DEAR DR. BLONZ: Is there any problem with eating fish, especially salmon, if you have gout? If so, does the problem also apply to fish-oil supplements? I also read that high doses of vitamin C are not recommended for gout patients. Can you shed any light on this? -- L.L., Seattle

DEAR L.L.: Gout is a form of arthritis (inflammation of the joints) that is brought about when there is an excess of uric acid in the blood, which gives rise to deposits of sharp crystals in and around joints. Usually, the first joint affected is the most remote one from the heart -- the big toe -- but gout can affect other joints, as well.

Uric acid is a normal metabolic intermediate that gets produced during the breakdown of certain compounds. Normal kidney function will eliminate uric acid. Gout can develop when the body produces too much, or when the kidneys, for some reason, are not able to do their job. Why this happens is not known, but it is thought there may be a genetic predisposition.

There are prescription medications to help with gout, but an important step is to cut down on foods known to give rise to uric acid during their metabolic breakdown. Purines are substances that turn into uric acid, so those at risk for gout are typically put on a low-purine diet. Some fish and shellfish are high in purine, including sardines, herring, anchovies, cod, trout, haddock, mussels and scallops. Salmon is considered moderate, not high, in purine. Fish oil does not contain purine.

To find out more, consult articles on gout at the Arthritis Foundation (tinyurl.com/nmzytqf) and the National Institutes of Health (tinyurl.com/3ulmzb).

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I recently took a loaf of bread out of the freezer, and it had mold on it. Of course I did not eat it, but was wondering how this could be possible. -- M.M., San Dimas, California

DEAR M.M.: Mold spores tend to be all over the place, and bread is not a sterile food. If your bread had already been opened when you froze it, it is likely a few mold spores were present. There could have also been some mold in the packaging that was used. You don't mention how long the bread was in the freezer, how it was defrosted or how much mold you found. There could have been a small amount of growth during the freezing process. Other factors could be a power outage during the loaf's life in the freezer, or if the loaf was near the freezer door and it was opened often.

Moisture in bread tends to move from the interior to the surface during the freezing process. This helps explain ice crystals that form in the package. During the defrosting process, any ice crystals present will create a high-moisture environment in the package as it returns to room temperature, which is an ideal situation for the mold to spring back to life.

It is difficult to say for sure what happened, but the key is whether this is an isolated incident or a regular occurrence with breads and other foods in your freezer. If it's the latter, you have some detective work to do.

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: In my new apartment, I am living with a group that primarily eats raw foods. Their explanation is that "cooking removes the vitamins and minerals." These are my friends, so while I detect a slight bit of sanctimony, there is no serious rejection of the fact that I am an omnivore. Is eating nothing but raw foods, or even mostly raw foods, a good idea? One of my roommates says her new diet is really helping her lose weight. What are the pluses and minuses? -- S.T., Oakland, California

DEAR S.T.: Diets that strictly limit what you can eat can result in weight loss simply because you are paying closer attention to the foods you select. When you stick to raw, you definitely limit the types and amounts of foods you can eat. As for whether a raw food diet is a good idea, it depends on how it is done.

First, let's add some perspective to any blanket statement that cooking removes vitamins and minerals. Minerals are not affected at all, and while the levels of a few vitamins are reduced by heat (notably vitamin C, thiamine and folic acid), most are not affected. Cooking can actually help make other nutrients more bioavailable. Proper cooking also makes certain foods easier to digest. The idea that cooking destroys certain vitamins is not a serious issue if the food involved is not the main source of that nutrient. We get our vitamin C, for example, from fruits, not from cooked foods. Cooking can help make foods safer, helping to destroy foodborne organisms as well as some natural toxicants.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating raw foods. It can be an exciting way to eat, but it is not something that should be embraced blindly. It takes information and effort to do it correctly, as the body still requires a full complement of nutrients.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I am in my 30s, with two children, and I have been taking multivitamins for most of my adult life. My mother has just been diagnosed with osteoporosis, and I want to add 1,200 milligrams of calcium to build my bones before I start to lose them. Is there a best time of day to take calcium and multivitamins? At present, I take mine after breakfast so I can flush out the excess vitamins with water throughout the day. -- T.M., Eureka, California

DEAR T.M.: There is definite wisdom to building bones during the first decades of life while the door is open. If you are going to take a calcium supplement based on calcium carbonate (the most common type), it is best to take it with or after a meal. Don't take more than 500 milligrams at a time, as this is about as much as your body can handle at once. Also consider calcium-rich foods, such as yogurt, or calcium-fortified beverages, such as orange juice.

Your multivitamin should include vitamin D, an important nutrient for bone health. Experts are now recommending up to 1,000 IU daily for adults. An active lifestyle, with weight-bearing exercise, plays a big role in building bones. It tells your body that your bones are needed, and the body responds by keeping them strong. There is a more detailed discussion of calcium at tinyurl.com/866w4sa.

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 workdays last until the early evening and I don't really have time to cook. This has been my schedule for more years than I want to think about, but as a result, I have never taken the time to learn how to cook. I usually eat out, or rely on single-serving entrees to make at home. My diet is not bad, but it is certainly not where it should be. I haven't really suffered for it yet, as I am in good health. How much will I be helping things by adding a dietary supplement or a vitamin-fortified drink to my daily regimen? -- A.M., San Jose, California

DEAR A.M.: Your question goes to the heart of what nutrition and good eating are all about. The short answer is that it's unrealistic to think that supplements or a vitamin-fortified drink can capture all the goodness that healthful whole foods have to offer. They can't transform a marginal diet into a good one. However, it is not unreasonable to take multivitamin/mineral supplements along with a whole-food fruit/vegetable juice drink.

You will still need to make good choices with the foods you eat. The healthfulness of eating fresh fruits, vegetables and grains has been verified by epidemiology, the science that investigates the connection between people's lifestyles and their health.

The fact that good eating leads to good health is certainly not news. What's relatively new is the technical ability to discover the identity of the beneficial compounds. The essential nature of a nutrient gets discovered when its absence from the diet gives rise to a deficiency disease.

I like to think of whole foods as a symphony of healthful compounds that work together like the instruments in an orchestra. If you rely on supplements, the music gets written by the supplement company and you only get the ingredients that tickle the fancy of the supplement makers. Contrast this with a whole food, where nature has written the musical score: The combination of components has been perfected over millennia to give the plant its best chance for survival and reproduction amidst the various environmental insults that might come its way.

This being said, there are many excellent single-serving entrees in stores, and you can find restaurants that serve healthful foods on a takeout basis. Keeping a supply of healthful snacks in your desk can also be helpful. Juicing can provide a way to include whole foods in a more convenient form. But you should at least consider making the time to take a basic cooking class. It is not that difficult, and it will open up a world of possibilities, such as learning how to prepare and store multiple portions of a meal. You state that you haven't, as yet, suffered because of your dietary habits. Life, however, is a cumulative affair, so why not take this opportunity to make a few positive adjustments?

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.