Q. I have seen advertisements for pills that are supposed to enlarge and lengthen the penis naturally. They contain herbal ingredients such as yohimbe, ginseng, ginkgo and some that I have never heard of before. Can such products really change the shape of the penis?
A. Although sex therapists maintain that size is hardly ever related to sexual satisfaction in either partner, men have been insecure about penis size for a long time. Some have gone to extremes such as undergoing surgery or attaching weights to the penis to stretch it. Results have been mixed at best.
As far as we can tell, there have been no controlled studies published in reputable journals on the ability of herbs to significantly increase the size of the penis.
Q. I’ve always been in good health until I hit menopause. Over the next few years, I gained weight, my blood pressure rose and so did my cholesterol.
The blood pressure is under control on atenolol, but the cholesterol didn’t drop with diet and exercise. My doctor wanted to prescribe a statin cholesterol drug, but I dreaded the side effects.
Quite by accident, I discovered that the psyllium hull powder I started taking for irritable bowel problems has really brought my cholesterol down. In two months the total cholesterol dropped from 220 to 180 and my LDL went from 160 to 102. I was thrilled! My doctor isn’t impressed with the “Metamucil effect,” but my husband has also lowered his cholesterol with Metamucil. I thought other readers might want to know about this natural method for lowering cholesterol.
A. Not everyone achieves the impressive results you have managed, but psyllium has been proven effective at lowering cholesterol 10 to 15 percent. This soluble fiber derived from ispaghula seeds is found not only in Metamucil but also in many other bulk-fiber products sold to control constipation.
Another reader had a similarly unexpected benefit: “I tried the remedy of pectin and grape juice for arthritis. My joints still ache, but my cholesterol plummeted from over 200 to 170 and my good HDL increased!” Pectin is a different soluble fiber often used in making jams and jellies.
We are sending you our book, The People’s Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, which describes these natural remedies in greater detail and offers other natural approaches to cholesterol control and arthritis relief. This paperback book is available at local libraries or may be ordered by sending $8.99 to Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy (Dept HHR), PO Box 52027; Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Q. I know that red wine can cause migraines. But I have also heard that there was something you could drink to alleviate a migraine. Do you have any idea what it could be?
A. This will sound bizarre, but we one person told us that drinking a beer at the very first sign of a migraine could prevent the attack from progressing. She learned this approach from an old country doctor and has used it successfully for decades. We can’t explain why beer might work against migraines, but we have heard from others that it can be helpful.
Q. How can fenneI seed be used to relieve flatulence? How much do you take, and how do you crush the seeds?
A. A teaspoon of fennel seeds makes a cup of tea. The seeds need not be crushed, just bruised a little with the back of a spoon.
