GRAEDONS | People's Herbal Pharmacy Spoonful of mustard cuts through cramps

Q. At a social function last week, a lady stood up and was hit with a leg cramp so severe she could not move. The hostess rushed to the kitchen, returned with some French's mustard in a teaspoon and asked her to swallow it at once. The lady swallowed the mustard, and the cramp was gone in seconds!
The hostess said her great-grandmother had told her about this remedy for leg cramps years ago. Have you heard about this? Can you explain it?
A. This is a new one for us. Other readers have reported that yellow mustard relieves heartburn. We have even heard that if you get cold yellow mustard onto minor kitchen burns, it can prevent pain and redness.
One possible explanation for these benefits is the turmeric in mustard. This yellow spice (also used in curry powder) has anti-inflammatory properties. Perhaps that is why it helped alleviate leg cramps.
Q. I just read that Vitamin D can prevent falls in elderly people. How much does it take?
A. In a study (Journal of the American Medical Association, April 28, 2004), it was found that 800 IU was effective in reducing falls.
Q. I have read about remedies for arthritis in your column, but I never paid much attention. I didn't think I'd ever have to worry about that, but of course I was wrong.
I remember that one called for mixing grape juice and apple cider vinegar. Can you tell me how often you are supposed to take it, and how much of each you're supposed to use?
I will be glad to buy a booklet for home remedies, but I'd like to get started immediately. I know natural therapies don't always kick in right away, and I don't want to wait too long for relief.
A. Many readers report that the mixture you remember offers relief from joint pain. To make it, mix 5 parts grape juice, 3 parts apple juice and 1 part apple cider vinegar. The dose is 1/2 cup daily.
This recipe, along with those for gin-soaked raisins and a grape-juice-and-Certo combination to combat arthritis, can be found with other old-fashioned approaches 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 to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. R-1, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027.
Q. Is saw palmetto effective in shrinking the prostate gland? I have been using Proscar (finasteride), but the monthly cost (more than $80) is hard to swing because I have no insurance.
A. Saw palmetto extract doesn't shrink the prostate, but it does relieve symptoms of benign prostate enlargement. A review in the journal American Family Physician (March 15, 2003) concluded that "saw palmetto appears to have efficacy similar to that of medications like finasteride, but it is better tolerated and less expensive."
Q. Health authorities have issued warnings against eating farm-raised salmon too frequently because of PCBs. "Wild" salmon can be eaten more often but is available only a few months a year. Is there any indication of how often it is safe to eat canned salmon?
A. You can eat as much canned salmon as you like. Only wild salmon goes in the cans.
Q. When you discussed good sources of potassium, you failed to mention honeydew melons. They have more potassium than bananas.
A. A medium banana has 451 mg of potassium. A cup of cubed honeydew melon has 461 mg. Thanks for the tip.
XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019, or e-mail them at pharmacy@mindspring.com or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org.
& copy; 2004, King Features Syndicate Inc.