Food additive E621, which is also referred to as a flavor enhancer, or monosodium glutamate, on food packages, is one of the most popular components of various products.
Some are afraid of its presence among the components, others believe that the possible harm to health supplements is greatly exaggerated. What camp are
Monosodium glutamate is a salt of glutamic acid. It is one of the most abundant amino acids in nature and is found in most foods. Due to the fact that the body is able to synthesize glutamic acid, it is not considered essential. It is involved in metabolism and protein synthesis and therefore is considered quite important for the body.
Monosodium glutamate has a peculiar taste, which is called umami taste. Umami is the fifth taste, complementing the sweet, bitter, salty, and sour tastes. The flavor enhancer is especially common in Asian countries, where it is added to many dishes. Residents of Japan and Korea consume 3 times more monosodium glutamate than the average European. In Europe, however, this additive is also actively used, monosodium glutamate can be found in many sausages, sauces, and other products.
Is it true that monosodium glutamate is harmful to health?
Assumptions that monosodium glutamate can harm health have been expressed repeatedly – it was blamed for headaches and possible brain disorders.
The thing is that glutamic acid performs the functions of a neurotransmitter in the brain: it binds to the receptors of neurons and excites them. Versions that glutamate can harm the brain are connected precisely with this: it is assumed that eating a large amount of food with monosodium glutamate in the composition can lead to excessive excitation of neurons, which means headaches, anxiety, and many other problems.
Research on this topic was carried out as early as 1969: then, in one experiment, newborn mice were injected with huge doses of monosodium glutamate. The mice then developed serious neurological problems. The flavor enhancer has since been declared dangerous and has fallen out of favor.
Modern scientists assure: in order to feel at least some harm from monosodium glutamate, you need to eat a lot of it (or foods with it) – about 500 times more than normal. This is quite difficult to do: the products contain quite a few flavor enhancers, and besides, it is difficult for him to get from the blood to the brain.
Another “fault” of monosodium glutamate is the provocation of asthmatic attacks, which was shown in one of the studies. Other scientists, however, failed to repeat the results of these studies.
The link between cancer and the use of foods with monosodium glutamate also failed to be demonstrated. Some scientists have done a tremendous amount of work and studied scientific publications for almost half a century – among them there was not one that would confirm the existence of such a relationship.
Research on this topic was carried out as early as 1969: then, in one experiment, newborn mice were injected with huge doses of monosodium glutamate. The mice then developed serious neurological problems. The flavor enhancer has since been declared dangerous and has fallen out of favor.
Modern scientists assure: in order to feel at least some harm from monosodium glutamate, you need to eat a lot of it (or foods with it) – about 500 times more than normal. This is quite difficult to do: the products contain quite a few flavor enhancers, and besides, it is difficult for him to get from the blood to the brain.
Another “fault” of monosodium glutamate is the provocation of asthmatic attacks, which was shown in one of the studies. Other scientists, however, failed to repeat the results of these studies.
The link between cancer and the use of foods with monosodium glutamate also failed to be demonstrated. Some scientists have done a tremendous amount of work and studied scientific publications for almost half a century – among them there was not one that would confirm the existence of such a relationship.
Can it cause weight gain?
The dietary supplement has been accused of making people fat from eating with monosodium glutamate. Indeed, some scientists have shown that people who ate a lot of foods containing this nutritional supplement were more prone to obesity than those who ate otherwise.
Monosodium glutamate is not harmful, but not everyone can eat it
To date, scientists do not have any evidence that monosodium glutamate is harmful to health. It can indeed be toxic if consumed in large quantities, but that’s not usually how anyone does it.
We must not forget that monosodium glutamate is still not suitable for everyone: there are people who are sensitive to this food supplement. If they eat food that contains E621, then they face various side effects: their tongue pricks and burns, their head may ache, and asthmatic attacks are also possible. These are individual reactions, the appearance of which does not mean at all that the supplement harms everyone.
In addition, the flavor enhancer has been blamed for “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,” a set of symptoms that aficionados of Chinese food have experienced. Among the signs of the “syndrome” are headache, redness of the face, hot flashes and heavy sweating, and a feeling of heaviness in the mouth. Anything could cause such symptoms – not only monosodium glutamate but also excess alcohol, a large amount of salt, and other factors. Scientific evidence that E621 was the culprit in the “Chinese restaurant syndrome” has not yet been obtained, but in the literature, it often continues to be associated with this pseudo-medical condition.
Debunking myths about health is one of the favorite activities of scientists. Not so long ago it turned out that 10,000 steps are not necessary at all, and if you wish, you can walk much less. Another story that has finally been sorted out concerns the health of vegetarians and meat-eaters. Now we know who is healthier.
Editorial Team
