As Dear ... as Salt

Sparkling Salt from the Praid Salt MIne, Romania

A king once asked his daughter how dear he was to her.
"As dear, as dear -- as salt!" she said.
The king thought that this was very little, and he was very unhappy with his child's answer.
Soon thereafter he sponsored a great feast. The daughter saw to it that every dish was brought to the table unsalted, and thus nothing tasted good to the king.
Finally the daughter explained everything to him. He then recognized how important salt was...
(From an old German fairy tale)

I'm trying also to put some order in my mind. For a year or more I've been totally confused on the subject
"How much salt is safe".

First, the obvious. I'm citing from Wikipedia:
"Too much or too little salt in the diet can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, or electrolyte disturbance, which can cause neurological problems, or even death.
Drinking too much water, with insufficient salt intake, puts a person at risk of water intoxication.
Death can occur by ingestion of large amounts of salt in a short time (about 1 g per kg of body weight). Deaths have resulted from attempted use of salt solutions as emetics."

Salt Mine Tools, Praid, Romania

Salt is essential for life and salt consumption is an instinct that drives a human or animal to seek and ingest salt-containing foods. The hunger for salt is also influenced by taste, traditions in cooking and preserving methods and the widespread availability of salt in industrial food.
To the point that it is difficult now to distinguish salt need from salt preference.

At some point in history, high salt consumption has been recognized as detrimental to health.

Research studies of salt effect on health fall in two categories. Many of them associate high intake of
salt to high blood pressure and increased rates of cardiovascular disease. But a lot others have found
flaws in their statistics and consider that there's no reason for healthy individuals to cut down their
salt intake. Especially that some studies used mice models.
However, in national studies in Finland, instituting a national salt-reduction program led to decreased sodium intake. The resulting decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressures corresponded to a 75 -- 80 percent decrease in death due to stroke and coronary heart disease.
You simply can't ignore such data.
A new article in The New England Journal of Medecine,  Salt in Health and Disease — A Delicate Balance
provides an overview of the current understanding of the relation of salt consumption to hypertension and
cardiovascular disease. If you can deal with medical terms, it's an interesting reading.

In terms of safety, the lower and higher limits of salt consumption have not been clearly identified.
There is an ongoing controversy, all parties shooting so many arguments and really, is difficult for me, at least, to trust any figures anymore.
When science is in doubt, I turn to my own experience and keep fingers crossed.
A very low-salt diet (less than 1500 mg) is almost impossible in a modern diet.
It's not feasible. Even a diet with less than 2000 mg of salt daily is quite difficult to follow, especially in winter.
There's no danger in fact of too low salt intake unless you have a diet of milk and fruits only, which no nutrition guru would recommend for a normal diet.

What about reducing salt when you are healthy, wealthy or not, wise or maybe not?
If you give up junk food and limit processed meat, which every doctor, nutritionist, health organization
in the world recommends, you are reducing quite a lot the salt in your diet.
But I guess whatever the science says, most people will eat as much salt as desired unless maybe at some point in life a doctor will say "stop this or you'll die".

Too much salt in your food can cause edema (swelling due to fluid retention). This is easy to notice.
If eating too much salty food in a day causes your ankles or joints to swell, then you have but one solution. Hide the salt shaker, add less salt to your food, limit consumption of processed meat and pickles. Generally, start reducing salt. How much? Obvious, to the point you won't notice edema symptoms.

What about hypertension? Should you reduce salt and how much?
When it comes to hypertension, reducing salt is a must.
In clinical trials, a reduction in salt intake is associated with reduced blood pressure, more so in
persons with hypertension than in those with normal blood pressure.
Reduced salt intake is associated with greater blood-pressure responses to anti hypertensive drug therapy,
including drug therapy in patients with resistant hypertension.

Whether you're healthy or have medical problems, there are studies that say that it's also important to increase potassium in your diet to counteract salt effects.
This is not at all difficult if you include beans, potatoes, nuts, oranges, mushrooms, tomatoes a.s.o. in your menu.
In my case, a diet with less cereals and starch (somewhat between a South Beach Diet and the Mediterranean Diet),   salt reduction (between 1600 - 2000 mg daily), increase of potassium rich food (around 4000 mg a day) and exercising a lot more resulted in the reduction of hypertension drugs need and generally less health problems.


