DEAR DR. BLONZ: I am lactose-intolerant, so I have become a careful label-reader. I remain curious and cautious about some ingredients in bread and lunchmeat products that sound as if they might contain lactose. Two that I often see are “potassium lactate” and “sodium lactate.” Are these sources of lactose, and if so, how much (in relation to milk)? Also, seeing as it is a dairy product, is there lactose in butter? -- K.D.B., via email

DEAR K.D.B.: Lactose is the main carbohydrate (sugar) in milk and milk products; it is a double sugar made up of glucose attached to galactose.

Lactose intolerance reflects an inability to effectively separate the lactose into its constituent parts, which prevents it from being absorbed. The undigested lactose travels the length of the digestive tract, enters the large intestine and, depending on how much arrives, can cause various degrees of bloating, gas, diarrhea and nausea.

An 8-ounce glass of milk contains about 12 grams of lactose. As you have observed, there are food additives where lactose is a part of a compound. Potassium lactate and sodium lactate are just such substances; another is calcium lactate. These compounds can act as a buffer and help protect against product breakdown. Such “lactate” compounds tend to be used at milligram levels, so they should not represent a concern for any typical lactose-intolerant individual. The same can be said for butter, which is very low in lactose, containing about half a gram per serving.

If you are extremely sensitive to lactose, you will have to experiment to see how your body reacts. The University of Virginia sheet on the lactose content of various dairy foods can be found at tinyurl.com/yc7a2ywn.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: My grandson is now into bodybuilding. His high school trainer says he needs 200 grams a day of quality protein, plus a gallon of water. This seems excessive and I don’t want him to damage his kidneys. What are your thoughts? -- I.K., San Jose, California

DEAR I.K.: You did not indicate what your grandson weighs, and protein intake in athletes tends to correlate with their body weight. An average individual needs about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a 176-pound (80 kg) individual, this equates to 64 grams of protein a day. A generous intake for a strength-training athlete is between 1.2 grams and 2 grams per kilogram,

which translates to 96 to 160 grams of protein per day.

There is little evidence that higher protein intakes provide any additional benefit. The flip side is whether having excess protein might cause problems. As with any caloric food, excess protein gets disassembled, the kidneys having the task of removing the amino-group nitrogen from the body. Some of protein’s amino acids can be turned into glucose if that is needed at the moment, but most gets turned into fat and packaged for storage. We know what that means.

Assuming your grandson remains well-hydrated (the gallon a day speaks well to this aspect), and the rest of his diet contains greens, grains, fruits and vegetables, there are only minimal risks from this level of protein. There is a good discussion of protein requirements for athletes at tinyurl.com/zoq668l.

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: Is there salicylic acid in raspberries? And if so, isn’t that the active ingredient in aspirin? An article I read said that having raspberries could be as effective as drugs for pain from conditions such as arthritis or gout. If true, is there any concern for those of us who are told to avoid aspirin because of its effect on blood-clotting? -- D.F., Hayward, California

DEAR D.F.: Salicylic acid (salicylate) is indeed present in raspberries, along with a variety of other plant foods including fruits, vegetables and spices. Naturally occurring salicylates serve a variety of functions in the plant world, including acting as a type of plant hormone. (Now you know why some florists advise customers to put an aspirin in a vase of cut flowers to help them last longer.)

The active ingredient in aspirin is a type of salicylate -- in that case, acetyl salicylic acid. So, if the compounds are similar, can the salicylic acid in raspberries (or other foods) provide pain relief “as effective as drugs,” and do those on anticoagulants need to be concerned? The answer to both issues is “doubtful,” because of the relatively small amount of the substance present in food.

Studies rank the salicylate content of foods from “negligible” to “very high.” The “very high” ranking applies to foods containing more than 1 milligram per 100-gram (3.5-ounce) serving. A 100-gram serving of raspberries, which would be approximately 50 berries, is estimated to have about 5 milligrams of salicylate. Compare this with a single adult aspirin tablet, which contains 325 milligrams of acetyl salicylic acid.

