Natural cure could work

Q: Can you recommend any home cures for athlete's foot and toenail fungus? My husband has both problems and has tried various products without success. Can you help?

-- J.F., Lodi, Calif.

A: Because I've asked readers to send me their home remedies through the years, I happen to have a collection of toenail fungus cures, which I keep in my mental Rolodex. One popular remedy requires vinegar. I don't know how effective it is, but at least you don't run the risk of liver damage, as you do with some prescription drugs, so why not? Buy some cheap distilled white vinegar and apply it twice daily with a cotton ball.

Since your hubby also has athlete's foot, make him soak his feet in a 50-50 mix of vinegar to warm water once a day.

Another supposedly remarkable remedy for toenail fungus is to apply lemongrass oil directly to the nail, although most readers who sent me this remedy were combining the lemongrass oil with tea tree oil, then applying it with a cotton swab. The oils kill the fungus on your toenail, turning the area brown or black within a day. Reapply the concoction daily and keep trimming and buffing your nails routinely. Essential oils are generally sold at Mother Earth, Whole Foods, Wild Oats and other supermarkets carrying natural and organic products.

Then there's Listerine mouthwash. Apply it to your toenail several times a day, or just soak your toe in it. Gargling wouldn't hurt, either; Lord knows you don't want bad breath to go with that toenail fungus. If that doesn't work, try a cough and cold remedy, Vicks VapoRub ointment. Apply it to your toenail twice a day and cover the area with a bandage to keep the ointment off your socks. Some readers suggest applying a mixture of Oil of Oregano in a teaspoonful of olive oil. Supplementing orally with Olive Leaf Extract may also help because the extract has anti-infective properties.

Regardless of what remedies you try, you need to work from the inside out. Clean up your diet and eliminate foods that promote the growth of yeast and fungus. Support your immune system. Do you realize that sugar feeds yeast? Lowering your intake of white refined sugar may reduce your risk of yeast and fungal infections like athlete's foot, toenail fungus, jock itch and vaginal candidiasis. Drink water, as soda pop is loaded with sugar. Rebuild your insides with friendly yeasts like Saccharomyces boulardii, which will offset the bad infective yeasts. Also, take probiotics or drink kefir to support a healthy GI tract. Foot care goes a long way, too, so get routine pedicures, keep your feet clean and dry and get rid of old or tight shoes that make your feet sweat. Let your feet 'breathe.'

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This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Suzy Cohen's column is published Tuesdays in the TimesDaily. Send questions to 24-hourpharmacist.com.