DEAR DR. BLONZ: My very close friend has been diagnosed with cancer. He is frustrated, and has confided in me that he is considering the use of “food-grade hydrogen peroxide.” The idea, as he explained it, is that taking hydrogen peroxide orally raises the oxygen-saturation levels of tissue cells throughout the body, and that this helps kill the cancer cells. He made it seem so matter-of-fact. Do you have any knowledge about whether this makes sense, and if so, how to use this compound? -- S.F., Las Vegas

DEAR S.F.: My sincere wishes for your friend in this battle. However, I must express reservations about his thinking relating to hydrogen peroxide.

We are all interested in finding ways to help the body fight cancer, but we need to consider our weapons carefully. Hydrogen peroxide is a water molecule with loosely attached extra oxygen on board. It acts as a powerful oxidizer, even more powerful than chlorine bleach. It is corrosive to the nose, throat and lungs and can cause irreversible tissue damage to the eyes, including blindness. To give an idea of how strong it is, hydrogen peroxide at high concentrations is used to help decontaminate industrial waste. Not exactly the stuff you would voluntarily take into your body.

A very dilute solution (3 percent by weight) of hydrogen peroxide is sold as a topical antiseptic for use in first aid, but even at this dilution, it is for external use only. If diluted even further by mixing with an equal amount of water, this product can be used as a gargle and oral rinse; however, it is NOT to be swallowed.

Hydrogen peroxide has been promoted as a panacea, with claims that it can cure a variety of ailments, including cancer, AIDS and arthritis. Irrespective of the fact that the term “evidence-based” has been shown the door in certain government circles, I can say there is no reliable evidence that hydrogen peroxide can perform such feats. Indeed, hydrogen peroxide is not approved for human consumption. Its intake has resulted in deaths and serious injuries.

More relevant to your query, its effects in the body would run contrary to your friend’s interests. Consider a paper in the Aug. 1, 2011 issue of the journal Cell Cycle, entitled “Hydrogen peroxide fuels aging, inflammation, cancer metabolism and metastasis.” The paper describes how hydrogen peroxide is involved in the start and spread of cancer -- not its demise. Not the qualities one would seek in a substance taken internally to help fight cancer, or any other disease.

Please have your friend discuss this with his health professional, as it could interfere with other steps being taken. As should be obvious, given all the inherent dangers, the idea that drinking dilute hydrogen peroxide can increase the oxygen level in cells and help the immune system to destroy cancer is a bit ludicrous.

Send questions to: “On Nutrition,” Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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 have been having wheatgrass at my local juice place. I was encouraged by a pamphlet claiming that two one-ounce shots provide my daily recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables. While I don’t want to waste my money, I do enjoy the idea of this type of super-healthy boost in one swallow, as I am not very good at eating my fruits and veggies. -- G.O., San Jose, California

DEAR G.O.: Wheatgrass is a young growing plant -- in this case, a type of grass. A typical serving of wheatgrass juice will contain less than a gram of protein, some vitamins and minerals, and a variety of phytochemicals essential for the growth and survival of this young plant. Wheatgrass, like other plants, contains chlorophyll, the green pigment that has an ability to capture the radiant energy of the sun and convert it into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. There is no known requirement for chlorophyll in humans.

I have tasted wheatgrass juice on various occasions, and can report that it does indeed taste like grass. While some may find it to be an acquired taste, there is nothing inherently wrong with it as a food. But it falls short of being a health-giving miracle food. Objective estimations point to it being nothing more than the product of young grass put into a juicing machine.

Two ounces of a wheatgrass extract does not equate with five servings of fruits and vegetables. It would probably be closer to a large spinach salad -- and there is nothing wrong with that.

As to whether you are wasting your money, that’s one you will have to answer. There are plenty of healthful foods around. Stick to the logic that our interests are best served when we include a variety of wholesome foods in our diet, rather than looking for a convenient way to get them all from one source, or in one swallow.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: Does taking carnitine as a dietary supplement help with weight loss? -- D.H., Reno, Nevada

DEAR D.H.: Carnitine is involved in energy production, being integral to the transport of fat into the structures of the cell (the mitochondria) where energy gets produced. For a short time, carnitine was thought to be essential, and was given the name vitamin B7. This was discontinued once it was realized that, in healthy children and adults, the liver and kidneys make carnitine as needed.

There are scenarios -- including a genetic predisposition, certain health conditions (some involving the kidneys), and the use of certain medications -- where carnitine can end up in short supply, but these are exceptional circumstances. Don’t count on carnitine to help stoke your fat-burning furnace, as some product promotions might have you believe. You will, however, lose some weight from your wallet.

The National Institutes of Health has more on carnitine at tinyurl.com/yb5b5cxj.

Send questions to: “On Nutrition,” Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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 have cereal for breakfast most days, adding a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds to help add omega-3 fats to my diet. I have my own grinder and buy the seeds in bulk at my local market. A friend posed a question about whether I might be exposing myself to contaminants or germs because I do not wash the seeds before grinding. Is that something I need to worry about? Are there other options for purchasing and using flaxseeds? -- S.G., Las Vegas

DEAR S.G.: Food-grade flaxseed should arrive at the store clean and ready to eat. If they come in a package, there will be some form of freshness date, but when food is purchased from a bulk bin, the customer needs to exercise a bit more care. If you’re dealing with a food that will be cooked before consumption, that provides another element of safety, but that doesn’t apply to flaxseeds that are either eaten directly or simply ground before use.

Factors to consider with bulk-bin shopping are your knowledge and confidence in the store, as well as your inspection of the bulk-bin operation. Bulk containers should have seals to avoid dust, dirt and humidity. They should be positioned away from direct sunlight, and of a size that reflects the contents’ shelf life and the volume typically sold. Gravity-fed designs facilitate overall freshness, and they have the added feature of dispensing contents directly into the bag. Look around, and feel free to ask the manager how often the bulk bins are cleaned. If you are comfortable, and all seems fresh and clean, there is no inherent reason you can’t buy your food-grade flaxseed in bulk.

As to other options, soaking or washing flaxseeds prior to grinding raises issues, as the seeds will clump together: A soluble fiber gum comes off the seeds when soaked. If you want to rinse your flaxseeds, they should be dried completely before grinding.

Another option might be to purchase flax already ground. Proper storage is essential in that case, to avoid oxidation of the oils, given that the protective seed coat is no longer on the job. Some products may be packaged in a limited or controlled atmosphere, or be stored at cold temperatures. A well-sealed package is important in any case. One sold at room temperature, for example, is likely to have instructions to refrigerate after opening.

Opting instead for flaxseed oil will provide flax’s omega-3 fatty acids, but it also requires proper storage. A negative is that you will miss out on the other health assets in the whole flaxseed, including lignans and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.

One final point: The main omega-3 of plant origin is known as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid, 18 carbons long). This fatty acid tends to be burned for energy, with only a small fraction getting converted into the longer omega-3s referred to as EPA (eicosapentaeneoic acid, 20 carbons long) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, 22 carbons long) that are found in fish and used by our body for different purposes. There is more info on flaxseeds and nutrition at the Flax Council of Canada: flaxcouncil.ca.

Send questions to: “On Nutrition,” Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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.