Curious thing about advertising: They may tout the presence of a compound and all that it can do, but there is often this disconnect when it comes to the amount of the compound per serving. Often, that amount isn’t up to the task.

I don’t want to knock berries; they are great foods. Red raspberries, like other berries, have a host of healthful phytochemicals. Consider that pain can have an oxidative component in addition to its inflammatory component. Berries provide antioxidants along with their (admittedly low) dose of salicylate. Bottom line: It’s fair to say that eating raspberries can help the cause of some types of pain, but over the line to claim that they can be as effective at pain relief as a pharmaceutical agent designed, dosed and chosen for the job.

As for the coagulation (blood thinner) issue, a small amount of salicylate is not much to be concerned about. It would depend, of course, on how much you eat, what other food sources of salicylate might be in your diet, and how tightly your blood coagulation needs to be monitored. An appropriate dose of an anticoagulant is usually determined through a series of blood-clotting tests, and from that point on, it is important not to make changes in diet or medication that would affect clotting. There are often periodic tests done to be sure that coagulation remains within specific limits. The person to consult is the physician who handles this aspect of your health.

Finally, certain forms of salicylate are used in processed foods and drinks as preservatives and flavoring additives. There are non-food uses as well, with salicylates being found in many personal care products. As a final note, some individuals are sensitive to salicylates and need to limit their intake. More info on salicylate intolerance, and a list of food sources, can be found at tinyurl.com/yagos9kc.

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: A nutritionist doctor suggested a commercial baking yeast (Red Star Yeast) to lower my cholesterol. I have not wanted to go on statins, and was happy to try this widely available product. I know that everything has a side effect, and was hoping that you could discuss the side effects and efficacy of this choice. I am concerned, in particular, by the fact that I am experiencing bloating. -- S.P., San Jose, California

DEAR S.P.: The commercial baking yeast you mention is NOT associated with lowering elevated blood cholesterol levels, and is probably not the “yeast” you had been told to take. Let me explain.

Yeasts are single-cell microscopic organisms that can grow with or without oxygen. The common baking yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is an active yeast that uses oxygen and consumes carbohydrates (flour and simple sugars), creating energy for growth and producing carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The addition of small amounts of the appropriate yeast to baked goods results in gas production, which causes the food to rise during the baking process. If this is what you are taking, that is very likely the cause of the bloating you are experiencing.

Other types of active yeasts are used in beer brewing and winemaking. There are subtle differences. Such yeasts can grow without oxygen, which causes the organisms to produce alcohol as a byproduct. In a carefully controlled process, the gas that is produced can be captured to make beer and sparkling wines.

Brewer’s yeast, however, is an inactive yeast that is the same organism. It is sold as a dietary supplement and can be a source of certain nutrients, especially the B vitamins. There are also nutritional yeasts, such as torula yeast and whey yeast, which are organisms cultivated specifically for use as nutritional supplements. Vegemite and Marmite are yeast extracts sold as nutrient-rich dietary supplements.

I don’t know the credentials of this individual, but I am wondering if they might have actually recommended “red yeast rice.” Different from the above, this is a rice product that has been fermented with the yeast organism Monascus purpureus, also called “red yeast.” This yeast organism produces monacolin K, a substance that is associated with an ability to decrease cholesterol production by the human body. It does this by slowing down the activity of a key liver enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis.

Be advised that the monacolin K in red yeast rice is actually a statin. It is the same one found in lovastatin, a commonly prescribed drug for high cholesterol. It can be effective when taken as prescribed by your physician. As with other statins, there can be side effects and interactions with other medications. There are also issues about taking certain statin substances along with grapefruit juice (see tinyurl.com/ybasfccf). Read more about red yeast rice and monacolin K (lovastatin) at tinyurl.com/ycbkw7nu.

Red yeast rice is sold as a dietary supplement, and there may be issues of quality control; seek assurances that all products, and every pill, has the same level of active ingredients. It is also essential to inform your health professionals if this is something that you are taking or considering.

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.