The Intricacies of Food Preparation and Its Impact on Health and Taste

Our food is part of our lives, and we always want it to be at its best although, different people have different ways they love to cook their food, and the type of food we want to eat would determine the method to prepare it. In this post, I will be discussing a few things about our food, and how we prepare them.

I was seeing a video yesterday where a guy was eating Sashimi, and I asked if this guy can eat raw fish, could he possibly eat raw chicken as well? Cooking has become a part of human life, and eating any kind of raw meat is associated with some form of health risks but then some meats can cause more danger than others as a result of microbes or possibly parasites in them that can lead to certain health problems.

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When we mention fish, it is on the less harmful side of this spectrum, as it doesn't carry bacteria that are harmful to humans but then they can carry parasites and larvae like roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes. While refrigerating fish would kill the parasites in them, the best way to eat a safe fish is to cook it. With that said, bacteria that live in other animals like cows, and birds are enormous.

These bacteria can include Salmonella, E.coli, and so on can be very dangerous to humans if the bacteria find their way to the meat. It i important to cook these meat properly so as to help kill this bacteria but then, pork and chicken are more harmful as they carry harmful microbes. Pigs harbor the parasitic worm Trichinella Spiralis and the larvae form cyst in the muscle tissues of the pigs, so it is important to cook food properly, or deep fry them.

While frying and cooking is a good way to be sure one is eating safe food, people can also Microwave their food but then, some people believe that Microwaves change the nutritional value of their food. My sibling used to think of that and she would not microwave her food, in fact she would not eat remnants because she believed that the nutritional value of the food will be reduced drastically.

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The answer to this is actually YES, and while it is yes for microwave, it is also yes for so many other method of cooking. Cooking food actually reduces the nutritional value in food but then microwave removes less nutrient compared to baking and frying. Heating food helps to break down certain nutrients such as carbohydrate, protein, and vitamin. Heat causes changes in food, making them easy to digest but some like vitamin C gets destroyed when they stay too long in heat, so using a microwave heats the vegetable faster and helps it save the nutrient.

Either frying, baking, cooking, or steaming, one ingredient that makes that food sweet is salt. It is like the superhero for food and this is because why it makes the food salty, it adds to the effect of flavor perception. Salt is needed to survive since it is an essential part of our lives. If you doubt how essential salt is then let me help you understand. We use sodium ions to communicate in our neurons, managing of blood pressure, and so on but then, we do not make sodium by ourselves we need to get it through our diet.

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Thanks to the Epithelial Sodium Channel in the tongue taste receptor cells, we are able to taste salt in our tongue as it reduces the perception that something is bitter. This is because in the taste buds, sodium interferes with the binding between bitter compounds and their taste cells receptors, as well as influences other taste cells in the tongue.

The science behind food preparation is vital for making informed choices about our diet. From ensuring safety in consuming different types of meats to appreciating the nutritional impacts of various cooking methods and the crucial role of ingredients like salt, each aspect of food preparation contributes to our overall health and enjoyment of food. As we continue to explore and understand these dynamics, we can better appreciate the art and science of cooking, leading to a healthier, more flavorful culinary experience.

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