People's Pharmacy

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Treasure Hunt For Whole Grains Beyond Bread

Posting Date: 02/14/2005

Q. You have written in the past about dropping keys down the back to stop a nosebleed. I grew up in rural North Carolina. When someone in the family got a nosebleed, my daddy always put a bunch of car keys down their back. The nosebleed stopped pronto. He was uneducated but the remedies that he used worked for us.

A. We can?t explain why this key remedy would work, but many readers report that it is surprisingly effective.

Q. Some time ago you wrote about the benefit of pomegranate juice. I could not find it at any store in my area and now my supermarket is carrying it, and I forgot the benefit you wrote about. Could you refresh my memory?

A. Pomegranate fruit and juice have several potential health benefits. Animal research has shown preventive action against skin cancer (Internat. J. Cancer, Jan. 20, 2005), breast cancer and prostate cancer (J. Medicinal Food, Fall 2004).

Israeli researchers have found that pomegranate juice can lower blood pressure (Atherosclerosis, Sept. 2001). The juice also helps protect the arteries from plaque formation (Am. J. Clin. Nutr. May 2000).

Several readers report that pomegranate juice may be helpful against diarrhea. Too much, though, might be constipating.

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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. Their newest book is The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies (St. Martin's Press).