Niacin disinformation is worsening or continuing; & Tamales & Nixtamalization of corn.
I think I was hungry - recipes for leaf wrapped dishes from around the world are linked along with a list of herbs and spices commonly used in Polish cooking.
This article on niacin, highlighted by Microsoft, is now questioning if food fortification with niacin should be ended based on a controversial new study. The article is from March but a copy of it is being highlighted in today’s Microsoft news articles msn.com.
High Levels of Niacin—an Essential B Vitamin—Linked to Increased Heart Disease Risk - on msn.com the credit is ‘Staff author’. The link to the original article has this credit: By Lauryn Higgins, Lauryn Higgins is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist whose work focuses primarily on public health and wellness. health's editorial guidelines, Published on March 14, 2024, Fact checked by Nick Blackmer.
This has been an ongoing disinformation media blitz based on one recent study, rather than the earlier large body of research showing how critically important niacin is to overall health.
History: The previous body of research on niacin shows that it helps protect against heart disease and all-cause mortality.
“As GPR109A’s primary pharmacological ligand in clinical use, niacin has been used for over 50 years in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, mainly due to its favourable effects on plasma lipoproteins.” (Chai, et al., 2013)
Headline news on Bing today:
“The study, recently published in Nature Medicine, found a strong association between high levels of the vitamin and the risk of developing a heart attack, stroke, or other dangerous cardiac event.1”
Generally major changes to health recommendations are not made based on one study and particularly not when the one study didn’t even break n = 10,000. Sweeping population level recommendations, like food fortification, should not be made without population level data. A study group of 3613 US and European people is not really population level data and is likely ethnically biased. And the study was focused on a genetic variant - people with the “genetic variant rs10496731” are more at risk apparently for the negative metabolites forming from any excess niacinamide. Excess niacin is more likely to be made into other metabolites than the 2PY or 4PY being discussed in the article.
I and other science writers have covered this topic once or twice already - but Microsoft is pushing the disinfo within their top headline news of the day. *I was a little upset when I wrote the following post, due to a reader comment, but the issue was worked out. Totally re-editing the post though? I didn’t bother rewriting history.
Niacin deficiency is deadly and may be part of many chronic degenerative conditions as inflammation increases risk for lack of the B vitamin and other B vitamins.
The media is misrepresenting reality with the suggestion that niacin causes heart disease and death. Lack of niacin is known to cause the 4 D’s which you don’t want to progress through - diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and death. The classic presentation of ‘niacin deficiency’ skin problems include a sore and bright reddened tongue, and lower leg edema and skin rashes. If you have both diarrhea and skin problems, then the likelihood that you need more niacin (not niacinamide) is quite good. And do you really want to find out if dementia is the next door to be opened in your Game of Life?
The two forms of niacin that have been promoted as anti-aging include “nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)” and neither are as bioactive or do what niacin itself does. We need the niacin flush reaction to happen in order to get the inflammation reducing benefits. The Microsoft media blitz suggesting that we need to limit intake of niacin is misinformation - but questioning the fortification of foods with niacinamide might be a good question to ask. We should be fortifying refined grains with the flush type of niacin - or not be eating refined grains at all.
Indigenous method of niacin fortification of corn -
Nixtamalization of corn, grind the presoaked corn into masa dough and make into corn husk wrapped tamales.
Treating grains with an alkali like wood ash or lime in a pre-soaking method is how indigenous Americans improved the niacin content in their diet - corn was presoaked to increase nutrient content. Presoaking grains in an alkali solution would likely increase niacin bioavailability for other grains too. Nutrient content estimates for grains are likely based on an acid/alkali method rather than acid only, which is more similar to our digestion capacity. Whole grains that retain the bran will naturally have more niacin content as it is more concentrated in the bran. Wheat germ or wheat bran have more niacin than white flour. (Chamlagain, et al., 2020) Presoaking in an acid or alkali solution will also help reduce phytic acid content. *More info and recipes are linked later regarding nixtamalization and tamales and other leaf wrapped food delights from around the world.
The bulk of research on niacin has shown its importance for reducing mortality.
“In a cohort of individuals with fatty liver disease (quite representative of the modern general population, actually), niacin intake was inversely correlated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality throughout the range of intake, which exceeded 75 milligrams per day.” - Chris Masterjohn, MD (Substack)
The disinformation is based on all forms of ‘niacin’ being lumped together as “Niacin is bad, um kay.” The niacinamide form that is less bioactive is the form that is now used in practically all multivitamins and B complexes is the form that is more likely to cause the associated health risk. It is not the form that we would typically be getting from eating meats or drinking coffee.
