WHAT IS CHINESE SALT (MONO SODIUM GLUTAMAT)?
Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG), known as Chinese Salt in our country, was discovered in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century by extracting the juice of the Kombu plant, which is a kind of seaweed, and turning it into crystal, and started to be widely used in China after Japan.
Glutamate is an important messenger molecule that our brain uses for learning, memory and attention, and it enables nerve cells to communicate with each other. In order for it to function in a healthy way, it must be present at a certain level in the brain and nerve cells.
Being above a certain level can cause attention and memory problems by showing a stimulating effect on the brain. L-Glutamic acid, the natural form of glutamate, is an amino acid produced by our body. Since it is synthesized at the rate the body needs, it has no harmful effects. However, due to the free form of D-Glutamic acid taken through food, its absorption into the blood and nervous system is faster and uncontrolled. Excessive and rapid elevation of glutamic acid in the blood and brain paves the way for diseases such as migraine, fibromyalgia, autism, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, which are often seen in our children.
Mono Sodium Glutamate, known as Chinese salt, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. So it’s a chemical derivative. It has no unique taste. Its biggest feature is to intensify the taste of the foods it is added to. If the food it is added to is saltier, it makes it more salty and if it is sweet, it makes that food more delicious. Due to this feature, it is used as a flavor enhancer food additive all over the world, causing a greater appetite for the foods it is added to.
In packaged foods where Mono Sodium Glutamate is used as an additive, there is the phrase E-621 as a short code and fast-food products, chips, ready-made meatballs, broth tablets, grilled meat sauces, salad dressings, canned foods, frozen foods, instant soups, It is frequently used in many packaged products, especially ready-made box ice creams, colored yoghurts, dried foods.
Although it seems good at first to increase the taste of the food we eat, the increase in appetite for these ready and processed foods leads to serious nutritional disorders due to the fact that these foods, which are harmful even under normal conditions, are consumed more.
Especially in children and young people, the frequent consumption of products with Mono Sodium Glutamate additives has a kind of addictive effect, causing them to be constantly fed with fast-food and packaged food, causing them to stay away from healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits and fish.
Studies show that Mono Sodium Glutamate, which is consumed in large amounts, causes many diseases, especially the nervous system and liver.
Damage to nerve cells due to the neurotoxin property of Chinese salt can lead to neurological diseases due to its toxic effects on the brain.
Mono Sodium Glutamate, which is also toxic to the liver, can cause liver damage and lubrication.
It has been shown that as a result of impaired diet and continuous exposure, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, leptin resistance, pancreatic damage, decrease in growth hormone secretion, sudden rhythm disorders, heart attack, asthma and allergies, retinal damage and autism by crossing the placenta in pregnant women.
It is up to you to decide whether to reduce your use of foods with tMono Sodium Glutamate additives, but in our opinion, it would be the right choice to try to stay away from ready-to-eat foods with code E-621.
Dr. Mesut Ersoy
