DEAR DR. BLONZ: I read your column pretty regularly here in the San Francisco East Bay, and had to deal with our recent power outage. I was able to have a friend take my frozen food to keep it cold, but forgot about the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, and cream-based salad dressings. My power was out for 36 hours, and these items were only moderately cold when it restarted. What is a safe period for these types of food to be unrefrigerated? -- B., San Francisco, California

DEAR B.: I went through that same outage. It was quite disconcerting to experience this planned outage, complicated by howling winds, the very real threat of fire, and the knowledge that at any moment you might get the call to evacuate. All this with no reliable cell service. In our house, we had purchased a couple of hefty backup batteries to provide power for the fridge, and a solar panel to recharge the batteries. We could only get updates via AM radio.

With all the angst, our situation paled in comparison with those who ended up in the path of the fires and lost it all. Many others have yet to get their power turned back on. I am hopeful that these events will be a stark reminder of the need to invest in all aspects of infrastructure associated with our health and well-being, and not to wait for a tragedy to remind us what we should have been doing all along.

Stepping down from the soapbox, let me address the substance of your question. My thoughts are that in such situations, it is always prudent to toss “marginal” foods or those suspected of having been improperly stored. This would especially be the case for the items you list, as they are typically consumed without additional heat treatment that might help destroy unsafe elements.

Food safety experts say that four hours without power is the mark after which perishables should be tossed. In your case, we are talking about foods that remained in the fridge, so they would remain somewhat cold, depending on your appliance’s ability to retain its temperature. That ability is affected by the age, size and quality of the appliance, as well as each food’s location in the fridge, and how each product had been handled prior to the outage -- i.e., whether, and how often, it had been opened and kept at room temperature before being returned to the fridge.

Then, we have the questions of how often the door was opened during the outage; were bags of ice or cold-packs put in the fridge to help maintain the cold; were the containers surrounded by objects that might have helped retain the cold, etc.

Finally, there is the issue of who will be consuming those items, and the status of their immune system. This is not an exact science; I am attempting to describe a gamble with lots of variables. The omnipresent bottom line is that, where health is concerned, it is a smaller, wiser investment to toss and replace than roll the dice.

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 am concerned about the dark circles under my eyes. They seem to run in my family, and I wonder if there are any vitamins, minerals or herbs I can take that might help. -- D.C., Tucson, Arizona

DEAR D.C.: Darkness under the eyes can be brought about by certain medical conditions, including allergies, dehydration, sleep difficulties and stress, and you should consult your physician if you have questions as to whether any of these might be involved.

Another common cause is the natural thinness of the skin under the eyes. The skin itself isn’t dark, but it is often thin enough to see the vascular bed underneath. This trait can indeed run in families, and its presence does not necessarily reflect any health problems. If one is fatigued, ill or under stress, the skin can become pale, and this would accentuate the darkness.

I am sorry to report that aside from using a normal, healthful diet and lifestyle to cope with life’s stresses, I am unaware of evidence showing that particular vitamins, minerals or herbs can help eliminate this problem.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: During my childhood, my grandmother from northern Italy made delicious candy from the seeds of peaches. Every fall, after we feasted on the fresh fruit, she took the seeds and fried them in butter, then added sugar till it all melted. It became the most delicious brittle candy. Now I have learned that there is poison in peach pits. Was the candy dangerous? We never got sick from it. -- L.D., Hillside, New Jersey

DEAR L.D.: It is fortunate that you did not get sick from that candy. Peach pits are not really the safest items to have in one’s diet. They, along with apricot kernels and apple seeds, are sources of a cyanide-containing compound known as amygdalin. Although a natural substance, cyanide is a very potent poison because it can effectively shut down metabolism. The body has a recovery mechanism, and as with most toxic materials, it’s the dose that determines the impact. The fact that you’re around to relate this story shows that the amount of cyanide in the peach pit brittle was insufficient to cause any obvious harm. But this is not a recipe I would pass down to future generations.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I like to grind flax seeds and use them in my foods. I do not want them to go rancid, and was wondering if they need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Also: Can fish oil capsules and other omega-3 supplements go rancid in the same way? -- E.A., San Diego

DEAR E.A.: You are correct in your approach to flax. The seed wall is designed to protect the oils within, but once the seeds have been ground, there needs to be some protection from oxidation. I would not recommend purchasing ground flax from a bulk bin, for example, where the grounds may have been sitting around for long periods of time.

If ground flax is in a well-sealed container, it should be OK at room temperature, but would do even better in the refrigerator. As regards fish oil, capsules are designed to protect their contents. If unbroken, they should be performing that function.

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 was surprised and disappointed at your recent comments about the progress of medical research. I’m just a layperson, but considering the number of major diseases that faced humans even 100 years ago, compared to today, medical science has made incredibly rapid progress. The development of antibiotics, for example, has cured too many diseases to list.

I’m really surprised at you. I experience atrial fibrillation and am alive because of heart medication and blood thinners, which will hopefully prevent a stroke, as my father had. Additionally, I’ll have surgery to implant a defibrillator to prevent sudden death from the condition.

Many cancers have been slowed or even “cured” through advances in therapies and surgeries. Medical advances are helping childhood diseases even before birth. At this point, we’ve cured so many diseases that the remaining ones are very complex, but medical science is finding innovative ways to tackle these by incorporating the body’s own immune system.

While it can be slow to get new drugs to market, this ensures that the drugs are safe -- and considering the tragedies of the past, when drugs have been rushed to market, this is a very good thing. Unfortunately, the progress of the past may be slowed or reversed by the current reluctance of parents to vaccinate their children. Even so, science continues to make incredible strides.

Dental health is frequently overlooked, but we’re learning that oral inflammation contributes to diseases of the whole body. The increasing number of medical specialties points to the rapid progress in medicine.

I believe you owe your readers and the entire medical profession an apology for your poorly thought-out response. -- S.R., Walnut Creek, California

DEAR S.R.: I appreciate your comments and the important perspectives they provide. There have indeed been amazing advances, but I had attempted to side with those suffering in the here-and-now from ailments such as autoimmune issues, Alzheimer’s and other dementias, ALS, Parkinson’s, unstoppable cancers and various forms of intractable pain from pathologies such as arthritis. All of these are instances where solutions remain beyond our grasp at the moment.

That questioner appeared to be writing from the standpoint of frustration within her circle of friends, and I did not want to respond in a palliative way by providing a glowing list of all science had accomplished to date.

Again, my regrets if this came across as a put-down to research; that was not the intention. As one focused on research and communication, I endeavor to keep chipping away at the unknowns, and I acknowledge and celebrate all that continues to be accomplished.

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.