Why would media be blitzing us with the idea that niacin causes death from heart disease?
There has been an increase in sudden death and the media are blaming that on shaking your bed duvet among anything else they can imagine besides (CoV injections).
Niacin is needed in greater amounts during inflammation and helps reduce inflammation and cellular debris. It would be helpful to health during our current situation for varied reasons.
Dmitry Kats, PhD is right in his basic scientific discovery. High dose niacin helped reduce CoV illness in a nursing home - he did a study in early 2020 that didn’t get peer review published (I think). I started flush niacin based on his theory and collected research and I loved it. Years later my uric acid got too high, but overall, I still love niacin and still take 50 mg once or twice a day. Taking niacinamide too became a problem and I stopped that when I added nicotine, as all three are playing in the same chemical arena and the combination made me dizzy - I found that mentioned in the research literature and stopping the niacinamide was effective - no more or not much dizziness without the niacinamide.
The media blitz should be saying ~ “Niacinamide fortification may not be as beneficial as hoped.”
Niacinamide is a downstream form of niacin which is already not bioactive for doing the good stuff that niacin does for us. It became the widely used form for vitamin supplements because it doesn’t cause a niacin flush sensation. However, IT IS THE NIACIN FLUSH REACTION WHICH IS REMOVING INFLAMMATION FROM THE BODY - directly as heat. Niacin also helps the body remove physical crud like misfolded proteins (or self-assembling nanotech), by signaling white blood cells to scoop up more cellular debris within endolysosomes.
Butyrate in the colon does the same thing for the colon cells when Bifidobacterium species and other butyrate producing species are present. Chimeric spike tends to kill those species. Adequate zinc and resistant starches helps to feed them and pomegranate peel supports their existence too, while taking out negative species and Candida yeast.
This is frustrating to watch - the media control works. Censorship works. People are dying because they are being lied to or are being directly killed by accepting “medical” policies that are dangerous rather than protective. While I got my deNutrients Twitter account back from having been CoV era banned for life, the algorithms still hide me there on X.com. Negative marks against accounts are not removed within the algorithm, accumulating over the life of the account, and that affects how much of what you post is being shared to your Followers or to the general stream. “Freedom of speech but not freedom of reach” is the X.com slogan regarding ‘free speech’. News is happening there. I may try the premium service and see if that improves my stream.
Getting lost in a corn field is no joke. You can’t see, you can only follow corn rows and the corn husks are kind of sharp and scrape bare arms. Fun to play in as a kid, but potentially terrifying. Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash
Nixtamal corn, masa dough, or corn flour
Nixtamal flour: “Nixtamal flour, also known as masa harina, is a type of corn flour that has been treated with calcium hydroxide (also known as slaked lime) through a process called nixtamalization. This ancient Mesoamerican technique makes corn more nutritious, easier to grind, and changes its flavor and aroma.” (Brave AI summary)
*While corn does not have gluten, it does have another protein which signals Tight junctions between intestinal cells to open, and that adds to Leaky bowel issues and autoimmune or allergy risks. Good vitamin D status is protective and a diet high in microbiome supporting resistant starches and zinc.
Corn presoaked with the alkali solution may then be dried and ground into flour or ground wet and made into a tamale dough. Nixtamalized corn - presoaked in alkali, is called hominy when used as a whole corn. It may be served plain with butter as a starchy side dish or it might be used as whole corn in a stew. Hominy cooked with scrambled eggs is delicious. The soaked grains are large and softened compared to corn on the cob style.
“The nutrient profile of corn is actually improved by nixtamalization, but this is relevant only if your diet is totally dominated by corn. For people with varied diets, nixtamalization is important because it makes the masa bind better. If corn hasn’t been nixtamalized, masa made from it will barely form a ball, let alone survive the tortilla press and subsequent transfer to a pan or comal. And tamales made from regular cornmeal tend to be more crumbly when unwrapped.
Of course, for stews with whole corn kernels, any cooked corn will work, but for traditional flavor and texture of Mexican posole, you should use nixtamalized whole corn kernels, also known as hominy.”
How to Nixtamalize Corn for Tortillas, Tamales, Posole and More, By Melissa Johnson, October 30, 2021, (breadtopia.com).
