Q: Thank you so very much for posting about sugar to heal open wounds.

Every winter, I get deep fissures in my fingertips from cold, dry air. Not only are they extremely painful, but I also cannot pick up any objects for weeks.

Over the decades, I’ve tried everything including prescription, over-the-counter and natural remedies. Nothing has ever worked.

Last night, I tried packing the open splits with sugar and covering them with adhesive bandages and rubber dishwashing gloves. This morning, the pain is almost gone, and the wounds are less deep!

A: We first learned about this approach to wound healing decades ago. Dr. Richard Knutson was a surgeon in Greenville, Mississippi. He described using sugar and povidone iodine to enhance the treatment of wounds, burns and ulcers in the Southern Medical Journal (November 1981). Later, he dropped the iodine and recommended confectioners’ sugar and vegetable oil.

We were able to interview Dr. Knutson before his passing to get more details about his remedy. You can listen to this free podcast by going to PeoplesPharmacy.com and searching for “Show 839: Sugar for Wounds.”

Q: My mother-in-law died a few years ago at age 91. During the last few years of her life, she had difficulty with her dentures. As a result, she began using more and more denture adhesive products containing high levels of zinc. She experienced rapidly deteriorating mental functioning during this time.

When she died, the doctors found that the copper content of her blood was almost zero. Copper deficiency causes dementia. I think that excess zinc blocks copper absorption.

A: For years, denture adhesive creams contained zinc to help make them stickier. Now, many of these products have been reformulated without zinc because of the recognition that occasionally they could contribute to zinc toxicity.

You are right that too much zinc can lead to copper deficiency and neurological problems. If older people are having problems with dentures, getting better-fitting dentures would be the best approach. It also makes sense to use zinc-free adhesive.

Q: I’m a lifelong athlete and do triathlons and race mountain bikes. My question involves occasional foot cramps, usually if my feet are a little cold.

Do you have any recommendations to avoid this?

A: Our first choice is old-fashioned inexpensive yellow mustard. We have heard from many long-distance cyclists and other athletes that swallowing a spoonful of yellow mustard can stop a cramp very quickly. Because you can find packets of mustard in almost any fast-food outlet, this is a cheap and portable remedy.

To prevent foot or leg cramps, you might want to put chips of soap in your socks.

Any kind of soap should work, but many people report that Ivory and Irish Spring are especially helpful. We suspect the fragrance found in such soap could be the magic ingredient.

Q: People often ask you how to get to sleep.

I used to toss and turn, going over the day’s events in my mind. I finally found a product that works for me. It contains valerian, passionflower and magnesium. It’s completely natural and non-addictive.

A: Thank you for the recommendation. Both valerian and passionflower have a reputation for helping people relax.

We discuss a number of natural approaches to overcoming insomnia as well as sleeping pills in our “eGuide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.” This online resource can be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.