DEAR DR. BLONZ: I have an interest in "real food" supplements, specifically soy supplements, and would appreciate your opinion. You recently wrote about soy and thyroid hormones, but I am interested in soy isoflavones to help with the symptoms of menopause. I don't have much soy in my diet, and wanted to know if taking a supplement would be a good strategy. -- P.L., Chicago

DEAR P.L.: The idea of a "real food" supplement is a bit of a contradiction in terms: Nothing compares with real food. Science has only begun to identify the healthful elements in the foods we eat. Each new study can provide greater awareness about a specific component, and if the research sounds promising, it can breed interest in spinoff products in pill form.

But all this misses the "whole food" point. It is unlikely that a single element holds the key. The smart money rests with the concept that all of a food's elements working together -- that is, the whole food itself -- provides the magic. This makes perfect sense, as whole foods represent an interactive, nature-evolved system designed to survive. What's more, these systems have passed the test of time -- a critical asset when considering GMO crops, as they sidestep this process.

Now, on to the specifics of the soy isoflavones. The isoflavones are phytochemicals (phyto = plant) unique to soybeans. They have a number of abilities and are antioxidants, which may have a direct role in soy's beneficial effects.

Isoflavones have structural similarities to estrogen, but eating soy isn't like taking estrogen. The isoflavones don't function as estrogen in the human body. They only have a "weak estrogenic effect" -- only one-hundred-thousandth (1:100,000) as potent as estrogen. The build of the isoflavone is believed to play a role in some of soy's observed beneficial effects, as it may bind with the body's natural estrogen receptors in a way that lessens estrogen's negative effects. Higher levels of (human) estrogen, for example, are connected with an increased risk of certain hormone-related cancers, such as breast cancer. Studies have shown how populations eating soy-based diets have a lower incidence of breast cancer. Diets containing soy may also protect against colorectal cancer in women: A study in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that for every 5 grams per day of soy food eaten, the risk decreased by 8 percent.

This is one reason health professionals have encouraged people to have more soy in their diets. For someone who wants soy's benefits, but is not able to have soy in her daily diet, your soy extract capsule may actually seem like a good alternative. I would tend to agree -- but with reservations.

First is the fact that soy foods offer much more than isoflavones. Soybeans contain protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber and essential fatty acids, in addition to other valuable phytochemicals. (Check the information sheet from University of California at Davis at goo.gl/0YcpKv.) If you only take the isoflavones, you miss out on other components that are likely to play a role in soy's whole-food beneficial effects.

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: What are your thoughts about using pork fat (like uncured bacon or pork belly) to prepare foods? I find the taste infinitely superior to butter for most cooking needs, and there is no evidence that it is harming my cholesterol levels. I normally store the stuff at room temperature, on the theory that that's how my grandma did it (just put it in a can and scoop it out as needed). How long is it safe to leave out? Is it likely to become carcinogenic at some point, or does it just get rancid if it's too old? -- E.D., Sacramento, California

DEAR E.D.: I would not classify lard as a "go to" cooking fat, but if you have an otherwise healthful diet and are in good health, the occasional use of lard should not pose a problem.

As to some of your specifics, it's unlikely that your lard will become carcinogenic per se, but some of the lipids may oxidize if it is kept at room temperature. Mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, and especially cholesterol, are susceptible to oxidation, and the consumption of oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fats can contribute to health problems.

Many people don't realize that lard is approximately 47 percent monounsaturated and about 12 percent polyunsaturated fat. About 41 percent of lard is saturated fat, and much of that is stearic acid: a saturated fat that has been found to have a neutral effect on blood lipid levels. Finally, there are about 12 milligrams of cholesterol per tablespoon of lard.

If you are intent on using pork fat, I would recommend keeping it refrigerated in a sealed container with a minimum of airspace. Lard manufacturers often use synthetic antioxidants such as BHA, BHT or propyl gallate to help preserve fats.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: You have mentioned that weight-bearing exercise is beneficial for the bones. My mom has recovered from a stroke and is not yet able to walk; it is unclear whether she will ever be up and about as she once was. She does exercises daily, but not of the aerobic variety -- more the "sitting and doing arm or leg exercises" variety. She sometimes has light weights strapped to her ankles or wrists while exercising. Would this be considered "weight-bearing" exercise? -- S.T., Phoenix

DEAR S.T.: Strength training that involves the use of weights, even light ones, is indeed considered a weight-bearing exercise. Given your mom's condition, it may be her best option for now. Most of the other weight-bearing exercises involve movements such as walking or jogging, where the weight of the body is alternately applied and removed from the long bones of the legs. Swimming, which is also an excellent exercise, is not weight-bearing, because it lacks this element.

Have her use caution so as not to overdo it, and, of course, make sure you apprise your mother's health professional of the details of her exercise regimen. Consider consulting with a physical therapist, a service covered by many health insurance plans, as this would provide a program tailored to your mother's specific needs.

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: Many articles on health and sugar make reference to insulin as an evil contributor to obesity. But we need insulin to live, and diabetes is when you don't make enough. My husband was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and now takes medication to produce more. The idea of insulin being bad is quite confusing. It seems like a simplification of a much more complex process. -- T.S., San Diego

DEAR T.S.: Glucose is the body's "instant fuel," the body is designed to always have it available in the blood and to keep it within a specific range. During digestion, complex carbohydrates get broken down into their individual unit parts -- primarily glucose -- which get absorbed and enter the bloodstream. No digestion is needed for simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose, honey or high-fructose corn syrup, so these are rapidly absorbed. Sucrose (table sugar) also enters the system rapidly, being split into its glucose and fructose parts during the process.

When the blood glucose level rises above its normal range, which usually happens after we have just eaten, the pancreas is programmed to releases insulin, a hormone that signals that the body has been fed. Insulin keeps the blood sugar level from getting too high by causing sugar to be pulled into cells where it can provide energy for work and other metabolic processes. The presence of insulin also indicates that our immediate energy needs have been met, and this causes glucose entering the cells to be converted into fat, the body's most concentrated form of energy, and sent off to the fat cells for storage.

Diabetes occurs when, for any of a number of reasons, there's insufficient insulin to do the job. It can occur when the pancreas can no longer produce insulin (Type 1 diabetes), or if the insulin being produced is no longer able to elicit the appropriate response (Type 2 diabetes). In either case, there isn't a sufficient amount, so diabetics have to take shots or pancreas-stimulating pills to help provide the needed insulin boost. In both cases the diet should to be adjusted to avoid instances that would cause rapid rises in blood sugar; sweets or soda, especially on an empty stomach, are examples of items that must be controlled.

Concerns about insulin relate to its association with obesity. Our fat cells get larger as we become overweight, and enlarged fat cells tend to be less responsive to insulin (this is called insulin resistance). If the body's normal insulin release is unable to clear surplus glucose out of the bloodstream, it creates an ongoing demand for the pancreas to release more, and this can become destructive to insulin-producing cells of this vital organ. Consider that elevated blood glucose (the source of energy) is constantly coupled with an elevated level of insulin (a signal to store energy as fat); it's a perfect recipe for weight gain and obesity. Between 80 and 90 percent of adults with Type 2 diabetes are obese. The good news is that many experience improvements when they begin to lose their excess pounds. It is not entirely correct to characterize insulin as "evil," but a diet and lifestyle that don't allow it to do its job can certainly have evil consequences.

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.