Chapter 180 - 132: Eating Salt Makes You Stronger?

"While different muscle tissues have unique functions and structures, at the molecular level, all contractile activity in muscle cells is linked to the contractile proteins within them—primarily the interaction between myosin and actin."

’No wonder bodybuilders are always going on about protein supplements! The fundamental principle of muscle growth really is tied to the composition and mechanics of muscle cells,’ Chen Jue thought to himself.

He took a lot of notes during the class and felt he had learned a great deal.

He had planned on attending the next clinical medicine lecture, but as he rounded a corner near a large classroom, he happened to overhear a few passing students. "Senior Zhou is wild! He actually dared to openly challenge Teacher Xia’s lecture in the middle of class."

"How many times has he clashed with Teacher Xia now?"

"I think this is the fourth time. No idea what the bad blood is between them."

"You guys think maybe Senior Zhou has a crush on Teacher Xia? Trying to get Goddess Xia’s attention this way?"

"Holy shit! You know, that actually kind of makes sense!"

"The Academic Maniac lives up to his name. Even his approach to chasing a goddess is completely unorthodox. Other guys play it cool, but Senior Zhou is going for a full-on assault. He’s trying to traumatize Goddess Xia so she’ll never forget him!"

Listening to the students’ chatter, Chen Jue’s curiosity was piqued, and he glanced into the large classroom.

Sure enough, Xia Xue, whose class had just ended, emerged from the classroom with a small bag in hand and a foul expression on her face. As she passed the doorway, she spotted her tenant, Chen Jue, and shot him an angry glare before stalking away on her high heels.

Zhou Chuan, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. He casually walked up to the lectern, plugged in his USB drive, and started setting up his presentation.

"Hello everyone. This next period is my research project presentation, and we’ll have some professors coming to evaluate it."

"If any of you are interested, you’re welcome to stay and listen," Zhou Chuan said, picking up the microphone.

A stir went through the classroom, which had been emptying out. Many of the departing students exchanged glances, then began returning to their seats, deciding to hear what the "Academic Maniac of Jiang University" had to say in his research presentation.

The project title appeared on the projection screen: "On the Differentiated Effects of Regional Dietary Habits on Physical Constitution."

The title immediately caught Chen Jue’s eye. He slipped in through the classroom’s back door and found a seat in the rear.

His vision was now exceptional, so he could see everything clearly even from a distance.

...

The break lasted about ten minutes. During that time, several lecturers and professors Chen Jue recognized filed in and took seats in the front row.

When the bell rang, Zhou Chuan bowed to the audience. "Thank you to the students and teachers for your support. Today, I will be sharing some of the content from my recent research project."

"We all know that dietary habits can have many unexpected effects on the human body."

"In a field like clinical medicine, we frequently encounter illnesses that are characteristic of specific regions."

"For instance, in regions where spicy food is popular, the proctology and gastroenterology departments are always busy. In the Guangfo Region, where people often eat scalding hot foods, the incidence of diseases like esophageal cancer is much higher than elsewhere. And in the Lianghu Region, where chewing betel nut is common, oral mucosal diseases appear frequently."

"There are many similar examples. These regional diseases can be found throughout history, both here in Huaxia and abroad."

"Therefore, for today’s presentation, I have chosen a specific food item to serve as a case study!"

With that, Zhou Chuan clicked to the next slide. A well-known food item appeared on the screen: a pig’s leg covered in a thick, fermented rind.

’Is that ham?’

Chen Jue, watching from his seat, was taken aback for a moment. As a native of Jiang Province, he recognized it instantly.

After all, a certain area in Jiang Province was famous for producing it. Back when he was a child in Wen City, it had even been trendy for a time to give gift-boxed hams when visiting relatives during the holidays.

He never expected Zhou Chuan would choose such a niche food as the subject of his research.

Even the professors on the judging panel looked intrigued. After all, ham was practically a household name in Jiang Province.

"The earliest written record of ham can be found in the Tang Dynasty’s *Supplements to the Materia Medica*, which states: ’As for *huo tui* (fire-cured leg), the best are from Jinhua.’"

"Though it originated in Huaxia, ham wasn’t first a delicacy for the dinner table. Its earliest use was as military rations."

"For example, Zong Ze, a famous general of the Northern Song who resisted the Jin Dynasty, was one of the key figures who popularized ham, a food from his hometown of Yiwu. Zong Ze promoted many talented individuals, including the famously loyal Yue Fei and his ever-victorious Yue Family Army."

"Similarly, during the Ming Dynasty, the great general Qi Jiguang, famous for fighting pirates, would specifically recruit soldiers from the mountainous regions of Yiwu. This was because the locals’ long-term diet of high-salt foods like ham resulted in a physical constitution that was a cut above people from other regions."

"After the Song Dynasty fell and the Mongol Yuan swept south to occupy Huaxia, the Mongol armies carried the method for making this high-quality military ration from the former Song territories to the rest of the world. This led to many derivative products, such as Xuanwei Ham, Italian prosciutto, and Spanish jamón."

"As for why ham was chosen as a military ration, apart from the fact that it’s easy to store, its nutritional composition was a major factor."

Zhou Chuan finished speaking and clicked to a new slide showing the nutritional information for ham. In addition to the usual calories and protein, the values for sodium and potassium were highlighted in bright red.