Q. I have raisins in my oatmeal every morning for breakfast, with milk. Now Im told that the iron in the raisins will cancel the benefit of the calcium in the milk. True? If so, what would you suggest as a substitute for the sweetness of the raisins?

A. Diane McKay, PhD, a scientist in Tufts HNRCAAntioxidant Nutrition Laboratory, answers:The amount of iron in 1/4 cup of raisins is onlyabout 1 milligram, too little to interfere with theabsorption of the 300 milligrams of calcium presentin 1 cup of milk. If anything, the amount ofcalcium in this meal might inhibit the absorptionof some, but not all, of the iron from the raisins. However, if your body is low in either mineral,it will adjust by increasing the absorption ofthese essential nutrients from the foods youeat. Raisins are still a good choice here as theyalso provide vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals-something you wont find in sugar or othersweeteners. Other good choices would include asliced banana, chopped apple or ripe pear.