How can you avoid heartburn from drinking coffee?
Q: I am a coffee lover. I can attest to the benefits you have written about regarding its ability to help maintain bowel regularity. I also suffer from heartburn. Coffee makes it worse. What can you recommend?
A: You might try a product called Prelief. It contains calcium glycerophosphate. According to the marketing, “Calcium glycerophosphate reduces the acid by up to 95 percent in your favorite foods and beverages; Works on the food, not on you.”
Dentists have been studying this compound as a way of preventing tooth decay. In one study, the investigators found that adding calcium glycerophosphate to soft drinks greatly reduced experimental tooth enamel erosion caused by these acidic beverages ( Journal of Applied Oral Science, July-August 2012). Presumably, this suggests that it can also reduce the effects of acid from coffee.
Q: A friend of mine was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer several years ago. After surgery and radiation, his PSA started going up again. His prostate cancer specialist suggested metformin and a dietary supplement called berberine. These and some other medications have helped control his PSA ever since. What can you tell me about berberine?
A: Berberine is an alkaloid compound found in many plants that have been used in traditional medical systems. Both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda have used Berberis species such as barberry (Frontiers in Pharmacology, Aug. 21, 2018).
Scientists have investigated berberine’s ability to control blood sugar and found it comparable to metformin (Metabolism, May 2008). In research on mice, berberine was able to block many biochemical pathways involved in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (Oncotarget, Sept. 12, 2017). Test-tube research suggests that it may also suppress prostate cancer metastasis (International Journal of Medical Sciences, Jan. 1, 2015). We haven’t seen clinical trials of berberine to treat prostate cancer, however.
Your friend is wise to be taking berberine under his specialist’s supervision. This compound appears to have a lot of promise, but there is very little information on how real men with prostate cancer might respond to it. This way the oncologist can monitor the results.
Q: My doctor prescribed gabapentin for diabetic neuropathy, but I am having some trouble with it. What worries me most is that I am unsteady. I’m afraid I will fall. It also gives me terrible diarrhea, so I’m not sure I will be able to continue with it. Are there any nondrug alternatives I could try?
A: Diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain as a consequence of elevated blood sugar damaging the nerves) can be hard to treat. You might want to ask your doctor about a couple of supplements. Benfotiamine, a synthetic form of the B vitamin thiamine, may be helpful. Alpha lipoic acid may also be beneficial (Minerva Medica, October 2017).
Maintaining good control of blood sugar is critical to reducing the risks of diabetic neuropathy and other complications of diabetes. You can learn more from our Guide to Managing Diabetes, which has suggestions on nondrug approaches to blood sugar control. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (70 cents), selfaddressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. DM-11, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 277172027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: peoplespharmacy.com.