Culinary professionals should be aware of contemporary nutrition topics.
Nutrition is an important consideration for culinary professionals as well as consumers. Studies into the field of nutrition yield new results on a regular basis, which define and redefine the way people cook and eat. Topics in the field relate to specific nutrients in foods, as well as cooking techniques, consumption habits, or dangers.
Herbal Antioxidants
Antioxidants have long been associated with food groups like fruits, vegetables and cereals. Consider other sources of antioxidants, particularly culinary herbs, and their use in culinary practices. A study published in a 2003 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition" found that certain dried herbs contained very high concentrations of antioxidants. These herbs include oregano, sage, peppermint, thyme, lemon balm and cinnamon. When factoring in antioxidant contributions to a meal, herbs should play a major role as they are significant sources.
Culinary Oils
Many oils are on the market including olive, soybean, sunflower seed, rapeseed and those made from various nuts. The important nutritional topic to understand is that each type of oil is composed mainly of fats, and should not be used in more than moderate amounts in culinary practices. While some tout the health benefits of certain types of oils, more research is needed for those benefits to be conclusive. Possible healthful components of oil include vitamin E, squalene and sphingolipids, but all in small amounts. The main reason for using a particular oil in culinary practices, then, should be based on consistency and flavor overall.
Cooking Vegetables
Amino acids are important in that they are the building blocks of protein, and many of them are essential to proper health. When cooking vegetables that contain amino acids, certain techniques retain these nutrients better than others. A study sponsored by the University of Santiago de Compostela, for instance, found that cooking green beans in a covered pot or pressure cooker caused them to lose more amino acids than if they were steamed or cooked in a microwave. This may suggest ways to better cook all vegetables to retain maximum nutrients.
Cow's Milk Nutrition
Cow's milk is an interesting topic in culinary nutrition because it incorporates a number of disciplines. It is a popular commodity used by itself or in various recipes, but biological anthropologists have found variations in people's ability to actually digest it. Cow's milk can often pose a health risk to those who are lactose intolerant, yet marketing and advertising of the commodity push the product upon consumers. While it does have healthful aspects, like calcium and vitamin D, consumers and culinary professionals need to be sensitive to the detrimental affect it can have on certain members of the population.
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