Steamed tamales. Masa corn dough is spread on a corn husk, a meat filling is added and rolling of the husk surrounds the meat with the dough. The rolled corn husks are steamed in a large pan so many can be prepared at once. Photo by Dennis Schrader on Unsplash. Recipe summary (Brave AI summary)
Sustainable living means using the resources that nature provides us - like corn husks and corn and wood ash as a source of alkalinity.
Can baking soda be used instead of pickling lime? - a question on Reddit/r/ AskCulinary… “Turn your baking soda into sodium carbonate by "cooking" it in the oven. sodium bicarbonate has a ph around 8.3 whereas sodium carbonate is around 11, which is closer to the ph of lime. And yes, it will work.” (reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/jhiqg1/nixtamalization_at_homesubstituting_baking_soda/) > The conversation about the reddit? shared this video on how to make sodium carbonate in a pan - and you get to watch the CO2 and water vapor bubble off. (youtu.be) Tip from video: Sodium carbonate is needed in soap making and using baking soda can be an easier way to get it than finding sodium carbonate for sale.
How-To Recipes for making traditional shredded pork or beef filled tamales
How to prep corn husks for making tamales - spoiler, dry them in advance and store a season’s worth at harvest time. Or buy a package of predried corn husks at the Mexican grocery store near you. The husks need to be presoaked overnight before being used to make the tamales. (sweetlifebake.com)
Can we use fresh corn husks? Yes - but straight from the plant is better, and steaming slightly in a skillet to soften them may help when rolling in addition to first removing any large plant veins. (Brave AI summary) Dried and rehydrated is more pliable apparently. But the fresh leaves can add a fresh sweet flavor to the tamales.
Mom's Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipe (Beef) (everydaysouthwest.com) - this is made with a purchased fresh masa product. Mom’s secret is a lot of lard whipped into the corn masa for a light and fluffy tamale texture.
Grandma Salazar’s Tamales - Grandma’s ratio: “For every 2 cups of masa harina (meal), add ½ cup of shortening or lard, 1tsp. of salt, and enough chili powder to make a pink dough.” (deliciousdays.com) The recipe uses a mix of beef and pork - it is a soft cooked shredded meat filling, similar to shredded Barbecue pork. It can be prepared in advance. Steamed tamales can be frozen for later dining. Tamales are time consuming to fill and fold and many hands help the project get completed sooner.
“The tamal (plural, tamales) has a long history in the Southwestern US, Mexico, Central and South America. Sources conflict on when the first tamales originated and in what form (some say thousands of years B.C.) but what is certain is that Latin cultures have fully mastered the art, and in each country and region you can find different interpretations of that delightful little package. The makings of a tamal reveal its ancient and rustic history. Maize is cooked in an alkaline solution, typically limewater, to separate the hull from the grain which is then ground and dried to become the meal we know as masa harina. This process is called nixtamalization and was developed in Mesoamerica, and used to sustain Aztec and Mayan warriors.
Tamal filling varies widely depending on the region, and the creation comes wrapped in a corn husk or some type of leaf.
In my travels, I have had savory meat tamales wrapped in corn husks spiked with ground chilies, large tamales wrapped in banana leaves, smothered in Oaxacan mole, sweet little dessert tamales with cinnamon and raisins inside, Costa Rican Christmas tamales with green and red bell peppers (void of anything “picante”) to celebrate the season, a Marin County white tablecloth version overlooking the San Francisco Bay, far too many poor renditions at various Mexican-American restaurants, and then there are Grandma’s.
Anything my Grandma’s hands have touched is beyond delicious. She is a real-life Tita from Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate…a must read for all Foodies) – she was born to cook.”
Grandma Salazar’s Tamales, a guest post by Stephanie, (deliciousdays.com)
Cultural appreciation is about learning from each other
Diversity’s strength is in sharing our skills and ancient knowledge with each other. Human creativity’s strength is in looking around us at nature and figuring out ways to use what we are given.
The Greeks have a similar dish made with grape leaves stuffed with a lemon and mint rice and meat filling called Dolmades or Dolmathes - yum. Recipes: Dolmathes using canned grape leaves or Dolmades with directions for using fresh leaves - the leaves are boiled briefly.
Stuffed cabbage leaves are a dish served farther north in European countries or diaspora, but also has versions in the Mediterranean and Middle East areas. (Brave search summary/results scroll down) A vegan version of Polish meat stuffed cabbage rolls remembered from her childhood (thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/polish-style-stuffed-cabbage-leaves/) - is an example of not much protein. In a recipe for 4-6 servings, 50 grm of walnuts is the only protein ingredient - 1 1/2 ounces of walnuts for 4-6 servings. Serve this vegetable and grain side dish with a Tofurky I guess.
