This is a jar of amino acids that Doctor Ding strongly recommends.  Amino acids help build cells and the idea is that a table spoon of this powder three times a day will help save my mouth.  But it’s not working.  Doctor Ding was most surprised. “Are you taking it in hot water?” she asked.  “No,” I replied, “I take it in Hey Song” (a Taiwanese kind of Sprite).  Doctor Ding smiled and shook her head.  What a foolish patient!  “Well, take it in ordinary water and it’ll work.”

Curious I asked my uncle back in Sweden.  My uncle is a retired ear/nose/throat professor at the University of Umeå.  “No,” he replied via my aunt, “we don’t use amino acids this way in Sweden.”

I certainly have full faith in my doctors and I don’t necessarily think the Swedes are right in everything they do.  But it doesn’t seem that mixing the powder with plain water is making a lot of difference.  None of this would be a great deal if the stuff wasn’t so darn expensive.  One jar costs 7,800 NT. This is 243 US dollars, 138 GBP, or 1,638 Swedish krona!!!  And it only lasts for about two weeks.  (Since it’s not considered “medicine” but rather an “health aid,” it’s not covered by the Taiwanese national insurance — and rightly so I think).

Should I go on taking this stuff or not?  It’s not the money really.  I’d pay double if it actually helped.  Could there be a difference between the way in which Taiwanese and Swedes metabolize amino acids?  Maybe it’s just not right for tall blond people?

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