People's Pharmacy

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De-Gas Beans With Soft Drink

Posting Date: 04/15/2002

The treatment consists of applying essential oils of thyme, lavender, rosemary and cedar to the scalp. We describe it in detail in our Guide to Battling Baldness which we are sending you. Anyone who would like to know more about drug-induced hair loss or other hair problems may receive our Guides to Hair Care and Battling Baldness by sending $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped, self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. HQ-317, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Q. A friend of ours uses plain mustard for leg cramps. She swallows a teaspoonful of mustard to relieve the pain whenever she gets leg cramps. This home remedy works so well for her that she carries packets of mustard wherever she goes. Because I'm a retired pharmacist and my wife is a retired nurse, she asked us if we've ever heard of this. We never have; have you?

A. This is a new one for us. People tell us that a teaspoon of yellow mustard can alleviate heartburn. Presumably the turmeric in mustard is responsible for this benefit, since it has been used for digestive problems in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Turmeric also has anti-inflammatory properties, which might explain how it helps your friend with leg cramps.

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In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.org on the HealthCentral.com network. Their newest book is The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies (St. Martin's Press).