Q: I appreciate your writing about salt and sea salt. How can Campbell’s Soups claim that they have used sea salt and have, therefore, less salt? That has really been bothering me.
A: There’s two ways to look at the issue of sea salt. First, some science for review.
Ordinary salt is sodium chloride and is made of one molecule sodium and one molecule chloride. The crystals of the sodium chloride that form can be of any size. Think of a grain of salt from the familiar round blue box of Morton salt in your cupboard vs. a large salt lick placed out in the field for horses. Sea salt is usually a coarser salt….
Q: Many of your recipes indicate, “Those who are lactose intolerant should avoid it.” I am lactose intolerant, however, I don’t avoid dairy but rather take a lactase enzyme supplement when consuming dairy. Often that mean taking the enzyme once or twice a day. Is it safe to use the enzyme so often? It works well for me.
A: We are very strict about labeling the recipes on the Dr. Gourmet web site regarding health issues. With lactose that means that if the recipe contains any lactose it is marked with the statement “Those who are lactose intolerant should avoid it.”
Interestingly, lactose intolerance is an issue of how much lactose is in a particular dish. Lactose is the main sugar found in milk and is made up of two sugar molecules bound together. The body can’t absorb lactose and it must be broken down….
Q: What effect does taking saw palmetto have on Coumadin levels?
A: It’s important to check with your doctor about taking any supplements if you are on any prescription medication including Coumadin® (warfarin) but also others such as blood pressure medications and medications for cholesterol or diabetes.
The research on taking supplements is disappointing and few have shown any benefit. This includes saw palmetto, which in a large trial….
