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Cheap Gin May Not Work With Raisin Remedy

Posting Date: 10/25/2004

Q. You have recommended soaking golden raisins in gin for arthritis relief and suggested that cheap gin would work fine. I spent several years in the distilled spirits business. It was said that the cheap gins are not true distilled gin, but neutral spirits (like vodka) with a gin flavoring added.

It might be better to use a real gin containing juniper. It should say "distilled" gin on the label, and is usually found in the middle (and upper) price ranges.

A. We don?t know what it is about golden raisins soaked in gin that helps some people with joint pain. We have heard from so many folks who benefit that we suspect there is something to this combination. It might be the juniper, or it might be something else entirely.

Thanks for the word on ?cheap? gin. The difference is that in ?distilled gin? the botanicals that give the drink its flavor are distilled with the alcohol. In cheaper gin, separate extracts are added. Whether this makes a difference in the effect on joint pain is unclear.

The recipe calls for covering golden raisins with gin in a shallow pan. Let the gin evaporate, then keep the raisins in a closed container. Eat nine daily.

We give more details on this recipe and other arthritis remedies 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 (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. R-1, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Q. I'm a type 2 diabetic. I read that cinnamon can reduce blood sugar levels but it doesn't work for me. I've been having two cinnamon buns for breakfast every day and my blood sugar has gone up. (JUST KIDDING!)

Actually, I?ve been adding half a teaspoon of cinnamon to my lunchtime sugar-free shake four or five times a week and there's been a noticeable reduction in my readings the next morning.