Get daily fix from cocoa powder

Q. Is it OK to get your daily chocolate fix from cocoa powder instead of part of a candy bar?

Like maybe mix it with a little stevia and some hot water and drink it?

A. You have hit on a great idea.

In fact, it comes far closer to the original way that ancient cultures used chocolate. They drank cocoa without sugar.

The stevia you will be using to sweeten your drink doesn’t have calories so it won’t contribute to weight gain.

Cocoa powder, unlike a chocolate bar, has very little fat, but it has the same antioxidant compounds.

A recent analysis of seven studies found that people who consume chocolate frequently have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke (BMJ online, Aug. 29, 2011).

Some killjoys have criticized this report because none of the studies was a randomized, controlled experiment.

Nonetheless, clinical trials have shown that chocolate or cocoa can help lower blood pressure and may also reduce the risk of blood clots.

Q. My 4-year-old daughter came home about two months ago with lice.

My 8-year-old son caught them from her. I just shaved his head and that took care of the problem for him.

But her hair is very long.

She’s been treated with RID or something similar at least eight times, either here or at her father’s house.

Now my head has begun to itch, and I’m afraid I’ve got them, too.

I’d really welcome affordable suggestions for a remedy that would work.

A. Lice have become resistant to some of the most common lice shampoo treatments, leading to immense frustration.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved two prescription treatments in the past few years, but both are pricey.

Natroba is an insecticide that costs more than $200 per treatment and kills both lice and nits (lice eggs).

Ulesfia contains benzyl alcohol and suffocates lice. It, too, is expensive.

One mother spent $600 treating her daughter’s long hair.

Health professionals often distrust home remedies because there aren’t good scientific studies to support them.

Nevertheless, many parents report success with topical treatments such as Listerine, vinegar, olive oil or the cleanser Cetaphil.

We are sending you our Guide to Hair and Nail Care for more detailed instructions on using these home remedies. 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. H-31, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.