GRAEDONS | People's Herbal Pharmacy Speeding up healing for bruises

Q. Are there any supplements or vitamins that speed up healing from bruising? I am a 38-year-old man, and I have recently started playing ice hockey again. Needless to say, bruises are a part of the game.
Is there anything I can do in addition to icing the injury? I frequently take Advil before or after games to reduce inflammation in my shoulders. Does this help or hurt with respect to bruising?
A. A number of plant derivatives have been applied to bruises to help them heal faster. Some readers are enthusiastic about castor oil, while both arnica and comfrey have a long folk tradition of use for bruises. Don't take either one internally, because they can be toxic.
Back in the Middle Ages, the flowers of St. John's wort were soaked in olive oil. The resulting red oil was used topically on bruises and other kinds of wounds. There doesn't appear to be scientific research to support claims for any of these potions or poultices.
A German study reported that a topical bromelain preparation could be helpful. This pineapple constituent is more likely to be found in capsules for oral consumption at your local health food store.
Probably Advil neither prevents bruises nor makes them worse. Aspirin, on the other hand, might make someone more vulnerable to bruising because it prevents blood clotting.
Q. I have hypothyroidism and have read from some sources that soy products can make symptoms worse, while others report that soy is beneficial for thyroid disorders. Should I avoid soy or consume it?
A. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (January 2002) suggests that high intake of soy isoflavones might interfere with thyroid function. Endocrinologist Ridha Arem, M.D., author of "The Thyroid Solution," cautions people with thyroid problems against eating more than three servings of soy a week.
Soy-based foods should not be consumed at the same time that thyroid hormone is swallowed. In one case, a woman taking levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levothroid, Levoxyl) diminished the absorption of her supplement by drinking a soy "shake" at the same time.
We are sending you our Guide to Thyroid, with more information on foods that can interfere with this crucial hormone and how to interpret blood tests. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. T-4, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027.
Q. I have heard that licorice can interfere with libido. Would this problem also occur with a product called DGL that is supposed to be safer than licorice?
A. Licorice root, found in natural black licorice candy, can affect a number of hormones. Regular consumption can indeed reduce testosterone and lower libido as well as cause potassium depletion and high blood pressure.
DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) is a supplement for digestive problems. The glycyrrhizin, which causes most of the side effects, has been removed.
In theory, DGL should not affect your love life.
Q. What's the best remedy for a yellow jacket sting? They are bad this year, and I have been stung twice already.
A. Some people praise a paste of vinegar and baking soda for stings. Others prefer to use a paste of meat tenderizer in vinegar. Applying a cut onion to the sting might also be helpful.
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. Their newest book is "The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies" (St. Martin's Press).
& copy; 2004 King Features Syndicate Inc.