Sauerkraut juice helps conquer canker sores

Q. My husband has canker sores in his mouth all the time. The doctors he has seen say there’s no cure, so he has to live with it. What can you recommend? He has tried many topical remedies, plus some prescription drugs, but he is not sleeping well because of the pain. How can he get relief?

A.Readers report that fresh kiwi fruit can be helpful. Here’s another reader’s remedy: “Sauerkraut juice has worked like a miracle for me! It starts clearing up a canker sore within hours, and the sore is usually healed by the next day. One caveat, though: Juice from canned sauerkraut doesn’t work nearly as well as the fresh stuff [in the refrigerated deli section].

“It’s such a weird remedy that I did some research on sauerkraut to see why it might work. Sauerkraut is fermented [like yogurt or sourdough] and is full of probiotics. I’ve discovered that if I sip a little sauerkraut juice every couple of days, I don’t develop canker sores in the first place.”

Q. I am in good health and take Toprol for blood pressure, Crestor for cholesterol and Evista to prevent osteoporosis. My problem is smelly gas. I have so much that it is very embarrassing when I work with the other ladies at church.

Breakfast is oatmeal; midday, I have chicken, fish or beef with vegetables and a fruit; and supper is a sandwich and an apple. How can I get rid of this dreadful problem?

A.Your diet and your medications might be contributing to the problem. Evista can cause gas in about 3 percent of patients; Toprol and Crestor affect about 1 percent in this way.

Don’t stop your drugs, but ask your health-care provider about alternatives. We are also sending you our book “Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy,” which describes how a flatulence diary can determine which foods are culprits and discusses remedies such as fennel, anise, caraway, Angostura bitters and ginger root. It is available in libraries, bookstores and online at www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q.You’ve written about baking soda and vinegar to ease wasp stings. Until about 35 years ago I used this remedy. Then a friend suggested that I apply raw yellow onion as soon as possible. I take about a teaspoon of grated onion, put it on the sting and bandage it in place. It provides immediate relief, and the swelling disappears quite soon.

I always take a raw onion as part of my first-aid kit on camping trips. If I don’t need it for a sting, I can always use it in a stew.

A. You aren’t the only one to benefit from raw onion for stings. Another reader posted this story to our Web site: “I’m a pianist, and I react poorly to wasp stings. I get really worried and freak out when I get stung on the hand.

“Yesterday I was stung just below the thumbnail, and within minutes my hand looked like a rubber glove that had been filled with air. I put it under cold water, found my Apis Mell [homeopathic for bites and stings] and also took ibuprofen.

“Then I looked online for help. At your site [www.peoplespharmacy.com] I saw people had success with onions, so I cut a slice of onion and taped it to my thumb.

“Within an hour the swelling started to go down. By dinnertime, six hours later, my hand was almost completely normal. I could bend my thumb, and the swelling was down.

“The onion takes time, but it WORKS. Last year when I got stung on the wrist, I didn’t know about onion, and my hand was almost useless for more than a week.”

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy” (Rodale Books).

2008 King Features Syndicate, Inc.