No one wants to smell bad—especially Americans. In fact, we’re obsessed with the idea, constantly purchasing perfumes, colognes, toothpastes, gums, fresh-smelling sprays, and deodorants. Some websites even offer to send gentle letters to those not-so-pleasant-smelling friends and co-workers of ours. An awkward subject at best, body odor can be embarrassing, depressing and debilitating. But you can fight back . . . and win.

Dear Pharmacist,

I want to be ready, so what are the best cold and flu medicines to keep in my house in case one of us catches the flu? 

--A.B. Austin, Texas

I used to workin an office where every two months we’d get a visit from Gus.

Gus was the bug guy. He was very friendly, so we all liked him just fine. But we hated to see him at the reception desk.

He always stunk up the place.

Where to start?  We’ve all heard that soy is a health food – a great source of protein, a substitute for meat and milk.  It is the backbone of a vegetarian diet and has launched a whole new wave of “health foods”. 

Unfortunately most of these new creations are not healthy and in many cases one could argue if they are even food!  The truth is that soy consumption is hazardous to your health. 

Nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes, is one of the most powerful poisons on earth. If by some accident a child should ingest even a small amount of the substance through a nicotine patch, he or she would almost immediately go into convulsions that would in all likelihood be fatal.

It's so toxic that as few as two or three drops of pure nicotine applied directly to the skin of an average person will kill him or her within minutes.

If you're going to get sick, get sick in Ohio. Or Florida. Pennsylvania is a good place to get sick too.

Each of these states has seven or more hospitals that are ranked among the 50 best hospitals in the U.S. And if you live in, say, Maryland or Indiana or Georgia, it might be worth the trip to a neighboring state for major medical care.

Why? Because you actually have a much better chance of leaving those hospitals alive.

Is your cell phone a death machine?

The studies are starting to add up, and they all point in the same direction: Cell phones emit harmful radiation that can cause cancer and infertility. And we still have no idea what these things will do to all the kids now growing up with one practically implanted in their ears.

To stay on top of all the latest nutrition news requires lots of reading, but also lots of sorting through the marketing hype of the latest super food or breakthrough study. 

I subscribe to many magazines, newsletters, web sites, and blogs to keep up with the latest and greatest so I can pass that information on to my clients.  I read what the people I agree with say and I read what the people I don’t agree with say – my form of spying! 

Dear Pharmacist,

My neighbor swears by apple cider vinegar and every time I complain about my health, she rants about the vinegar.  I haven’t tried it, but I have to say she looks fairly healthy and never gets sick.  Do you think there’s something to it? 

--P.B.,  Lodi, California

Sixty-seven percent of 101 patients diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) were found to be infected with a retrovirus called XMRV (Science, published online October 8, 2009).

One hundred percent of those with CFS who subsequently developed lymphomas or leukemias were infected with the XMRV virus. If further studies confirm this finding, doctors will soon have a test to diagnose this horrible condition and possibly a vaccine to prevent it.