However, in summer and when exercising a lot, I take care to drink mineral water  and eat a bit more salty.
Don't wait to become thirsty to drink water but, especially  when it's very hot outside, drinking too much water and eating less salt it's a recipe for feeling dizzy.

A bowl of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onion, parsley salad with olive oil, bit of lemon juice or vinegar, a few olives  and bits of white cheese is the best summer salad recipe.

The famous Greek or Bulgarian or Romanian Tomato Salad or by any other name is healthy, tasty and so easy to make.

I guess, with salt, as with anything good in our life, the key is in moderation.

Tip. When in Romania, visit Salina Praid, one of the biggest salt mine in Romania.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is a weak, water-soluble  acid found in citrus fruits and some vegetables. It gives them a sour taste. It is highly concentrated in lemons, where it can comprise as much as 8 percent of the dry weight.

The interesting thing is that citric acid is produced in our bodies in huge amounts (something like 1.5- 2 kilograms daily, in fact) but is also quickly metabolized.
In the year 1953 Sir Hans Krebs received the  Nobel Prize for medicine for discovering the important role of the Citric acid in a series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy. You can read more in Wikipedia,  about the citric acid cycle, also known as The Krebs Cycle.

There's no special relationship between citric acid and ascorbic acid, just two different chemicals.

It seems the citric acid we eat isn't used by the body at all. There's no need to eat it. But citric acid is widely used in the food industry as a flavor enhances and preservative, because of its low price and its ease of production.

The use of the citric acid is approved in the EU, E Number: E330
The United States Food and Drug Administration considers also citric acid to be safe when used as a food additive.
The acid was first artificially produced from citrus fruits but this technique was inefficient and only produced small quantities. Today citric acid is manufactured through the use of Aspergillus Niger, a mold that feeds on cheap corn syrup glucose
Increased acidity prevents bacterial and fungal growth, therefore prolonging the life of the food or drink. It also helps preserve flavor and maintains pH at a suitable level to prevent food degradation, especially canned food.
Why do they add citric acid when canning tomatoes?
Tomatoes were once considered an acid food that could be safely canned without any additive. However, because of the potential for botulism when some newer, less acidic tomato varieties are canned, certain precautions must now be taken.
Certain companies use it to give their food products, such as sweets and soft drinks, an "authentic" fruity flavor.

The citric acid is also commonly found in various cosmetic products. It is added to adjust the pH level of creams, lotions and gels to coincide with our natural skin pH level.
In detergents, shampoos and soap, the citric acid is added so that foam is more easily produced. It also increases the efficiency of these products as it helps dissolve stains more quickly.
The citric acid is favored over other additives because it is environmentally friendly, biodegradable and is relatively harmless.

While citric acid is generally safe, side effects do occur if an excess of the acid is used or consumed.
The entire digestive system can be irritated, causing heartburn and damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach.
Symptoms of citric acid in excess can include stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
Also the eyes, the respiratory organs and the skin can suffer with scratchy sensations from over-consumption of citric acid.
People with sensitive skin should avoid using creams containing citric acid as it may cause irritation or a rash to form.

Some doctors say that citric acid can damage teeth. The effects of citric acid on teeth have been known since at least the 1970's when the Journal of the American Dental Association presented a report indicating that the habitual use and abuse of foods containing the acid was linked to serious erosion of tooth enamel. Other scientific research have confirmed this research. It seems it's especially harmful to babies and children.
Many baby foods commercially available have small amounts of citric acid added to them as a preservative. A solution to cutting down on the amount of citric acid your baby ingests is by making your own baby food

At one point in our recent history some smart guy read about The Krebs Cycle.
The world “krebs” translates to English word “cancer” … and that’s what created the misunderstanding that citric acid causes cancer. But in fact it does not.

Except for some people which are allergic or have an intolerance to it, researchers are telling us that in small amounts, Citric Acid is harmless.
But.... If you read the labels on vegetable cans, soft drinks, jam, fruit yogurt, cookies or some processed meat product there's a big chance you'll find citric acid among ingredients.
Is this citric acid in "small amounts"? Is there any study on the effect of these "small amounts" of artificially citric acid on a long term, besides maybe the teeth damage?

