Subtle dietary flavors hide the path to health
Dietary flavors affect health, meaning that in your diet, the four flavors—too sour, too sweet, too salty, and too savory—can all impact health. In severe cases, they might even trigger diseases. Therefore, never underestimate your daily dietary flavors, as they can affect your physical health.
I. Too Sour
Vinegar has a sour taste and is widely used in cooking, but it is generally not suitable for use on its own. It can remove fishy odors, cut through greasiness, enhance flavor, whet the appetite, and make food refreshing and palatable. At the same time, it has astringent and binding properties, which can aid digestion.
Vinegar—Its primary roles are to increase sourness, aroma, and umami, and to harmonize flavors, cut through greasiness, and remove odors. Vinegar can boost metabolism, and consuming it is one effective method to prevent arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure. Vinegar can also stimulate the appetite and promote the secretion of digestive fluids, while possessing strong antibacterial properties. It can kill various bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli within 30 minutes. Eating more vinegar can also maintain the acidity of the intestines, achieving the effect of eliminating harmful bacteria. Simmering vinegar indoors for fumigation has a certain preventive effect on colds; gargling with vinegar water can treat mild pharyngitis. For scalds, rinsing with vinegar can relieve pain and reduce swelling, prevent blistering, and leave no scars after healing.
Contraindications: Vinegar should not be consumed in large quantities. Patients with stomach ulcers should especially avoid drinking vinegar to prevent harm to the body. Vinegar should not be eaten with mutton, as this can weaken the therapeutic effects of both and may produce substances harmful to the human body.
Vinegar for health has become a trend, quietly gaining popularity in homes, but vinegar may not be beneficial for everyone, and its side effects cannot be ignored.
II. Too Sweet
The sweet taste was called "gan" in ancient times. In Chinese cuisine, it is used more frequently in the south. In cooking, it can be used alone to make sweet foods or to adjust various complex flavor profiles, making food delicious and palatable. It can also remove bitterness and fishy odors and has a certain effect of cutting through greasiness.
Sugar—It makes dishes sweet, increases nutritional value, gives the finished product a smooth surface, and turns it golden or brown when heated. During exercise, a moderate amount of sugar needs to be replenished to increase blood sugar levels, supply energy, save the consumption of muscle glycogen, reduce the proportion of energy supplied by proteins and fatty acids, and delay fatigue. Sugar water can also stimulate the stomach and aid digestion.
Contraindications: Excessive sugar intake can lead to cavities and cause obesity, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and may even promote cancers such as breast cancer. Diabetics and patients with hepatitis should try to consume as little as possible.
Sugar is a staple food in every home, but hidden in its sweetness are potential threats to human health. In daily diets, those who have a preference for sweets often suffer from various diseases due to excessive sugar consumption.
III. Too Salty
The salty taste is the base for most complex flavors and is known as the "king of a hundred flavors." Since around 5000 years ago, during the time of the Yellow Emperor, salt has been known and consumed. Not only are general dishes inseparable from the salty taste, but even sweet and sour or hot and sour flavors need to be added with a moderate amount of salt to make them rich and palatable.
1. Salt—Enhances umami, cuts through greasiness, and has antibacterial and preservative properties. The main component of salt is sodium chloride, and a certain amount must be consumed daily to maintain metabolism, regulate the acid-base balance between body fluids and cells, and promote human growth and development. In addition, iodized salt is beneficial for the thyroid gland. Gargling with light salt water not only treats and prevents oral diseases like sore throats and swollen gums but also prevents colds. Drinking a cup of salt water in the morning after waking up can treat constipation.
Contraindications: Daily salt intake should not be too high; it should be less than 6 grams.
2. Soy Sauce—Mainly salty, with a fresh and aromatic flavor. It enhances the flavor, freshness, aroma, and color of dishes and can supplement nutrients. The amino acids in soy sauce are a major nutrient for the human body, especially some essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize and must be obtained from soy sauce. In addition, when a certain part of the body is scalded, applying soy sauce can relieve pain and detoxify; for swollen and painful fingers, soaking them in a mixture of heated soy sauce and honey can relieve pain and reduce swelling.
Contraindications: When taking medications for cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases such as Eunonyl and Monocline, soy sauce should not be consumed at the same time, as it can cause side effects like nausea and vomiting.
Salt is an indispensable condiment in people's daily lives. Without it, food would be tasteless, and one might feel weak. However, excessive long-term intake can easily affect health and trigger diseases such as high blood pressure, edema, and obesity.
IV. Too Savory
Umami is a delicious taste that people strive for in their diet, which can produce a feeling of comfort and pleasure. Umami mainly comes from amino acids, nucleotides, and succinic acid.
1. Chicken Essence—Chicken essence is rich in nutrients, such as abundant amino acids, proteins, and vitamins.
Contraindications: 1. Because chicken essence contains a small amount of salt, less salt should be added when using it. 2. The metabolic product of nucleotides in chicken essence is uric acid, so patients with gout should use it sparingly. 3. The solubility of chicken essence is poorer than that of MSG. If not used in soups, it should be dissolved first. 4. Chicken essence contains salt and is highly hygroscopic. Pay attention to sealing it after use; otherwise, the nutrient-rich chicken essence can grow a large number of microorganisms, which in turn can contaminate food.
2. Oyster Sauce—Made from oyster juice, it is also called oyster oil. It has a delicious and slightly sweet taste with a special aromatic fragrance and is mainly used in savory dishes. In addition to containing 5% to 8% crude protein, oyster sauce also contains various nutrients such as carbohydrates, organic acids, iodine, calcium, and vitamins. It contains as many as 17 types of amino acids, including 8 essential amino acids for the human body.
Contraindications: Oyster sauce contains sugar, so diabetics should consume it with caution. At the same time, it should not be overheated, as this will reduce its umami flavor.