p. 13 | Dietetic Accessories by A. B. Olsen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 20, 1913

Dietetic Accessories

By A. B. Olsen

A. B. OLSEN, M. D., D. P. H.

There are a large number of articles, most of which possess no appreciable nutritive value either in the way of building material or fuel, that are used for the purpose of heightening or neutralizing the natural flavors of foods, adding new flavors, or in some way or another acting the part of a perfume or flavor and so rendering the food supposedly more attractive and tasty. The natural question arises, Does man alone of all animals require such accessories, whether they are harmless or otherwise, and, if so, to what extent are they permissible, consistent with good health?

The question is rather difficult to answer, for we are bound to admit that flavorings of one sort or another are used almost universally throughout both the civilized and the uncivilized world. Nevertheless, in spite of this fact it seems clear that a healthy man does not require spices, condiments, and other flavorings for the purpose of making his food palatable. If he possesses anything like a natural appetite, and this we are entitled to presume in the case of a healthy man, his palate will require no artificial stimulation; he will eat all the food that he can use to advantage without the addition of condiments, and any excess would only cause trouble. On the other hand, if appetite is wanting, that is a strong indication that food is not required, even though meal-time has arrived, and the wisest plan is to postpone eating until appetite returns.

Invalids and Convalescents

But it is clear that there might be exceptions, as in the case of persons who are in poor health, or who have just recovered from a long and severe illness and have completely lost all desire for food, and are not in a position to do sufficient manual labor or take sufficient physical exercise to develop normal hunger. Still, in most of these cases carefully selected food, plainly but efficiently cooked and is served in an attractive way, is preferable. There is always great danger in taking condiments to excess, for the more they are used the more they are craved, until persons sometimes get in the habit of taking quantities which in time destroy natural appetite and debilitate the organs of digestion. Good cookery should not only prepare food for digestion, making it susceptible to the influence of the various digestive juices, but also should develop and emphasize the natural flavors of the food; and if this were the rule rather than the exception, there would be less call for condiments and spices. Under anything like ordinary conditions of health and activity the natural appetite needs no goading, and plain but wholesome fare without the addition of special relishes is acceptable. We must not forget that fruit, either fresh or stewed, with its fragrant perfumes and luscious flavors, makes the best and most wholesome relishes obtainable.

Careful Discrimination

All who indulge in any dietetic accessories should discriminate carefully between those which are harmless when taken with strict moderation and those which are always more or less injurious and consequently should be discarded altogether. For example, there are the acrid or peppery condiments, including

both black and white peppers, Cayenne pepper, capsicum, chillies, curcuma, and kava, a pepper used in eastern Asia. Prof. A. Gautier in his standard work on “Diet and Dietetics” tells us that “pepper irritates the digestive and urinary tracts. It is aphrodisiac.” Pepper contains an irritating essential oil, and also a poisonous alkaloid, piperin. Although we realize that pepper is very widely employed in almost all lands, still we do not hesitate to condemn its use for dietetic purposes. There is reason to believe that it is not infrequently the cause of even serious or grave liver disease, especially in those lands where it is most freely used, as in the case of Mexico. It is one of the accessories which should never find a place on the table of the health reformer.

Most of what we have said about peppers applies equally to mustard, either the black or the white variety. Mustard, too, possesses irritating and harmful properties, and it can not fail to cause more or less mischief in the digestive tract. It is true that mustard is sometimes valuable in the form of a plaster, but we would suggest that the plaster should be applied to the skin, and then only for the relief of pain or the treatment of some specific disorder, and not indiscriminately to the sensitive walls of the stomach simply for the purpose of gratifying an unnatural taste. Both ginger and horseradish belong to the same category as pepper and mustard, and they, too, are to be regarded as irritants of the delicate mucous membranes of the digestive tract, and the best way to deal with them is to avoid them entirely, except for medicinal purposes.

Sugar is a good example of an article which is both a food and a condiment, and of course, at least in the case of non-diabetics, its moderate use is permissible. It is well to bear in mind that formerly sugar was used as a medicine, and if the majority of persons nowadays used sugar only in medicinal doses instead of in the large quantities that so many take, they would be far better off. Until recent years sugar was always regarded and used as a luxury, but now in many countries it has come to be taken far more freely than is desirable for health. Another objection to sugar is the deteriorating effect which it has upon the teeth. Sugar and sugary foods are a prolific cause of decaying teeth.

