DEAR DR. BLONZ: Do you have any kind of experience, information or scientific study about hydrogen proxide as a cure for cancer? I did not find anything on PubMed (the online library of the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine) and hope you can help me find information on this therapy. -- Y.G., via email

DEAR Y.G.: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a water molecule with loosely attached extra oxygen on board, is a powerful oxidizer -- more powerful than chlorine. It is corrosive to the nose, throat and lungs, and can cause irreversible tissue damage to the eyes, including blindness.

While this stuff might kill a cancer cell, and all other cells, if directly applied in a petri dish, there is no way -- I repeat: no way -- it can ever get to the site of any cancer inside the body. The hydrogen peroxide will oxidize and destroy the first tissue it comes in contact with. Given the inherent dangers, the idea that drinking diluted hydrogen peroxide can increase the oxygen level in all our cells and help our immune systems destroy cancer is ludicrous. Sorry to shoot this down, but I'm glad you asked before you tried.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I was told I am lactose intolerant. Does that mean I must exclude all dairy products, such as butter and cheese of all kinds? I drink lactose-free milk without a problem, and eat yogurt, also. -- M.A., via email

DEAR M.A.: Lactose intolerance is the inability to efficiently digest the main carbohydrate (lactose) found in dairy products. Because the lactose does not get digested, it will not be properly absorbed, thus leaving it to travel down the remainder of the digestive tract -- sometimes attracting water along the way. It ends up in the large intestine with other unabsorbed food components and waste materials. The bacteria that reside in the large intestine, also known as our intestinal flora, will use the lactose as food, giving off gas as a metabolic waste product. The gas, together with the added fluid, can create muscle cramps and digestive distress that are the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

Those with lactose intolerance might think they need to stay away from butter or cheese because they are milk products, but most lactose gets removed from these foods as they are made. Yogurt, although made from milk, is often well-tolerated by people who have lactose intolerance because yogurt bacteria produce their own lactose-digesting enzyme, or lactase.

Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk allergy, the allergy being where there is specific reaction to the protein in the milk or milk product. Cheese should be avoided by those with milk allergies. Butter does not contain protein, but in the unusual case of an acute allergic sensitivity, even this may have to be avoided.

It sounds like you have a handle on your situation: There is no need to avoid butter or cheese, and you are already able to enjoy yogurt. There may also be no problem with small amounts of milk products, such as putting half-and-half in your coffee.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I buy turkey patties that are listed as 200 calories each. When I cook them in the microwave there is a lot of grease left behind, which I pour out. Does this excess grease mean that the amount of calories in the cooked patty is less than the amount on the label? -- A.K., via email

DEAR A.K.: The calories listed on the food label reflect the amount "as consumed," after it has gone through normal preparation. Therefore, the grease left behind after prep is not figured in the per-serving calorie total.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: You have often mentioned that it is best to have a balanced meal for breakfast. But in a pinch, will I be better off with nothing, with just a glass of juice, or with coffee and some form of carbohydrate, such as a pastry? -- B.T., Seattle

DEAR B.T.: Some do not eat -- or enjoy -- breakfast, opting instead for some variation of "coffee and a pastry" for their morning sustenance. You posing the choice between this or nothing asks me to tell you the lesser of two undesirables. The bottom line is that, when you wake up, your body hasn't received any nutrients since dinner the day before. Whether people skip breakfast due to preference, habit, poor time management or a combination thereof is irrelevant; the point is that our bodies depend on nourishment for energy and for the nutrients needed to maintain our health.

Many nutrients do not hang around for a long period of time, which is the very reason it is best to eat healthful foods periodically throughout the day. The body does its best to adapt to our routines, so those in the habit of only eating that minimalist breakfast might feel they are giving the body all it needs. In reality, it is better to work your way up to a healthful breakfast. Research has demonstrated how a good breakfast can encourage alertness, enhance mental performance and help stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day. And, while I know this does not apply to your specific case, a good breakfast is especially important for growing children.

Your pastry breakfast would not be a problem if it were an occasional situation. The nature of the pastry is also a factor: I find it difficult to give any sort of thumbs-up to a sweetened bread deep-fried in partially hydrogenated fat and frosted with a sugary goop. Sweet roll and donut eaters beware!

It would better if your pastry was a muffin, perhaps made with a modicum of whole grains and containing dried fruit. Toss in a glass of juice and/or some sort of milk, and you would have at least a few nutrients to tide you over for a bit.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I was recently doing some remodeling, using an electric sander on about 20 windows and doors. When I was just about through, I learned that my house had been painted with lead paint. I recall that every time I took off my dust mask, there was a line of paint in the mask and even a bit in my nose. Is there some kind of nutritional process to remove any lead dust that might have gotten into my body? I don't have the best diet, but I do try to include good foods and have one high-fiber meal every day. My neighbor recommended I do a colon flush, but that did not sound appealing. Is there anything that you might recommend? -- S.F., Chicago

DEAR S.F.: It was excellent that you were wearing some type of dust mask; this is important even if the paint was lead-free. The fact that you found paint around your nose would suggest that the mask wasn't fitted properly, or it wasn't the correct one for that type of job.

Lead can enter the body in a number of ways, the most common being the consumption of substances containing lead and the inhalation of lead dust. Lead poisoning in children, for example, often begins with the consumption of leaded paint chips that peel off the walls, or with putting their hands in their mouths after touching something with lead dust on it. In adults, common problems are leaded water pipes, cooking or eating on pottery rich in lead, the consumption of food or liquids that have been stored in leaded containers, or working in industries where lead-containing compounds are used.

The symptoms of lead poisoning in adults are quite wide-ranging and can include anemia, fatigue, depression, high blood pressure, heart failure, abdominal pain, gout, kidney failure, wrist or foot weakness and reproductive problems. In children, lead poisoning symptoms include anemia, fatigue, decreased appetite, a variety of digestive problems, sleeplessness, learning problems and lowered I.Q. As you can see, it is nothing to trifle with. More information is available at epa.gov/lead.

There is a blood test that can determine if there is excessive lead in your body, so I recommend that you speak with your physician for a precise evaluation. The good news is that the body is able to rid itself of lead, but it can take a while. Forget that colon flush: There is no evidence that it is beneficial, and no reason to think it will do anything to help remove the lead distributed throughout your body. The first priority with a treatment for lead poisoning is making sure lead exposure has stopped. Time, at this point, is probably your ally. Dietary fiber is great to include in a healthful diet, but it is uncertain that it has any special powers to help your body rid itself of accumulated lead.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.