Chocolate stops hiccups, reader says

Q. Chocolate works for hiccups. My father was recovering in the hospital for several weeks last summer, and many, many times he had lengthy bouts of severe hiccups. As he was recovering from abdominal surgery, these were extremely painful.

His doctors tried anti-spasmodic drugs to end them, and the drugs did not help. I read about this remedy in your book, bought him a bag of chocolate chips, and voila, it worked. He is in his 70s and a skeptic. When he mentions this cure to his doctors, they think he is making it up. Anyway, he was thrilled.

A. We first heard about eating a few chocolate chips to stop hiccups from a listener to our radio show. Her Danish grandmother had always used this remedy, and she continued the tradition with her children.

Another traditional remedy for hiccups is a spoonful of granulated sugar swallowed dry. It stimulates the phrenic nerve and often interrupts the hiccup reflex. Readers who find such inexpensive approaches appealing may be interested in our book “Favorite Home Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy,” available online at www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. Your article on beet juice for hypertension was fascinating. I have had incredible results with freeze-dried beet juice from the health-food store. I have reduced the need for my blood pressure medicine, lisinopril, by 50 percent.

One caution: This is potent stuff. I spent some time adjusting my dose with many daily blood- pressure checks. For me, just 1‚Ñ8 teaspoon of the powder in a small amount of water works within two hours. If I take too much, my blood pressure goes too low.

A. British investigators captured headlines when they announced that drinking 2 cups of beet juice daily lowered blood pressure by about 10 points (Hypertension, March 2008). Since then, scientists have done studies in animals that indicate beets also may help undo some of the damage from high cholesterol (American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, May 2009).

Anyone who tries beet juice should be as cautious as you were in monitoring blood pressure. We don’t think this is a substitute for medication, and you should discuss this approach with your physician to see if your medication needs adjusting.

Q. I just read the column about milk of magnesia for teen acne. I am allergic to benzoyl-peroxide and salicylic-acid products, so I tried black currant oil capsules for my menopausal acne. They cleared my skin up quickly.

With this essential fatty acid, my skin looks great without the use of harsh chemicals. If black currant oil capsules worked for me, they might work for anyone with an acne problem related to hormone and diet. I also cut way down on sugar, white flour, white rice and pasta after reading about the negative effects sugar has on the skin and the body.

A. Your dietary approach makes great sense. People who eat very few refined carbohydrates (sugar, white flour, white rice and pasta) do not experience rapid elevations in blood sugar. When glucose rises quickly, it stimulates insulin release, which in turn may affect other growth factors and hormonal changes that increase the risk for skin blemishes (Archives of Dermatology, December 2002). Black currant seed oil is rich in gamma-linolenic acid, which has anti-inflammatory activity.

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 “Favorite Home Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy.”

2009 King Features Syndicate Inc.