cholesterol went from 180 to 220. I am hoping that it’s a lab error, but I won’t find out till my next appointment.
I have some arthritis in my fingers, so I take an Advil and glucosamine every day. I think I read somewhere that glucosamine can raise cholesterol. Is that true? Glucosamine works for me, so I hope it is not the culprit!
A. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (Feb. 23, 2006) suggests that glucosamine and chondroitin are not very effective for mild knee arthritis. More severe pain does seem to respond to these supplements.
There is no scientific evidence that this supplement raises cholesterol, but we have heard from other readers whose cholesterol has gone up while taking glucosamine.
Q. You’ve discussed remedies for hiccups in your column. You received a warning about eating peanut butter off a spoon and responded: “If someone has trouble swallowing, it would be prudent to avoid peanut butter. But for most folks, we can’t see how it would matter much if the peanut butter were on a piece of celery or just licked off a spoon.”
Actually, it could be a matter of life and death! I lost a good friend in January because she choked to death on 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Her husband found her, and by the time paramedics arrived, she was brain-dead.
I have no idea whether she was suffering from hiccups, but she certainly took too much peanut butter, either for that or for a snack.
Everyone I’ve talked to has been horrified by this. I suspect she might have survived if she’d eaten her two spoonfuls gradually on crackers or celery, or maybe stayed away from peanut butter altogether.
This is the only time I’ve heard of such an event, but … considering how the story ended, it might be worth revisiting in your column. My friend did not have problems swallowing! She was a very bright, capable person in her early 60s.
A. Thank you for alerting us to this danger. We will no longer suggest peanut butter as a hiccup remedy.
Q. Some time ago, you suggested a mixture of vinegar and Listerine to fight toenail fungus. Thanks for the tip. I have finally gotten rid of my nail fungus with this remedy.
A. The reader who suggested this used a mixture of half vinegar and half Listerine. Another reader had success with plain vinegar: “I had great results from one part vinegar with two parts real warm water. I soaked the foot an hour at a time, adding more hot water to keep it warm. It took many soaks, but the nail eventually came off, and I got rid of the fungus under the nail.”
We discuss the use of vinegar for nail fungus, dry skin, hangnails and arthritis in our Guide to Home Remedies. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. R-1, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.