The Benefits of Flavor

The Benefits of Flavor
Flavorful food is a joy and a pleasure that needs no excuse or justification. Nevertheless, it is actually healthy as well.

Flavor can guide us in making nutritional choices, as mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, but that is not all.

What the physiologists call the hedonistic aspect of taste, in this case the sheer delight that good seasonings can bring to eating apparently has real health benefits.

Good flavor, or even anticipated good flavor suggested by the appetizing appearance and smell of the food, cause saliva to gather in the mouth.

Saliva contains an enzyme that begins digestion, especially of the starches and it also helps moisten and soften for food swallowing.

The stomach also responds to pleasant flavors by secreting extra gastric juices.

So the better the flavor, the better our digestion, and the more comfortable healthy and well nourished we are.

Consider the so-called “French paradox”: the traditional French diet is heavy with cholesterol-laden foods – cream, butter, eggs, red meats, cheeses, goose liver – and French eaters do have high cholesterol levels in their blood, but the do not have the high rate of heart attacks that American doctors associates with this condition.

One of the most convincing hypotheses put forward to explain this paradox is that in France the traditional relaxed enjoyment of good, flavorful food at the table is what keeps the heart attacks away.

Seasoning can make appetizing the foods that the doctor orders, by they low salt, no cholesterol or simply more vegetable.

A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down; a handful of herbs nicely compensates for salt; and intriguing spices make-up for lowering the fat content.
The Benefits of Flavor