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SCIENCE &

KOSHER FOODS

Complete Proteins

Protein make up about 15% of an average person’s mass. Protein molecules can be found in enzymes, hormones, some body chemicals, bones, muscle, cartilage, ligaments, blood, skin, and hair. They promote growth, repair body tissues, participate in complex and sophisticated chemical reactions within our bodies, and are a source of energy. Proteins are also present in food: Meats, eggs, fish, dairy, and certain vegetables. Proteins are made of building blocks called amino acids. There are three types of amino acids: Non- Essential, Essential, and Conditional. • Non-essential amino acids: Non essential amino acids are produced by our bodies and cannot be obtained from food. This group includes four amino acids: alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. • Essential amino acids: Essential amino acids are not produced by our bodies and must be obtained from diet. They include: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Essential amino acids are readily available in meats, eggs, and milk. We call those foods containing the nine essential amino acids, Complete Proteins. • Conditional amino acids: Conditional amino acids are considered not essential except in periods of growth, sickness and stress, or when individuals cannot produce them on their own. They include: arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine, glycine, ornithine, proline, and serine. For a balanced diet, it is important to eat daily foods that provide essential amino acids. There are foods that when paired provide the body with all nine essential amino acids. Those foods are recognized in Nutricards Kosher   when paired together form twins making high-five. Recommended resource: HealthAliciousNess’ Complete Protein Calculator: https://goo.gl/fIdfRg 

Science and

Kosher Foods

The Kosher Food System began more than three thousand years ago during a time that the food preservation methods we use today were not available. In that regard, the guidelines for Kosher contained in the Torah protected the health of its followers by indicating easy to digest foods of high nutritional content and by providing the principles necessary for maintaining proper food safety.  Avoid Mixing Dairy And Meats A study published by the Oxford University Press in 2011 indicates that “Consumption of cow's milk (CM) by infants and toddlers has adverse effects on their iron stores, a finding that has been well documented in many localities. Several mechanisms have been identified that may contribute to iron deficiency in this young population group…” Source (https://goo.gl/Zmg6Md). It is also well known and documented  the recommendation of not taking iron supplements with milk because the calcium present in milk will diminish the iron absorption. Red meats are recognized as an excellent source of iron. Avoiding Cross- Contamination between Meats and Vegetables Cross contamination is the introduction of pathogens, chemicals, allergens, or foreign objects into ready-to-eat food, making the product unsafe to eat. Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread harmful bacteria to other foods, especially vegetables. Once those contaminants are in contact with vegetables, they are unsafe to eat.  For additional information on ways for preventing food cross- contamination, see Separate – Don’t cross-contaminate (https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep /basics/separate/). Risks of Eating Shellfish Eating contaminated shellfish can be life threatening. There is no cooking or food preservation method that would make safe a contaminated shellfish. Eggs with Blood Specks Zoonosis are infectious diseases that are transmissible from animals to humans. Salmonellosis is the second most common cause of bacterial foodborne illness after campulobacteriosis. Some studies  indicate that certain strings of salmonella can infect the ovaries of apparently healthy hens and contaminate their eggs before the shells are formed. Reference:  Some Animal Diseases and their Possible Impact On Food Safety – European Food Information Council https://goo.gl/fsa2vb