Wellness On Call
Experts answer your questions,
on your schedule
Is hard water safe?
Q. Regarding your article on water quality: "9 Things You Need to Know About Water." My water is very hard. Can excess minerals be a health risk? –Kathleen from Boyertown, PA
A. Hard water has a high level of iron, calcium, magnesium or other materials. Though a few studies have suggested hard tap water may contribute to heart problems, a detailed analysis by the World Health Organization stated there is no conclusive evidence, says Steven Patch, Ph.D., co-director of the Environmental Quality Institute at the University of North Carolina at Ashville. In fact, "Hard water also has a benefit from providing some of the essential trace nutrients such as calcium and magnesium," he says.
But as you probably have noticed, hard water makes things more difficult to clean by leaving residue on appliances and decreasing the lathering power of soaps. If you want softer water for household use, look into installing a whole-house water softening unit. For more information on that, see the Environmental Protection Agency's Filtration Facts.
Alternative Bug Blockers
Q. Is it true that taking vitamin B1 will help deter mosquitoes from biting? And if so, what other vitamins or supplements also work? –Suzanne from Saratoga Springs, NY
A. "People are always looking for something that they can eat that will make them less attractive to mosquitoes. Vitamin B1, brewer's yeast and garlic are the most common things that people have heard can be effective," says Mark Fradin, M.D., a dermatologist and clinical associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Unfortunately, none of these are likely to work. Though each person's body chemistry differs, "They have yet to come up with anything that you can swallow that will uniformly make people unattractive to mosquitoes. Nothing that you can ingest holds up to scientific study as an oral mosquito repellent," Fradin says.
The most effective measures against the pests are physical barriers like long-sleeved shirts, pants and a full-brimmed hat. Exposed skin is best protected by applying an insect repellent that contains either the chemical DEET (long name: N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) or picaridin to your skin. Note that DEET should not be used on children younger than two months, and should not be applied to the hands or near the mouths of young children.
If you are seeking plant-based alternatives, products with lemon eucalyptus or soybean oil also work well, although you may have to apply them more frequently to maintain protection.
Can I prevent arthritis?
Q. As a healthy 44-year-old woman with arthritis in her family, what can I do now to avoid getting arthritis or at least control it? –Sue from Oakland, CA
A. "Having a family history of osteoarthritis is not much different from just being part of the human family: most of us will get osteoarthritis to some degree if we live long enough.
"One particularly common family pattern, though, is osteoarthritis of the hands; since we do not know of any way to prevent it, it is fortunate that that rarely causes serious hand dysfunction. Arthritis of weight bearing joints such as the knees can be much more of a problem for some people.
"Absolutely the most important way to prevent that is to keep your weight down and exercise regularly. Obesity is the most important modifiable risk factor for osteoarthritis. Severe overuse of any joint (such as repetitive squatting) may also lead to arthritis.
"None of the nutritional supplements that are advertised for osteoarthritis have been proven to be effective. The most promising of those are glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, but the data are insufficient to draw any definite conclusions yet." –Margaret Fisher, M.D., Rheumatology/Internal Medicine, Springfield Medical Center Campus, Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States Region
