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De-Gas Beans With Soft Drink

Posting Date: 04/15/2002

Q. Many years ago I started using a rather unusual method for de-gassing beans. When it is time to soak the beans overnight I use Sprite or its generic equivalent instead of water. I then rinse the beans with water prior to cooking.

This method virtually eliminates the gas problem and there is no difference in the taste. This is one way to enjoy a good bean soup and not have to worry about the after-effects.

A. You offer an interesting twist on a familiar practice. Indigestible sugars in the coating of the beans are responsible for most bean-related flatulence. To minimize these compounds, soak beans in water that has been brought just to the boil, then discard the soaking water. Your technique is a variation.

Another reader suggested a different approach: ?Add a potato while cooking dried beans. This works for me every time.?

Several culinary traditions also have hints that may help. Mexican cooks add the herb epazote to black beans, both for the taste and the anti-gas effect. The spices hing (asafoetida) and ginger are used in India.

Q. My 21-year-old son has alopecia areata. Until recently, his dermatologist was able to control the patchy baldness with cortisone injections to the scalp.

In January my son abruptly began losing hair in great quantities. He is losing an eyebrow and has very little chin hair to shave. The dermatologist started him on prednisone two weeks ago and told us it would take several weeks to find out if it's going to work.

My son called from college two days ago to tell us it has gotten so bad he?s thinking about shaving his head. I have read about treatments for this condition on the website www.alopeciaareata.com. Do you have any other suggestions for treatment?

A. Alopecia areata is a condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes patchy or even total hair loss. Scottish dermatologists reported in the Archives of Dermatology (Nov 1998) that a traditional home remedy was helpful for this condition.