Good olive oil may help control blood pressure
Q: A few months ago, I started taking 2 tablespoons daily of a fresh, high-polyphenol extravirgin olive oil that I buy at a boutique olive oil store.
Of all the foods that I’ve tried for lowering my 140/90 blood pressure, this is the only one (besides beet juice) that delivered results.
The taste is tolerable. The olive oil burns the back of my throat due to the high phenol count (560 for this bottle). I think it’s well worth it.
A: People who follow a Mediterranean diet appear to have better blood pressure control and cardiovascular health (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Sept. 23, 2019). One important feature of this dietary pattern is the dominant use of extra-virgin olive oil.
In addition to producing a favorable lipid profile, EVOO is rich in plant compounds known as phenols. One review of the effect of olive oil on blood pressure concluded that daily consumption of 2 tablespoons of EVOO can help control blood pressure.
Q: I have an unusual wart cure to offer you. Sixty years ago, I was cured of plantar warts on the ball of my foot.
I saw several podiatrists. They tried every procedure you can think of, including freezing, surgery and acid. Nothing worked.
The warts were with me for a long time. I moved to a very small town. Soon the large wart was having a baby. They weren’t contiguous but actually separate warts.
I saw the podiatrist in this small town. He gave me a prescription for water-soluble vitamin A. Within two weeks the warts were gone, never to return.
A: Podiatrists and dermatologists do not appear to have done many studies on vitamin A as a therapy for plantar warts. We found one case report of a young woman with recalcitrant warts on her hand who cured them with topical vitamin A (Virology Journal, online, Jan. 17, 2012).
Decades ago, German scientists reported that topical vitamin A (retinoic acid) was “unsuitable” for treating plantar warts (Zeitschrift fur Hautkrankheiten, July 15, 1975). Some readers have reported that taking desiccated liver tablets helped them get rid of persistent plantar warts by stimulating their immune systems. Others have had success with hot water foot soaks, vinegar foot baths or fresh turmeric root applied to the wart.
There is a lively controversy regarding the effectiveness of taking the heartburn medicine cimetidine (Tagamet) orally. Some researchers suggest that this OTC drug also enhances the immune response and may help the body ward off the virus that causes warts (International Immunopharmacology, May 2019).
Q: Ever since I participated in college athletics, I have struggled with athlete’s foot. I have tried every “azole” on the market — ketoconazole, clotrimazole, etc. All have failed.
Finally, I chanced upon a solution: Shortly after bathing, when my feet are semi-dry, I remove the upper layer of callus. I then liberally apply Vicks VapoRub and wear thick socks to keep it from smearing the floor. Within a day, my feet are like new.
A: Vicks VapoRub contains a number of essential oils with antifungal activity. They include camphor, eucalyptus oil, menthol, thymol, cedarleaf oil and nutmeg oil.
Other readers have also found that Vicks VapoRub is helpful against athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. One small study compared Vicks with plain petroleum jelly for nail fungus and found that it was effective (Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, January-February 2011).