Ask the EN Experts: The Role of Zinc; Is Gum Safe for My Teeth?
Well, we’ve made it to July. For many of us, summer weather brings long-awaited warmth and sunshine AND heat waves and humidity that can make cooking inside feel like an unbearable chore. Cooking dinner over a hot stove while it’s 100 degrees outside? No, thank you. I’ll pass on that. Instead, many of us look for cooler options in the summer when we are preparing meals for ourselves and our families. The following includes some of my personal favorite tips for staying cool(er) while meal prepping in the summer heat.
- Choose your timing carefully. If your meal plan requires grains, pasta, or hardboiled eggs, prepare these early in the day to avoid the heat, then set them aside for use later.
- Embrace the entrée salad. Start with a green leafy base (the darker green, the better) and add extra veggies to your heart’s content. Check out our EN Restaurant Guide to get more tips and suggestions for making entrée salads a balanced and healthy focus of your meals.
- Cancel your oven. Instead of blasting your oven, consider using another kind of appliance like a programmable pressure cooker or toaster oven that can help make your meals without overheating your kitchen.
What other ways have you found to beat the heat?
The Role of Zinc; Is Gum Safe for My Teeth?
Q: What role does zinc play in the body?
A: Zinc is an essential nutrient (meaning that your body can’t produce zinc, so it must be consumed daily through food or supplements). This vital nutrient is used by the body in many ways. Zinc is second only to iron in its abundance in the body—it is present in every cell. This mineral is necessary for the activity of more than 300 enzymes that are used in metabolism, digestion of food, nerve function, and several other functions. Also important is zinc’s role in supporting the immune system—zinc is a key factor in the development and the function and activity of immune cells. Zinc is also an important compound in promoting skin health, protein production, and the synthesis of DNA, as well as playing an important role in cell growth and division. The senses of taste and smell are also involved—one of the enzymes that is needed for taste and smell is dependent on zinc. Zinc can be found in several kinds of foods, including meat, poultry, oysters, beans, nuts, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products.
Q: Is chewing gum safe for my teeth and dental health?
A: Like many issues, there are a lot of factors to consider in the debate about gum-chewing, but this answer focuses only on the dental considerations of chewing gum. The American Dental Association (ADA) notes that chewing sugar-containing gum may increase the risk of dental caries while chewing sugar-free gum is ‘non-cariogenic’ (it does not contribute to risk of dental caries or cavities). The act of chewing helps to increase the amount of saliva in the mouth so, if gum is chewed after a meal, this increased amount of saliva can help reduce plaque acid, strengthen the teeth, and help reduce tooth decay. Sugar-free chewing gums (sweetened with non-cavity-causing sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol, or aspartame) can receive the ADA Seal of Acceptance to show that they meet the necessary criteria for safety and efficacy. So, if you are currently a gum-chewer (and can do so safely), take a close look at your product to be sure it is sugar-free and ADA approved.
Write to us if you have a question. We’ll answer those of most interest to our readers. We regret, however, that we cannot personally respond. Send to: Environmental Nutrition, P.O. Box 5656, Norwalk, CT 06856-5656. Phone: 800-829 5384 Fax: 203-857-3103 e-mail: [email protected]
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