Until we learn more about citric acid, best advice is to try to decrease citric acid in your daily menu.
- Eliminate soft drinks with artificially citric acid
- Buy tomato cans and tomato juice or other vegetables cans with no citric acid, whenever possible
- Limit the consumption of processed meat products
- Make your own jams from fresh fruit, no additives added. Add some lemon juice to your jam, for a better taste and preserving but no artificially made citric acid.
- Generally speaking, without becoming obsessed, avoid food which contains artificially produced citric acid, whenever it's possible.

References
Wikipedia - E Number
Wikipedia - Citric Acid
Twelve Quick Facts about Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, and Vitamin C
Lemon Juice Citric Acid for Canning Tomatoes

ps. How about a fresh lemonade, made with fresh lemon juice, bit of sugar, honey or xylitol, and a bit of ginger and mint? Don't wait for the summer, it's perfect now to prevent season colds. Best remedy if you already have the nasty cold.

Brown Fat

White Fat, Brown Fat, Beige Fat... This is beginning to sound like jazz.
Many of us would like to hear a simple pop song "An apple a day keeps the fat away" or maybe some hard
rock "Eat what you want 5 days and almost nothing for 2 days and you'll kill that fat".
But when it comes to the chemistry in our body, things are so complicated that can't be compared, not
even with a symphony.

I smile bitterly when I read that "weight gain is caused by a fundamental energy imbalance,
when energy intake from food chronically exceeds energy expended by physical activity and metabolic
processes".
A therapy for weight loss must, of course, involve less food intake and more exercise. But by far is
not enough. Anyone who's been through a diet knows this too well.
Humans have evolved incredible complex biological mechanisms to acquire and defend their energy stores.
Besides some "wheels" in this mechanism can malfunction, as a result of some environment changes, because of age, too much sugar and starch or I don't know what else.

For years now, scientists have been studying the brown fat, a type of heat-generating fat that burns
energy rather than storing it (like the white fat does).
Babies have it, to keep them warm. This explains why babies survived after hours spent in freezing cold.
Initially, researchers thought adults had no brown fat at all. But, surprise, adults have some of it too and it's playing an important role in heat production and energy metabolism.
Another surprise, brown fat provides a natural defense against obesity: people with greater quantities of brown fat have lower body weights

Following a severe diet makes things worse.
In normal weight people, brown fat burns energy while white fat tends to store energy.  But in obese
people following a calorie restricted diet, brown fat can become largely inactive which means both
types of fat become organs of energy storage making weight loss extremely difficult.
It's like you're driving a car, and the harder you press on the accelerator, the harder an invisible
foot presses on the brake.
While this phenomenon is known, scientists at Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the
University of NSW have found a scientific explanation. They used mice in their research but the
mechanism discovered is probably similar in humans.
They have shown that the neurotransmitter Neuropeptide Y (NPY), known for stimulating appetite, also
plays a major role in controlling whether the body burns or conserves energy.
“High levels of NPY signal to the body that it is in ‘starvation mode’ and should try to replenish and
conserve as much energy as possible. As a result, the body reduces processes that are not absolutely
necessary for survival.”
Brown fat, one of the primary tissues where the body generates heat and therefore uses up energy,  is
deactivated as a result.

A lot of hormones are involved in fact in human metabolism and I don't know how many other chemicals.
Not to mention the genome and the mechanisms that activate/ deactivate genes.
But when fighting the stubborn fat, you try to cling to the last straw.
Studies now try to find how to increase and activate the brown fat in obese people.

One year ago, researches at the Harvard University made an exciting discovery on mice models, confirmed
lately on human. It seems that exercise has more benefits that burning calories. A hormone, named
Irisin, is produced. Irisin is an "eco" traveler in our body. Increases the good brown cells and
decreases the "garbage sources", the white fat cells.
Irisin is not the only "by-product" of exercise, hundreds of proteins result which make us healthier.

Another candidate for increasing brown fat is Ursolic Acid, found in apples (especially in skin),
prunes, some Mediterranean herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme and several berries like
bilberries and cranberries.
Of course mass-media launched immediately a new top song "Eat apples" but it's not that easy.
Reasearch results are confirmed for the moment in mice only.
Nevertheless, an apple a day is one of the best ideas for your health.

Other researches discovered a protein that activates the brown fat but whether this discovery would be
practical for weight control, is unclear.

