MOM solved odor issue

Q. I can remember stinking since elementary school, and nothing would help my underarm odor. All the years of being made fun of, despite being an attractive girl, turned me into a recluse. I’d wear sweaters and carry extra shirts with me wherever I went. I can swear that milk of magnesia works for me. It’s quick. (You don’t have to put it on the night before.) There’s no smell, even though I sweat. I just wish I’d known about this when I was growing up. I would’ve been so much more outgoing.

A. Applying the liquid laxative milk of magnesia to underarms can be messy, but many people find it is an effective way to stop body odor. You are right that it does not stop sweat. We can’t explain the mechanism, but personal experience suggests that it does work.

Q. When I started suffering hot flashes, my gynecologist recommended soy instead of hormones. Although adding soy to my diet did not reduce my hot flashes and night sweats, my thyroid levels got worse each time they were checked, and I had to increase my dose of levothyroxine. When I gave up on soy, I had to cut my dose of thyroid hormone to stay within the normal range. Now what can I do for my hot flashes?

A. The effects of soy isoflavones on thyroid activity are confusing. Animal research suggests that soy may interfere with thyroid function, particularly if iodine levels are low (Environmental Health Perspectives, June S-3 2002).

In a recent study, soy did not help hot flashes but actually made them worse (Archives of Internal Medicine, Aug. 8/22, 2011). To ease hot flashes without hormones, you might consider Pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract), black cohosh with St. John’s wort or tropical yams (Dioscorea).

We are sending you our Guide to Menopause for more details on these and other options. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (64 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. W-50, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Some women are enthusiastic about vitamin E: “Five years ago, when I was suffering mightily from hot flashes and night sweats, I did some research and came across vitamin E as a remedy. I tried it, and the flashes stopped entirely for more than 10 months.”

Q. A while back, you had a column on pomegranate juice helping to reduce cholesterol. I had been struggling to reduce my LDL cholesterol for several years. I tried the pomegranate juice, and my LDL dropped significantly and is now at a good level. The only negative is that my HDL cholesterol also dropped, and my triglycerides did not drop at all. Do you have any suggestions for reducing triglycerides and raising HDL?

A. The best way to lower triglycerides is to reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates such as crackers, cookies, bread, pasta and white rice. Add fish oil to your regimen. One to two grams should help lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol.

2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.