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Tea Eases Heartbreak of Ezcema

Posting Date: 11/07/2005

Q. Thank you for your advice to try oolong tea for eczema. It?s been like a miracle.

I?ve had eczema on my scalp for most of my life. I would have terrible itching and scaling on my scalp that would usually bleed and scab over. It?s worse around the hairline and is embarrassing as well as painful.

I had tried everything my doctor prescribed, Nizoral, Elidel, topical steroids in oils and shampoos and even an injection. Nothing worked until the tea. I?ve been drinking it for about two weeks now and I?d say there?s been at least an 85 percent improvement.

A. You aren?t the only reader to find oolong tea helpful. One person with hard-to-treat eczema reported: ?The last time I had an outbreak, I tried oolong tea and the results were amazing. Within twenty-four hours, the itching and inflammation were gone. It took a couple of days, but the lesions disappeared and didn't leave scars.?

Japanese researchers reported that patients with a form of eczema improved after drinking a liter of oolong tea daily (Archives of Dermatololgy, Jan. 2001). We have found no follow-up studies on this fascinating therapy.

Q. I got my first kidney stone 25 years ago. I now get several each year. Successive urologists have advised me to drink lots of water and cranberry juice. Recently you advised against cranberry juice. Why?

A. Some research suggests that cranberry juice can help ward off urinary tract infections. New data show, however, that this beverage may actually increase the chance of kidney stones developing in some people at high risk.

Scientists found that cranberry juice increases the amount of calcium and oxalate in urine (Journal of Urology, Aug. 2005). These are the main components of many kidney stones.

Q. No matter how careful I?ve been about my diet I haven?t been able to get my cholesterol below 240. My doctor finally prescribed 40 mg of Lipitor, which has worked extremely well. My total cholesterol is under 180.