Pine nuts caused terrible taste

Q. I am seeking a remedy for “pine mouth syndrome.” Two days ago, my husband and I made pesto and munched fresh pine nuts. It turns out they were from China. Now we each have a bitter metallic taste in our mouths that won’t go away. Can you help?

A. The nasty metallic taste that results from eating certain pine nuts has been dubbed “pine mouth syndrome.” It was first described a decade ago (European Journal of Emergency Medicine, March 2001). The taste disappears after several days, and time is the only “fix” we could find.

There are at least 20 species of pine trees that make seeds that are harvested for human consumption. The pine nuts used in the Italian pasta condiment called pesto traditionally come from the stone pine, Pinus pinea. Seeds from Asian pines are often less expensive; the seeds from one particular Chinese species, Chinese white pine or Pinus armandii, appear to be responsible for pine-mouth syndrome (Journal of Toxicology, articles in press).

Most pine nuts available in the U.S. come from China. The offending seeds often are smaller and rounder than other pine nuts. Pine mouth is unpleasant, but it’s temporary and doesn’t seem to be dangerous.

Q. The label on my multivitamin says 400 IU of vitamin D-3 is the daily recommended amount. In a recent column, Dr. Oz said men over 60 years old should take 1,000 IU of D-3 daily. I am confused.

A. Requirements for supplementary vitamin D vary a lot, depending on the season and the person’s lifestyle. That’s because human skin makes vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. In most of the U.S., though, winter sunlight is inadequate for this.

The Institute of Medicine recently reviewed the evidence on vitamin D and came up with new recommendations. For men up to 70 years old, the recommended dietary allowance is 600 IU per day. Over 70, it increases to 800.

We think that still might be too low. For more information on this controversial question, we are sending you our Guide to Vitamin D Deficiency. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. D-23, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. My friend (a doctor) has been taking St. John’s wort. She bought a different brand and continued taking one twice a day.

I called her to confirm a meeting and found she was having a problem with short-term memory and was acting spacey. I thought she might be having a stroke, but an MRI showed nothing unusual.

She checked the St. John’s wort bottle and found it said to take only one per day. Once she dropped the supplement, she began to recover. Have other people reported confusion with St. John’s wort?

A. Confusion is a rare side effect of St. John’s wort, but it has been reported. Since your friend was taking twice the recommended dose, she was probably getting an overdose.

2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.