Aromatic Spices

There is a long list of aromatic spices, some of which are mild and comparatively harmless when taken in strict moderation. There is the pleasant flavor of vanilla, which is a universal favorite, and which is not likely to cause any serious harm when used with discretion. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are less innocent spices, and their use in anything but the minutest traces is certainly undesirable. There is really no necessity for the use of cloves, which are closely related to the peppery condiments, and are hence best omitted from the culinary department of the health culturist.

Aniseed, cumin, fennel, parsley, saffron, laurel, thyme, sage, mint, savory, caraway seed, tarragon, and pimpernel, for the most part, belong to the milder savories and flavorings, and although they are one and all unnecessary, still there is little chance of harm arising from their discriminate and sparing use.

Acid Condiments

The most common acid condiment is vinegar, of which there are several varieties. It is well to bear in mind that vinegar is a much adulterated condiment. A pure, good grade of vinegar should contain five per cent of the strongest acetic acid, and it usually contains traces of alcohol, as well as other ingredients. The effects of acetic acid upon the body are anything but benign, and we need not hesitate to consign vinegars, with peppers and mustard, to the class of condiments which should be discarded entirely. Speaking of acetic acid, Dr. Robert Hutchison tells us in his authoritative book “Food and Dietetics” that “there is still reason to believe that it has an unfavorable influence in gout, and may even precipitate an attack if freely indulged in.” There is little excuse for using vinegar, seeing that lemon-juice, which readily serves all the wholesome purposes of vinegar, is easily accessible, and contains at the same time an acid which is both refreshing and wholesome. Lemon-juice and olive-oil make a far better and more healthful dressing for salads than vinegar and olive-oil, and any one who has not given it a trial will be surprised at the pleasant and delicate flavor of the juice of lemons or limes. Both of these fruits, as well as oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit, contain citric acid, which is a natural fruit product, while acetic acid is the result of decomposition and fermentation, and its influence is more or less hurtful.

Before leaving the subject of acid condiments, we must say a word about pickles prepared by the use of vinegar and various other flavorings. The ideal way to make a food article indigestible and troublesome to the stomach is to pickle it. The very processes through which pickles are passed are intended to act as a preservative, and the ingredients used for this purpose have more or less antiseptic and disinfectant properties which render the pickle unfit for food. Generally speaking, we may say at once that pickles, whether sour or sweet, should be omitted from the table of the health reformer.

Salt is another unnecessary condiment, and one that is decidedly provocative of skin disorders when used freely, especially in the case of those who are susceptible. Any but the most sparing use of salt throws additional work on the kidneys, and therefore those who suffer from kidney disease should avoid salt entirely. A natural diet provides all the salts required by the body, and in the only form in which they can be utilized. It is a moot question whether common table salt is of any use to the body except as a flavoring.

Animal Condiments

We can not leave the subject of condiments without at least mentioning the various animal preparations of one kind or another that are supposed to be appetizing and have a stimulating effect upon the palate. We may say at the outset that most of these animal condiments undergo various processes of putrefaction in their preparation, and it is this decomposition which produces the extractives that appeal so strongly to the epicure. It is a well-known fact that the Chinaman is fond of half-putrid fish, the German of Limburger cheese, which is also in a state of putridity, while the Englishman has a predilection for a ripe Stilton or Gorgonzola cheese, both of which are in much the same condition as Limburger. The pâté de foies gras, which is a toothsome morsel of the epicurean degenerate, is nothing more or less than the fattened and diseased liver of a stuffed goose. Anchovies, caviar, botargo, and similar preparations need only to be mentioned to be condemned offhand.

Then there are the numerous meat extracts, which, as we have already explained in a previous article, contain the waste matters of animal flesh. It is difficult to account for the use of such preparations, and, indeed, a large number of the accessories which we have mentioned, unless we ascribe it to the cravings of a perverted appetite. Surely persons who are able to carry on their ordinary occupation and possess a fair amount of health are far better off without taking these irritating and oftentimes more or less poisonous preparations, which in themselves not only possess no real food value, but also throw upon the digestive organs a large amount of useless work.