DEAR DR. BLONZ: Is it possible to actually grow more muscle using an amino acid supplement that is supposed to increase growth hormone? I am in my teens and this is the latest going around the locker room. -- B.F., via email

DEAR B.F.: This idea has been pushed periodically for many years, but the rumor's prevalence is due to the product promoters' efforts -- not evidence. These products contain amino acids, and that is simply what you get when you eat protein. When testing this theory, researchers usually provide certain amino acids to individuals who have undergone an overnight (or longer) fast. The provision of the nutrients after a fast can cause a short-term spike of growth hormone to be released by the pineal gland. It's doubtful this would have any clinical significance, but it sure does provide fodder for advertising claims. And the "placebo" they test it against is not regular food; it's usually a pill or capsule that contains no nutrients. The bottom line is that you have to earn your muscles, not expect them to come out of a bottle.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: What is the recommended daily intake of protein for the average person? Is it 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or per pound? -- S.G., Poway, Calif.

DEAR S.G.: The correct formula is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. A simple way to figure your average daily protein requirement is to count 11 grams of protein for every 30 pounds of body weight. Using this method, an average 150-pound adult should have about 55 grams of protein per day. For those who are overweight, it is best to use your "ideal body weight" for someone of your height when computing a target protein intake.

Pregnant women should add an extra 10 grams of protein per day, and nursing mothers an extra 12 to 15 grams during the first six months following birth. Growing children require more protein in relation to their body weight: about .5 grams of dietary protein per pound from age 1 up to age 14. Those over 60 years old should count about 15 grams of protein per 30 pounds of body weight; this is because older people may have a decreased ability to utilize protein as efficiently.

The average individual does not benefit from extra protein because there is no way to store it for later use. When excessive amounts of this relatively expensive food are eaten, the body, for the most part, has no option but to disassemble the amino acids of the protein and turn them into body fat -- and you know where that goes.

Here are amounts of protein in some common foods.

-- 1 slice of sandwich bread: 2 grams

-- 1 cup of broccoli: 3 grams

-- 1 ounce (20-30) almonds: 6 grams

-- 1 cup of white rice: 6 grams

-- 1 large egg: 6 grams

-- 1 cup of cooked pasta (no sauce): 7 grams

-- 1 ounce of cheddar, jack or Swiss cheese: 7 grams

-- 1/2 cup of kidney beans: 8 grams

-- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter: 8 grams

-- 1 cup of low-fat milk: 9 grams

-- 1 cup of fruit-flavored yogurt: 10 grams

-- 1 cup of tofu: 18 grams

-- 4-ounce hamburger patty: 28 grams

-- 8-ounce steak: 69 grams

-- 4 ounces of fish (such as trout): 30 grams

-- 4 ounces of roasted chicken breast: 34 grams

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: My partner and I are having an ongoing discussion over his diet. He eats one of those "meal-replacement" bars for breakfast and lunch, has a piece of fruit every now and then, and eats nothing that great for dinner. He thinks he has nutrition covered. I tell him that the meal replacement bars are not a substitute for real food, but the fact that he is active, in good health and not overweight leads him to argue that he is doing just fine. I think he needs better variety and certainly more fiber in his diet, but I am sure there are other aspects as well. -- Y.I., San Jose, Calif.

DEAR Y.I.: Your partner is doing some good things and his active lifestyle will help him, big time. Meal-replacement bars have their place as an occasional substitute for real food, but we need to be reasonable. Whole foods provide a symphony of healthful compounds, and we have only begun to determine which ones (and in what quantities) are the key players. Plants have it all figured out. Over the millennia, they have evolved to contain the right combinations of nutrients and phytochemicals to maximize their chances for survival as a species.

Granted, we are not plants, but it seems foolhardy to turn to a human-designed processed food product and think that all the bases are covered. The product might serve as a short-term solution in certain situations, such as an easily portable food for hikers or as a more nutritious snack than those found in vending machines. But let's face it: Chronic disease can sneak up like a thief in the night. To protect ourselves, we need well-rounded nutrition. You mention dietary fiber, but there are many attributes to the foods we eat, which is why variety is an essential part of any healthy diet. With few exceptions, the best approach is to rely on real, whole foods -- not on processed products like meal-replacement bars.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I am on a low-carbohydrate diet and have lost 30 pounds so far, but I miss eating pasta sometimes. I have come across veggie pasta with semolina flour, but the package doesn't have a nutrition index. What is semolina flour, and is it OK to have on a low-carb diet? -- R.M., San Pedro, Calif.

DEAR R.M.: Semolina is a coarse flour that is used in traditional pasta dough. It is made by milling whole kernels of durum wheat. Semolina flour is relatively high in protein (gluten) and it absorbs less water, giving pasta -- as well as pizza dough -- its characteristic texture when cooked. The semolina flour from durum wheat is used in Italy to make commercial pasta. It is also used to make couscous. The carbohydrate content will be in the same range as other wheat flours, which is around 100 grams per cup.

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: 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.