Planting Seeds of Knowledge

Alice,

Have you any information on the medicinal plant aloe vera?

— Desert plants

Dear Alice,

I eat lots of different kinds of lentils but don't know much about their individual nutritional properties. Are certain kinds of lentils healthier than others? What are the different calorie and protein figures for different kinds of lentils?

Dear Alice,

I recently received an alarming e-mail regarding the dangers of eating Canola oil. Apparently it is made from rapeseed, which is supposedly highly toxic and has been shown to develop cancer in rats. The e-mail also referred me to an article by a Tom Valentine called "The Canola Oil Report." I located the report, read it, and quite frankly, threw out the remaining canola oil I had in the kitchen. Is there any truth to this article? And if there is, surely this is criminal.

Thank you,

— Confused

Dear Alice,

What are the symptoms of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac? Are they treatable with over-the-counter medications OR is a doctor visit required?

Dear Alice,

What are some good and bad things about becoming a vegetarian?