MoM beats body odor

Q. I have suffered from underarm odor since I was a teen. Even after taking a shower I could notice an odor. I have tried many different products through the years. Nothing has worked as well as milk of magnesia (MoM). I use a small spray bottle to apply it under each arm before bed and after showering, and I allow it to dry before dressing. I now have no trouble with odor at all! It’s a cheap and effective solution.

A. We are delighted to learn that milk of magnesia worked so well for you. The idea of using a spray bottle is intriguing and easier than sloshing MoM from a big blue bottle.

Q. I read your articles and have even taken them to my doctor. He has used some of your ideas in treating me. I do have one problem. I cut columns out of the newspaper and highlight them. Now I have so many that they are difficult to organize. Do you have a book that I could purchase to make it easier to find a solution to common health problems? Thank you for any information you can offer.

A. We are sending you our brand-new book from National Geographic, “The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies.” It contains hundreds of our favorite home and food remedies in an organized, easy-to-use format. This 264-page book is available in bookstores and online at PeoplesPharm-acy.com.

Q. I have a problem with terrible bad breath after eating anything with dairy in it and also anything with sugar.

My husband says it is so bad that he can sometimes smell it from his side of our king-size bed. This is right after brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash before bedtime.

If I stay away from sugar and dairy, the smell goes away completely after four or five days. It starts again within 30 to 45 minutes of eating the offending foods.

We eat out frequently, and it is very difficult to avoid problem foods when we do. Even when I explain it to the waiter, I still sometimes find dairy or sugar in my food. I would be blessed to find a cure.

A. You are the third person who has told us that dairy products such as milk or ice cream give them bad breath. We can find no research in the medical literature that addresses this symptom, but we are beginning to believe that it might be more widespread than doctors recognize.

One woman discovered that Lactaid (lactase enzyme pills) solved her problem by breaking down milk sugar in dairy products. Intolerance to milk sugar (lactose) is fairly common, though the usual symptoms reported are bloating, gas and diarrhea rather than bad breath.

The difficulty with sugar is trickier to solve. Table sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. Fewer people seem to have trouble digesting these simple sugars, so there are no enzyme pills to take. If sugar is contributing to your halitosis, avoidance really is the best strategy. We recognize that this is much easier said than done because sugar is in many processed foods.

2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.