MSG has certain auxiliary therapeutic effects on improving the nutritional status of human cells and treating neurasthenia. However, improper use can also lead to adverse consequences, rendering MSG meaningless as a seasoning and even having negative effects on human health.
A small amount of MSG is beneficial to the nervous system:
MSG is a common cooking condiment. Adding a small amount of MSG when cooking can not only season the food but also enhance brain function. This is because the sodium glutamate contained in MSG can decompose into glutamic acid during the digestive process. In brain tissue, glutamic acid is catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase, with vitamin B6 as a cofactor, to become gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. If its production is insufficient, it can easily cause over-excitation of the central nervous system, such as mania or convulsions. Therefore, consuming an appropriate amount of MSG is beneficial for maintaining the function of the nervous system.
Special reminder: Be very careful with "convenient soup bases"
In commercials, when children want to drink delicious soup, they ask their parents to use "convenient soup bases" to quickly make soup. In reality, these convenient soup bases contain large amounts of MSG, salt, and other flavor-enhancing additives...
However, consuming too much MSG can be extremely dangerous for the human body... The following 3 symptoms indicate that you have consumed too much MSG.
3 symptoms that indicate you have consumed too much MSG:
However, consuming too much MSG is also harmful to the human body. Many people have the experience of feeling dizzy, groggy, with numbness in the upper limbs, palpitations, and shortness of breath after overindulging in delicious food. This is the so-called "food drunkenness," and the main reason is the excessive glutamic acid from meat and MSG.
After glutamic acid is absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and enters the brain, it produces the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in local brain tissue, regulating normal brain function. However, excessive glutamic acid leads to excessive production of GABA, causing inhibitory neurotransmitters to dominate, and various neural functions become suppressed.
Three major harms of excessive MSG consumption: Stunting a child's growth:
A U.S. research group found that after injecting excessive MSG into mice, the injected mice showed damage to the retina and various parts of the central nervous system after a period of time, along with reduced sexual function and obesity. Due to a decrease in the number of red blood cells and sticky white blood cells in the bones, and the disruption of calcium salt entering the cytoplasm, cell synthesis is affected, which hinders bone growth.
Further research shows that when children consume excessive MSG or foods containing monosodium glutamate, the excessive GABA produced in the brain will inhibit the secretion of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and parathyroid hormone-releasing hormone secreted by the hypothalamus. As a result, the secretion of thyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone decreases.
The negative effects of insufficient thyroid hormone secretion on human growth and development are well-known. Parathyroid hormone is the most important hormone for regulating blood calcium and blood phosphate. It reduces the loss of calcium in urine and promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphate in the intestines. Once its secretion is insufficient, calcium and phosphate will be lost in large amounts, and the growth and development of human bones will be hindered.
Therefore, for children who are growing and developing, in addition to paying attention to the amount of MSG used (ensuring the daily intake does not exceed 5 grams), parents should also control their children's diets and not allow them to overeat frequently or consume lavish meals.
Dietitian's advice: Three types of people should use MSG with caution
MSG is 80% sodium glutamate and 20% sodium chloride. It is often used in small amounts to enhance the flavor of dishes, especially in soups. However, these three types of people should still use it with caution, or at least not consume it in excess.
First category: Children
If children consume excessive MSG, it may affect their stomach function, leading to bad habits such as picky eating, loss of appetite, and a love for snacks. It can also disrupt the body's normal acid-base balance, cause indigestion, and affect healthy development.
It is worth mentioning that many children's snacks on the market today rely on adding MSG to make them addictive, which should be taken very seriously.
Second category: The elderly
Because the elderly have a diminished sense of taste, relying on MSG to stimulate their appetite can easily lead to dependency on MSG.
In addition, MSG contains a considerable amount of sodium chloride, and in some low-quality MSG, salt makes up the majority. This leads to a large intake of salt, which is one of the inducing factors for high blood pressure. Therefore, elderly friends with a high incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should limit not only salt but also MSG.
Third category: Asthma patients
The glutamic acid in MSG is an excitatory neurotransmitter. Consuming too much may cause allergic reactions, and in severe cases, lead to respiratory spasms, which could have serious consequences.
Current research has found that MSG may induce asthma attacks. Within 2-12 hours of consuming MSG, it is absorbed and can affect the activity of the central nervous system, leading to asthma.
Research also suggests that if a person eats a large amount of food containing a significant amount of MSG on an empty stomach, it is more likely to trigger an asthma attack.