Coconut helps control diarrhea
Coconut helps control diarrhea
Q. Earlier this year, I had a bout of irritable bowel syndrome that caused me distress and diarrhea. I had read that coconut cookies could help.
I created my own recipe using instant vanilla pudding and a batch of dried coconut.
I also started taking peppermint capsules. The combination of the coconut pudding and peppermint seems to do the trick.
My elderly neighbor suffers from dementia as well as bowel problems. I have put her on the same regimen, and it is working. She has no idea what she is eating, so it cannot be mind over matter. Months of discomfort and Depends are past history.
A. Thank you for sharing your solution. Many others have reported success with coconut against diarrhea. We have included a recipe for coconut macaroon cookies in our book “Recipes & Remedies.” Enteric-coated peppermint pills have been shown to ease symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. A meta-analysis of nine placebo-controlled studies found that this is a safe and effective short-term treatment.
Q. I just want to let you know that I was in Marseille recently and saw some soap labeled “for cramps” in French. I spoke with the store owner, and he said that Marseille soap is a well-known alleviator of leg cramps when placed in the bed.
This was normal Marseille soap (72 percent oil), but instead of being sold in cubes, it was sold in a flat version so it would be more comfortable under the sheets. When I asked him what he thought was the effective ingredient, he said it was potassium. I thought you might find this interesting since you have often written about the soap remedy.
A. Thanks for alerting us to the reputation of Marseille soap. One manufacturer of flat Marseille soap “loaves” has put this on its website: “Marseille Soap have been used by our grandmothers, who put at the bottom of their beds to soothe the discomfort of leg cramps ...”
We were unaware that French grandmothers have been using soap as a deterrent to leg cramps for decades, if not longer. Most health professionals are skeptical about the value of soap in bed, but it is surprising how often the old wives turn out to be right.
Q. I have tried to get rid of my granddaughter’s lice with all the products that you can buy over the counter. We still can’t get rid of them. They keep coming back. Can you please tell me what I can do?
A. Many of the over-the-counter lice shampoos and rinses contain pyrethrins. These compounds are based on a natural insecticide from chrysanthemums, but in the past few decades lice have developed various degrees of resistance to them.
One prescription treatment for lice is called Ulesfia. The active ingredient is benzyl alcohol. This lotion is pricey, however.
A few home remedies also make use of alcohol in various forms. The hair can be coated with Cetaphil cleanser (cetyl alcohol), which is dried and left on overnight. It suffocates the lice.
Listerine is another possibility. In addition to its herbal oils, it contains ethyl alcohol. Many readers report that they soak the hair in Listerine and wrap it in a towel. After some time, they wash it out and use a vinegar rinse to get rid of the lice and make the nit comb-out easier.
2015 King Features Syndicate Inc.