I would add a little caraway seed too, if calling it a Polish style meat dish alternative.
Related - Spices and blends commonly used in Polish cuisine: (Brave AI summary)
Traditions in Polish Spice Blending
Polish cuisine is known for its hearty and savory flavors, often achieved through the use of a variety of spices and herbs. While Polish cuisine may not be as renowned for its spiciness as other cuisines, certain spices and seasonings play a significant role in enhancing the flavors of traditional dishes. Here are some common Polish style spices:
Black Pepper: A staple in Polish cooking, black pepper is used liberally to add depth and warmth to many dishes.
Nutmeg: Ground nutmeg is commonly used in Polish baking, particularly in sweet breads and pastries, as well as in savory dishes like meat stews and soups.
Cumin: Although not as widely used as in other European cuisines, cumin is occasionally employed in Polish cooking, particularly in dishes like bigos (hunter’s stew) and kielbasa (sausage).
Juniper: Juniper berries are used to add a subtle, piney flavor to certain dishes, such as sauerkraut and pickled vegetables.
Marjoram: This herb is often used in Polish cooking, particularly in combination with parsley and dill, to add fresh, aromatic flavors to dishes like salads, soups, and sauces.
Caraway Seeds: These seeds are commonly used in Polish baking, particularly in rye bread and pastries, as well as in savory dishes like meatballs and stews.
Paprika: While not as widely used as in Hungarian cuisine, paprika is occasionally employed in Polish cooking, particularly in dishes like pierogi (dumplings) and stuffed cabbage rolls.
Horseradish: Fresh or prepared horseradish is used to add a spicy kick to many Polish dishes, such as sausages, meat dishes, and sauces.
Traditional Polish Spice Blends
Vegeta: A popular Polish spice blend, Vegeta contains a mix of dried vegetables, herbs, and spices, including paprika, garlic, and onion.
Kaszanka: A traditional Polish spice blend used in soups and stews, Kaszanka typically includes a combination of black pepper, nutmeg, and allspice.
Mother Nature provides us health, around the world, in many flavorful packages!
Some Polish sausages using caraway seeds or juniper berries are included in this article from thespruceeats.com - Polish sausages you will love.
Food preservation and ability to take ready to eat finger food along for a ‘work day’ of some sort are needs of a society. Nature provides strong bitter flavors along with food preservation ability in the caraway seeds, juniper berries, black peppercorns, or fennel and mustard seeds. Around the world we can find similar dishes because we need to eat and we need our food to not spoil.
Add flavorful seeds to your sausage, chutney, or pickles because they act as food preservatives in addition to adding flavor.
Caraway ‘seeds’ stand out with a burst of unique flavor in rye breads and sausage blends. And some cheeses - or the crackers, are made with caraway seeds. Caraway are halves of a dried mini fruit that splits apart rather than being a single seed. (bbc.com) Photo by Katrina Wright on Unsplash
Strong flavors can balance with other strong flavors or stand alone. Braised leg of lamb with a chicken-based barbecue gravy has caraway roasted potatoes on the side:
“For the caraway roasted potatoes
6 Ratte potatoes (or other small floury fingerling potato), cut in half on an angle
To make the caraway roasted potatoes, cut the potatoes into thick pieces and toss in the garlic, caraway and olive oil. Reduce the oven to 210/190C Fan/Gas 6 and roast the potatoes until golden-brown and tender – around 30 minutes – then add the butter and toss the potatoes to glaze. Keep warm.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health care guidance.
(Chamlagain, et al., 2020) Chamlagain, B., Rautio, S., Edelmann, M., Ollilainen, V., Piironen, V., Niacin contents of cereal-milling products in food-composition databases need to be updated, J of Food Composition and Analysis, Vol 91, 2020, 103518, ISSN 0889-1575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2020.103518. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157520300971
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any study pushing weak excuses for the more and more common SafeAndEffective™ cardiac issues should be shoved back into the propaganda orifices it crawled out of.
I love my Niacin 1 or 2 times a week at 500mg (not really as companies use room for fillers and binders - rarely is it pure) - Once you clear the body of the issues the niacin only gives a small flush.
any study pushing weak excuses for the more and more common SafeAndEffective™ cardiac issues should be shoved back into the propaganda orifices it crawled out of.
I love my Niacin 1 or 2 times a week at 500mg (not really as companies use room for fillers and binders - rarely is it pure) - Once you clear the body of the issues the niacin only gives a small flush.