Supplements aren’t really effective in reducing belly fat
Q: I have been taking conjugated linoleic acid three times a day for several years to combat belly fat. Could you tell me your thoughts on the effectiveness of this supplement? I am 67 years old and weigh 102 pounds, but I still have a good bit of belly fat. Am I wasting my money?
A: A systematic review of 13 randomized controlled trials comparing CLA with placebo for weight control concluded that this supplement has no significant effect on waist circumference, aka belly fat (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, online, April 19, 2018). Such supplements can reduce weight and increase lean body mass in overweight people, but not by very much. Moreover, research in rats suggests that CLA can increase insulin resistance, which is not a beneficial development (Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes, June 2018).
Q: I have high blood pressure and would like to take something natural to lower it. A friend suggested hawthorn,
but it doesn’t seem to do much. Can you help?
A: There are a lot of nondrug approaches that can be useful for blood pressure control. Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is popular in European herbal medicine for cardiovascular health ( Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, August 2017). We don’t see the point in continuing with something that isn’t helping, though.
In the “Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment” we are sending, you will find lots of information on natural approaches, including relaxation, deep breathing and a DASH diet to maximize your intake of potassium and magnesium. These minerals are crucial for healthy blood pressure. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (71 cents), selfaddressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. B-67, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 277172027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: peoplespharmacy.com.
Q: For warts, I’ve used super glue. What led me to this were the anecdotes reporting success with duct tape and banana peel. It seemed that what they had in common was blocking air to the wart. That’s why I thought of cyanoacrylate
glue. It goes on easily, doesn’t wash off quickly and is almost invisible.
A: You didn’t tell us whether this glue worked to get rid of your warts! We found one case report in which doctors used surgical glue for a related purpose (BMC Gastroenterology, Feb. 14, 2010). However, this doesn’t seem to be widely used.
Warts are caused by the skin’s reaction to human papillomavirus. People have come up with a wide range of home remedies for this problem, including taping banana peel over the wart with the inside of the peel on the skin. Other readers have used cayenne pepper in their socks or the yellow spice turmeric under a bandage for plantar warts.
As you’ve noted, duct tape is a popular treatment, especially for plantar warts (those on the soles of the feet). A review of research found that salicylic acid works as well as liquid nitrogen for children’s warts and is less painful (Paediatrics & Child Health, March 2014). This analysis does not show that duct tape is better than placebo in treating warts, and the adhesive can be irritating. We’d love to see a study of your wartremoving approach using super glue.