Caviar Health Dictionary

Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): High Protein: High Fat: High Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: High Carbohydrates: Low Fiber: None Sodium: High Major vitamin contribution: B vitamins Major mineral contribution: Calcium, iron, phosphorus

About the Nutrients in This Food Caviar is a high-fat, high-cholesterol, high-protein, low-carbohydrate food. It is extremely high in sodium (650 mg/oz.) and, ounce for ounce, contains twice as much calcium as milk.

Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Low-cholesterol, controlled-fat diet Low-salt/low-sodium diet

Buying This Food Look for: Shiny, translucent, large-grained gray fresh caviar (sturgeon roe) with a clean aroma. Look for: Tightly sealed tins and jars of less expensive roe. Lumpfish roe is small-grained and usually black. Cod, salmon, carp, pike, and tuna roe are large-grained and orangey red or pinkish.

Storing This Food Store fresh caviar in the coldest part of the refrigerator; it will spoil within hours at tempera- tures above 39°F. Store jars of caviar in a cool, dark place.

Preparing This Food Always serve caviar in a dish (or jar) nestled in ice to keep it safe at room temperature. The roe contains so much salt that it will not freeze. When making canapés, add the caviar last so that the oil does not spread and discolor the other ingredients.

How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Pressing. Pressed caviar is caviar with 10 percent of its moisture removed. As a result it con- tains more nutrients per ounce than regular caviar and is even higher in sodium.

Medical Uses and/or Benefits Omega-3 fish oils. Caviar contains the same protective oils found in other fish (see fish).

Food/Drug Interactions MAO inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase (M AO) inhibitors are drugs used as antidepressants or antihypertensives. They inhibit the action of enzymes that break down tyramine, a natural by-product of protein metabolism. Tyramine is a pressor amine, a chemical that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. If you eat a food that contains tyramine while you are taking an M AO inhibitor, the pressor amine cannot be eliminated from your body and the result could be a hypertensive crisis (sustained elevated blood pressure). Caviar contains small amounts of tyramine.