Prosciutto, melone, mozzarella and olives means one thing: that summer is almost here 😍🤩

Prosciutto and melon or bresaola and parmesan are the summer dishes par excellence, but is it really a good idea to consume them this season? Summer we eat and drink differently from winter. We ban soups, broths and herbal teas and start moving towards foods that seem fresher and healthier. They seem to us, but not always our summer eating habits are correct. A striking example is represented by beer, iced wine or alcoholic cocktails, which actually put our hydration at risk at a time of year when we sweat a lot and therefore lose more fluids than usual. Then there are less obvious examples related to foods or combinations to avoid, example prosciutto and melon or bresaola and parmesan.

Prosciutto and melon are indeed an appetizing food in summer. There is no need for great preparation and above all to turn on the stove. And then the melon is fresh in season. For bresaola and grana it is instead the question of simplicity, of taking the ingredients from the refrigerator and serving them. But will these foods really be good for our body in summer? The nutritionist's answer is clear: no – unless we are talking about the whim of a small one-off taste. La Cucina Italiana reports the opinion of Gabriele Piuri, doctor and researcher in Experimental and Clinical Nutrition, as well as an expert in natural medicines in Milan. To understand the reasons of the nutritionist, we must start from two elements: potassium and sodium. Potassium (chemical symbol K) is contained in fresh fruit from the most famous bananas to some citrus fruits. It is a fundamental electrolyte in the functioning of cells and as a regulator for blood pressure. It is also potassium that helps the kidneys expel sodium from the body. It is soluble in water, this means that, with sweat, we also dramatically lose potassium but we can also lose it with vomiting, diarrhea, use of diuretics or alcohol and excessive sodium consumption. 

When we talk about excessive sodium consumption, we must not think about who knows what quantity, but about what the World Health Organization recommends, that is, the one contained in 5 grams per day of salt. It is a minimum quantity, the ideal would be a fifth of that quantity, but we live practically surrounded by salt and therefore sodium. Very salty foods are precisely raw prosciutto and bresaola, not to mention aged cheeses (grana or parmesan does not matter), but also some dairy products, such as mozzarella. Salt is also present in many packaged products, even sweet ones, which have salt as a flavor corrector. 

So, if the melon is well consumed alone, the prosciutto is the problem in the combination of prosciutto and melon. So much so that the nutritionist recommends replacing the sausage with roast beef even if this combination does not seem exactly appetizing. Of course, you should avoid adding too much salt both as a raw dressing, for example in salads, and in our home preparations. The exception, of course, is the salt needed to salt pasta and especially rice especially if you are preparing a rice salad. This recipe, in fact, provides that the rice is rinsed for a long time after boiling, to eliminate excess starch and together with the starch also goes away a lot of salt that we have dissolved in boiling water.

So, basically, in summer we have to say no to sodium and yes to potassium. Remembering that all vegetables that contain the latter must be eaten strictly raw, because all types of cooking break down plant cells and dissolve potassium which we have already said is decidedly soluble in the cooking liquid. Then clearly it is common sense and the right means: completely eliminating a food from our daily lives can generate a counterproductive effect, namely the desire to consume large quantities accordingly. What do you think?