Dr. Michael Torres, PhD
Food Chemistry Columnist
PhD in Food Science from Cornell University. Researches Maillard reactions, nutrient bioavailability, and food processing effects on micronutrient content. Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Essays by Dr.
food-scienceDoenjang Fermentation: What Bacillus Subtilis Does to Soy Isoflavones
Doenjang's fermentation is driven by Bacillus subtilis and a shifting bacterial community, a genuinely different biology from Japanese miso's Aspergillus-based koji process, and it converts most soy isoflavones into more rapidly absorbed aglycone forms. The human cohort evidence on metabolic and blood pressure outcomes is real but modest, and it sits uneasily next to doenjang's very high sodium content and inconsistent cancer epidemiology.
food-scienceGochujang and Capsaicin: What the Fermentation and Metabolic Evidence Actually Shows
Gochujang's fermentation runs on a two-substrate biology that doenjang does not share, combining glutinous rice starch saccharification with soybean protein breakdown and a measurable capsaicinoid load from Korean red chili powder. The capsaicin-thermogenesis literature built on that chili content shows real but small effects, undermined by heterogeneity and a body of trials too thin to support the paste's popular 'fat burner' reputation, and gochujang's own sodium and sugar content complicates the case further.
food-scienceKimchi Fermentation: What the Lactic Acid Bacteria Actually Do
Kimchi fermentation is driven by a predictable succession of at least three lactic acid bacteria genera, not a single probiotic organism, and it measurably changes the vegetable's chemistry. The human clinical evidence for metabolic and gut benefits is real but modest, while several widely repeated claims remain animal-study findings that have not been tested in people.
food-scienceAntinutrients: A Reality Check on the Compounds You've Been Told to Fear
Phytates bind minerals. Oxalates form crystals. Lectins irritate the gut. The wellness industry has assembled these facts into a case against entire food categories. The actual evidence supports almost none of the dietary conclusions being drawn.
food-sciencePolyphenols: The Plant Compounds That Aren't Vitamins but Matter Anyway
Polyphenols are the bioactive molecules behind the color of blueberries, the bitterness of olive oil, the astringency of tea. They are not classified as nutrients, but the cumulative evidence linking them to disease prevention is now substantial.
micronutrientsEPA vs DHA: Why the Two Omega-3s Are Not Interchangeable
Most omega-3 supplements lump EPA and DHA together as if they did the same thing. The clinical research disagrees. Their effects on inflammation, cardiovascular risk, and brain function diverge in ways that matter for which product you buy.
food-scienceSaturated Fat: What Sixty Years of Research Actually Shows
The saturated fat hypothesis dominated cardiovascular nutrition guidance for over half a century. The research base it was built on has been re-examined, replicated, partially reversed, and re-litigated multiple times. The honest version of the current evidence is more nuanced than either the original orthodoxy or the contemporary backlash suggests.
food-scienceProbiotics Are Not Interchangeable: Strain Specificity Is the Whole Story
The supplement industry sells probiotics by genus and species. The clinical research operates at the strain level. The difference between Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 is roughly the difference between two different drugs, and most consumers do not know it.
micronutrientsCholine: The Essential Nutrient Almost No One Tracks
Choline was formally classified as essential by the National Academies in 1998, yet it is absent from most nutrition labels and most dietary tracking apps. Roughly 90% of American adults consume below the Adequate Intake — a gap with measurable consequences for liver, brain, and pregnancy outcomes.
food-scienceArtificial Sweeteners in 2026: An Updated Risk Assessment
The safety debate around artificial sweeteners has shifted significantly since the WHO's 2023 advisory on aspartame. Here is where the science stands now — and where the uncertainty remains.
food-scienceHow to Read a Nutrition Label Without a Chemistry Degree
Nutrition labels were designed for regulatory compliance, not for clarity. Here is how to extract useful information from a panel that was never built with you in mind.
food-scienceUltra-Processed Food: What the NOVA Classification Actually Tells Us
NOVA has reshaped how researchers talk about food processing. It has also introduced ambiguities that make 'ultra-processed' a less precise category than most people assume.