Are Irkotta, Ġbejniet and Milk suitable for people with a high blood pressure?
Many Maltese are afflicted with high blood pressure and need to limit their sodium salt intake. 1) Irkotta is made with a mixture of calcium and sodium salts. The calcium is necessary to bind the proteins while the sodium prevents the curd from being too hard. The sodium used is therefore a necessary ingredient in the manufacture of Irkotta. It also gives the irkotta a pleasant taste which would otherwise be bland. The amount of salt used is however kept to a minimum and has been reduced over the years to make Irkotta more acceptable for people with moderate hypertension. The amount of Sodium is very low when compared to other cheeses. 2) Ġbejniet friski (Fresh cheeselets) contain the same amount of salt as Irkotta. Cheeselets made without any salt taste bland. The amount of salt used however is very low when compared to other cheeses. 3) Milk contains a very small amount of sodium that is a natural constituent of milk. The very low sodium content in yogurt is also derived from milk. T
