Q. My doctor is recommending having saliva testing done for hormone replacement instead of the standard blood test. Do you think it is more accurate?
A. No. Saliva testing is not a reliable method of assessing levels of any hormone. If you're approaching or believe you have reached menopause and want to know what your hormones indicate, ask your doctor for a blood test to measure levels of your serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). During childbearing years, the pituitary gland secretes FSH, which stimulates follicles in the ovaries to mature and release eggs. At menopause, the ovaries stop functioning, and FSH levels rise higher than they do at any time during the menstrual cycle. This is most accurately measured by testing a blood sample.
If you want a home test, you can get an FDA-approved urine test kit that can tell you whether your FSH levels have increased to levels indicating menopause. This is more reliable than any saliva test, but it isn't foolproof: According to the FDA, the urine test accurately measures FSH levels nine times out of 10.
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I'm aware that saliva tests are widely promoted on the Internet to check levels of estrogen, cortisol, progesterone, testosterone, melatonin or DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). Results supposedly determine your need for various anti-aging supplements, often sold on the same Web sites that promote the saliva tests.
Bottom line: If you think you're approaching menopause, request a blood test for serum FSH to find out for sure.
Q. I hear that there's a common garden plant that has the same effects as Viagra. What is it, and is it safe to grow and use?
A. The story of the "Viagra" plant comes from England and was an April Fools' hoax published by the newspaper The Independent. The story, which got lots of Internet mileage, goes like this: A 55-year-old furniture restorer who liked to make teas from different plants got an unexpected effect when he brewed up an infusion with blooms from winter-flowering heather. In its April 1, 2007, report, The Independent quoted the fellow as saying that the effect was so immediate — and obvious — that he "had to stay in my potting shed for an hour or so before I could decently walk down the street."
Of course, the discovery of an easy-to-grow, safe and natural form of Viagra would be major news and would generate huge headaches for drug manufacturers. The credible-sounding Independent story explained that the man who brewed the tea contacted the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to ask what could have caused the unexpected reaction. A real botanist was quoted in the article as saying that hybrids of winter-flowering heather contain an analog of Viagra and that the most potent sources are forms of Erica carnea, an Alpine heather that grows in Britain and much of Europe. A convincing dialogue, but it's not true.
The story went on, tongue-in-cheek, to describe a craze for winter-flowering heather throughout Britain and quoted a clerk in a garden center as saying that "men old enough to know better" have been fighting over limited supplies.
The article even gave a recipe: Steep about 20 grams of the small flowers (less than an ounce) from the heather in 100 milliliters (about a half-cup) of neat alcohol such as 80-proof vodka. But then there was a line that should have tipped off gullible readers (if the April 1 date didn't): The botanist added that confusion exists as to whether to drink the stuff or apply it locally.
The moral of the story is that the British take April Fools' Day seriously, so be skeptical of far-fetched news from the U.K. on April 1.