Best advice so far, until better methods are identified to increase the brown fat:
- don't follow fad diets, which restrict drastically calories. Don't eat too much either.
- what you eat and when you eat is very important. Don't eat too much in the evening. Eat a variety of
food, mostly vegetable, fruit and beans but also lean meats, eggs, dairy and cheese. Include "good fats".
Make fish, vegetable oils, nuts part of your weekly menu.
- a salad a day and a couple of fruits, apples and prunes included,  won't probably increase your brown fat but will keep the doctor away.
- make daily walking and other physical exercise a part of your life. Even if you won't see immediate
results, on the long term, your health and weight will improve for sure.

So, whatever song is on top, put your shoes on and start moving!




References

Mechanism That Regulates Production of Energy-Burning Brown Fat Discovered
Apple Peel, New Weapon to Fight Obesity
Wikipedia Brown Adipose Tissue
Ursolic Acid
Ursolic Acid Increases Skeletal Muscle and Brown Fat and Decreases Diet-Induced Obesity, Glucose 
Intolerance and Fatty Liver Disease
Understanding Obesity And How Brown Fat Cells Form
Turning White Fat Into Energy-Burning Brown Fat: Hope for New Obesity and Diabetes Treatments
Why obesity is stubborn
Protein that stimulates brown fat could boost weight loss strategies
Joslin Scientists Discover Mechanism That Regulates Production of Energy-Burning Brown Fat
A PGC1α-dependent myokine that drives browning of white fat and thermogenesis

Umami

How many basic tastes do we have? Sweet, salty, sour and bitter, one will answer quickly.
No so fast. There is one more, umami.
There was quite a debate starting with year 1908 when the Japanese Kikunae Ikeda  proposed it. The name umami comes from Japanese and means pleasant savory taste.
Only in 1985 the scientific world accepted this taste as the taste of glutamate and nucleotides.

 To identify umami think of a bowl of hot pasta with a delicious tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, a freshly grilled steak or fish, a mushroom dish, a stir-fried seafood or a dish of chicken with sofrito sauce. These flavors result from centuries of culinary tradition, including careful attention to ingredients and preparation.
The quality of the ingredients is essential and don't expect a dish made with frozen vegetables or vegetables
grown in a greenhouse to have the same umami as a dish made with fresh vegetables straight from the garden.

But still if cooked properly, your dish will have umami, a savory taste.

Umami depends on the concentration of glutamates and nucleotides and on salt. Eat food together with lots of bread or add too much salt, and, voila, less umami. I think sugar also diminishes umami. Green tea is more pleasant to the tongue if you don't add sugar.
Umami is good news for people who have to reduce as much as possible salt.
Soup with a proper concentration of the ingredients and less salt is delicious. Otherwise is like salted water.
Umami isn't lost in old age like other basic tastes or smell. This means old people can enjoy better the food if properly cooked, have a proper nutrition and be healthier.
Umami is present naturally in meat and vegetables. It can be found mostly in fish, seafood, cured meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, celery, green tea, cheese (especially parmesan), soy sauce
Babies meet with this taste from the very beginning in mother's milk. Breast milk has the same concentration of umami goodies as a good concentrated soup of fish or bones, meat and vegetables.

Glutamate, one of the umami ingredients, is an amino acid, found in all protein-containing foods.
Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamate. When MSG is added to foods, it provides a similar flavoring function as the glutamate that occurs naturally in food. MSG is comprised of nothing more than water, sodium and glutamate.
In the early 1900s, MSG was extracted from natural protein-rich foods such as seaweed. Today, MSG is made from starch, corn sugar or molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets. MSG is produced by a natural fermentation process that has been used for centuries to make such common foods as beer, vinegar and yogurt.
Scientific knowledge says MSG might be ok for your health. However, any Chinese will tell you not to use it for baked recipes as it will give you the headache of your life.
And some people complain anyway of headaches after eating food with MSG.
There is also this rumor, that MSG triggers obesity. Nothing is proved on this to date but...Researches have changed their minds so often that I wouldn't be surprised if one day they'll decide we have too much MSG in  foods. Food industry is using MSG on a large scale to improve food taste and I guess some people already have quite a lot of MSG in their daily menu.
A bit of MSG now and then won't hurt. However I'll try to avoid it as much as possible.
When in doubt, better don't eat it.
For the moment, I'll stick to good old traditional umami.


References
Everything You Need To Know About Glutamate And Monosodium Glutamate
Wikipedia - Umami