It may sound strange, but it’s true.

Question: Can you please help settle a disagreement I’ve been having with my daughter? She’s been trying to get me to replace my wooden cutting boards with plastic ones, insisting that the wooden versions hold more bacteria since they can’t be put in the dishwasher. I think the wooden ones must be fine, since I’ve been using them for years and no one has gotten sick. Which one of us is correct?

Question: When I complained to my cardiologist about losing muscle in my legs, he took me off a statin I was taking for cholesterol and upped my sotalol. Was the statin I was taking causing loss of muscle in my legs? Is there anything I can take to restore muscle control, in my legs especially?

Dear Dr. Mirkin,

How does alcohol damage the liver and what can I do to protect my liver?

Q: I am so glad to have found D-mannose and xylitol through the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary. I have started using xylitol for all of my baking and sweetening needs. My family can’t tell the difference in the desserts. They are just glad that the cookies and pies are back...But I’m wondering if there is any problem in using xylitol every day?

––N.D.K., Sugarland, TX

Q: I am on board with much of what you say. But sometimes it seems you are against all carbohydrates, even of the whole grain kind. I certainly think that the fiber and B-vitamins we get from whole grains add to a healthy diet of fats and protein. Am I right?

Also, do you see a difference between the saturated fat of an egg and that of ordinary animal fat? Do you trim the fat on cuts of beef you eat? Do you eat this fat if you cook the meat with it?

In light of a recent study questioning the effectiveness of vitamins and supplements, a concerned vitamin and supplement user asks Pharmacist Suzy Cohen whether or not he's wasting his money.

QUESTION: You mentioned Padma Basic in a recent article and how it might help autoimmune conditions. I have rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease and the people in my support group don’t know anything about Padma, so can you provide more information? -- E.O., NY, New York

Dear Pharmacist,

Skin problems seem to run in my family. I have severe rosacea, my husband has a new scar on his face and my daughter has acne and warts! Help us; we look like the Munsters" from TV. What are some "Suzy secrets" to help clear the skin?

D.V., Tulsa, Oklahoma

In this Q and A, Suzy Cohen fields a question about Scientology's impact on the death of John Travolta's son Jett. Is Scientology to blame for his death, or are people too quick to scapegoat?