Review of books

(In this section we publish reviews of the books from which we receive a copy in our library)

The Maillard Reaction Reconsidered. Cooking and Eating for Health.– Jack N. Losso.– CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2016.– XXV + 438 páginas.– ISBN 978-1-4822-4821-0.

The Maillard reaction has been known for more than 100 years, since Louis Camille Maillard firstly described this reaction in 1912. Since then, Maillard reaction has been widely studied due to its important consequences in food quality and safety. Thus, it is responsible, together with other reactions, for color and flavor changes produced in foods as a consequence of processing and/or storage. In the last decades, the presence of Maillard reaction products has also been shown in biological systems. These compounds are known as AGEs or ALEs depending on the origin of the carbonyl compound involved in their formation, which can be formed from either carbohydrates or lipids, respectively. AGEs and ALEs have been suggested to play an important role in the etiology of many illnesses. This book recollects the research carried out in this sense, as well as other research not clearly related to Maillard reaction, to recommend nutritional habits for a healthy life.

The book has been divided into three parts. The first part, entitled “The Maillard reaction and foods” includes three chapters: “Introduction to the Maillard reaction” (18 pages, 81 references); “Basic understanding of inflammation” (8 pages, 59 references)”; and “So tasty and yet proinflammatory” (30 pages, 90 referencias). The second part, entitled “The Maillard reaction and health disorders” includes thirteen chapters: “Obesity” (17 pages, 39 references); “Diabetes mellitus” (47 pages, 232 references); “Hypertension” (22 pages, 124 references); “Atherosclerosis” (14 pages, 46 references); “Kidney inflammation” (13 pages, 58 references); “Osteoporosis” (19 pages, 103 references); “Eye health” (10 pages, 27 references); “Multiple sclerosis” (15 pages, 78 references); “Erectile dysfunction” (10 pages, 61 references); “Insomnia and sleep disorders” (15 pages, 94 references); “Parkison’s disease” (9 pages, 62 references); “Cancer” (24 pages, 79 references); and “Alzheimer’s disease” (29 pages, 237 references). Finally, the third part, entitled “Champagne, caviar, good cuisine, and ice wine”, includes six chapters: “Healthy gut, healthy life” (15 pages, 52 references); “Adopting a diet” (50 pages, 194 references); “Thinking outside the traditional box and setting up and maintaining a healthy pantry, refrigerator, and freezer” (7 pages); “Food preparation techniques and potential health benefits” (21 pages, 116 references); “Addressing children, youth, and consumer education” (4 pages, 13 references); and “Champagne, caviar, good cuisine, and ice wine” (11 pages, 21 references).

In summary, an informative book that describes the research carried out in these subjects. It has been written thinking in people who want to adapt their food regime to the present trends for a healthy diet.

R. Zamora