GRAEDONS | People's Herbal Pharmacy Turmeric-flavored eggs fight arthritis

Q. After reading about turmeric in your column, I started using one teaspoon in my scrambled eggs each morning. My arthritis has greatly improved, and I have far less pain when I walk.
I work in my yard every few weeks, weeding, hoeing, mowing and pruning. Usually I am sore for days after this work. But this last time, since I started taking turmeric, I had no soreness the next day.
My doctor is quite skeptical. He has suggested that I would feel just as good without the turmeric. What do you think?
A. Turmeric is the yellow spice in mustard and curry. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. If your physician searched PubMed, he would find more than a thousand research publications on curcumin in the National Medical Library.
There is active research into curcumin's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity. Investigators are studying its potential role against cancer, Alzheimer's disease, psoriasis and cystic fibrosis.
Putting turmeric powder on cereal (as one reader did) or in scrambled eggs might taste a tad strange. One woman told us that she takes turmeric pills instead, and they relieve her arthritis pain. When she stopped temporarily, the pain returned. She resumed taking turmeric pills, and the pain disappeared.
Q. Is there any natural lubrication that women can use when they reach a certain age? I don't like to put petroleum-based products like Vaseline in my body.
A. Perhaps the most natural product you could try would be olive oil. Some readers have found it to be an excellent sexual lubricant. Others report good results with vitamin E oil, but it might cause dermatitis for sensitive individuals.
You may also want to consider a natural vaginal lubricant made from an extract of kiwi fruit vine. This product, called Sylk, is available in the United States from New Zealand Pure at (602) 957-7955.
Q. I have a terrible problem with constipation. A colonoscopy did not show any problems other than a sluggish colon.
My doctor prescribed MiraLax, but it costs $40 a bottle, and I would like a healthier remedy. When I asked at the health food store, they just said eat cooked prunes and spinach. I have tried that, but it doesn't work very well. I take Calan, Celebrex, Clarinex, Mevacor, Librax and aspirin.
A. The first step is to discuss your medicines with your physician. People sometimes don't realize that many medications can cause this problem.
The blood pressure pill verapamil (Calan, Covera-HS, Isoptin and Verelan) is known to cause constipation. Librax, prescribed for digestive difficulties, can also contribute to constipation. So can the pain reliever Celebrex and the cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor.
With the medications you have on board, it is hardly any wonder that you are having serious difficulties. Perhaps your doctor can find substitutes less likely to cause constipation.
We are sending you our Guide to Constipation with a more extensive list of medications that can cause this problem and a variety of remedies, including our favorite pumpkin-bran muffin recipe. 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. GG-30, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027.
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.