The Chemistry of Food - Couverture souple

Dweck, Anthony

Couverture souple

ISBN 13 : 9798715270917

Editeur : Independently published, 2021

Synopsis

It was overheard in a conversation “What is the chemical for chamomile called?” This seemed a totally reasonable question but sadly it was the opportunity to overload that person with a completely out of perspective lengthy answer. Plants are magnificent factories producing hundreds of chemicals in all shapes and sizes that are responsible for the colour of the flowers, their smell, the fruits with their taste, sweetness, minerals, vitamins, amino acids and proteins. However, it is not only the fruits, there are the use of the roots, the tubers, the rhizomes, the leaves, in some cases the twigs and bark (especially in Chinese tea or Po Lei Cha most commonly drunk while eating dim sum).Food is not just a fuel, it is a powerhouse of specialist drugs that the body needs for healthy function, maintenance and repair. Some chemicals act as antioxidants or free radical scavengers mopping up potentially dangerous entites that can interact with healthy cells and cleave them into unwanted mutations. The polyphenolic materials like tannins and anthocyanins act as sponges mopping up these unwanted chemical species. The deeply coloured procyanidins and related molecules are particularly helpful to maintain good cardiovascular function. Other ingredients help to protect from diabetes and related blood sugar complications.The recently recommended ‘five a day’ selected from fruits and vegetables is a wonderful idea, indeed ten a day would be better still. ‘You are what you eat’ is very true, indeed the body is unable to manufacture many very important elements like the essential fatty acid the omega-fatty acids like linolenic and linoleic acid (GLA and ALA). The hair and skin thrive on a good diet and excellent hydration, the body needs the full complex of vitamins and minerals to look and feel radiant. Sometimes when you examine the breakdown of these foods you find molecules that are toxic in large amounts, and as Paracelsus said “the toxicity is in the dose”. The body needs trace amounts of poisons and toxins to function properly to ensure that nerve endings can communicate, immune systems can protect and organs can flourish.The plant, its flowers and fruits are so beautiful, that it is lovely to photograph them (or if you have the talent) paint them. Many enjoy growing them, preparing them, and cooking them. Best of all, most of us enjoy eating them and a good chef will find something that you may have seen but never tasted before like pilly pilly or finger lime served with smoked samon.If you’re a chemist; then there is one last joy and that is the molecule itself, its shape, its function and how it fits into a family of similar chemicals. It is also fascinating to find the same molecule or a close relative in other plants and then seeing if they are related in taste, smell or function. This becomes even more interesting when you look inside a family of plants like the Solanacea which has diverse fruits like the capsicum, tomato, potato, kutjera, melon pear, cape gooseberry and belladonna or deadly nightshade. This book will look at the chemistry of food - the herbs, the spices, the fruits, the vegetables, salads, tisanes and teas to explain why they are so good for the body.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Independently published
• Date d'édition: 2021
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 13: 9798715270917
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 441
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Manufactured by Amazon on behalf of the author; https://www.amazon.fr/hz/contact-us; ; c/o Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., 38 Avenue John F. Kennedy; Luxembourg; L-1855; Luxembourg