Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): From A to Umami

Has there ever been a taste that you enjoyed, but couldn’t quite explain? Perhaps you are noticing what has been coined as the fifth taste, “umami”; a taste attributed to foods containing glutamate, an amino acid that is one of the building blocks of protein. Think about a bowl of hot pasta with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, a freshly grilled steak with a rich mushroom sauce, or stir-fried seafood and chicken with crisp vegetables in a savory soy sauce. In all of these dishes, there is a common flavor denominator that may be surprising to many: monosodium glutamate, also called MSG. This fact sheet provides everything you need to know about MSG and its umami favor.   Get the Fact Sheet Favorably Reviewed by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners - http://www.aanp.org/   Fast Facts   What is glutamate? Glutamate is an amino acid (the building blocks of proteins) that is naturally abundant in both plant and animal proteins. Hence, protein-rich foods contain sizeable amounts of glutamate as part of the protein. In addition, many foods also contain small amounts of “free” glutamate, usually in the form of sodium glutamate (monosodium glutamate or MSG). This free glutamate gives an umami taste to such foods (e.g., ripe tomatoes and Parmesan cheese).   How is glutamate used by the body? Almost all of the glutamate present in food is used to produce energy by the intestinal cells, never making it past the intestinal lining. The small remaining amount is used by these same cells, along with other amino acids, to make proteins and the antioxidant glutathione, both essential for optimal intestinal function.   How is Monosodium glutamate (MSG) made?  MSG is comprised simply of sodium and glutamate, and is produced by natural fermentation. Natural fermentation is a process that that has been used for centuries to make common foods such as beer, vinegar, and yogurt. MSG is often produced through the fermentation of sugar […]

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What is the Vegan Diet?

Vegan and vegetarian diets appear to be among the top food trends, but there is evidence that some people have been eating a predominantly plant-based or vegetarian diet for centuries. However, it wasn’t until 1944 that the term “vegan” was coined.

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Eyes on the Plant-based Food Prize

We’ve talked recently about the growing popularity of plant-based food diets. Plant-based diets encompass not only vegetarian and vegan diets, but also diets that focus on an increased consumption of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and numerous other foods that are made using plants as primary ingredients. Diets rich in plant-based foods deliver healthy amounts of fiber, vitamins A, C, E, K and folate, and the minerals potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. We can thank farmers around the globe every day for growing these plant foods—but today, let’s take a deeper look into the food production practices that are bringing us more plant-based food options. The Plant-based Burger It may not be grilling season quite yet, but many of us enjoy a good burger any time of year. But what if you could eat a burger that contained no meat at all and still gave you the feel and taste of the traditional hamburgers you grew up eating? Fortunately for us, food producers have found a way to do just that. You may have seen these “meat alternative” burger patties being sold in your local grocery store or served in neighborhood restaurants but wondered what was in them—or if it was worth giving them a try. Because the four main ingredients in these burgers are water, pea-protein isolate, canola oil and coconut oil, they are both vegan- and vegetarian-friendly. They’re also clever: Manufacturers use beets to help the burgers have a reddish color and “bleed” as a ground-beef burger would. Nor will these patties let you miss out on a dose of protein if you skip the hot dogs and chicken at your next barbeque: The pea-protein isolate in plant-based burgers are at your service. Peas are legumes, which are an excellent source of […]

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Earth Day 2019: Taking Some Time for Soil Appreciation

It’s no secret that without soil, we cannot produce food. But how much do most of us know about the sustainable practices farmers undertake to avoid and alleviate soil erosion, a problem that has been recognized as a food production issue since 1930 and still remains a concern? This is not just an issue in the United States. Researchers have noted that “global rates of soil erosion have been exceeding those of new soil formation by 10- and 20-fold on most continents of the world in the last few decades.” Check out these three ways our farmers and food producers are “fighting the good soil fight” and are aiming to effectively combat soil erosion and continue to provide us with the food our ever-growing population needs. Farm, Conserve Wetlands, Build Wildlife Habitats, Repeat Undoubtedly, agriculture can have an impact on the environment, but farmers and ranchers are working together to alleviate those impacts across large areas of land in the United States. In the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), farmers and ranchers have voluntarily signed up to prevent soil erosion and create new wetlands and wildlife habitats to 20 million acres of farmland. Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-land conservation programs in the United States. In the summer of last year, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “The Conservation Reserve Program is an important component of the suite of voluntary conservation programs USDA makes available to agricultural producers, benefiting both the land and wildlife. … CRP also is a powerful tool to encourage agricultural producers to set aside unproductive, marginal lands that should not be farmed to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, provide habitat for wildlife and boost soil health.” Busting out the Bioengineering Crops that are grown with […]

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Food Allergy or Intolerance: What’s the Difference?

You’ve started to experience stomach pain and discomfort every time you eat one of your favorite foods. One day you stop and ask yourself, “Wait, is this a food allergy? What about a food intolerance? Or could it be something else altogether?” Before you chalk it up to an allergic reaction and start taking foods out of your diet, it’s important to know the differences between a food allergy and a food intolerance—and how you can work with medical professionals to better understand both. Knowing the differences between these two health conditions and understanding your own susceptibility to potential allergens and irritants can help you make better food choices and feel more comfortable during and after your meals. So, what’s the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance? Food Allergies affect the Immune System. Food allergies are characterized by an immune response to protein in food. The body’s immune system goes into defense mode and begins fighting off the offending proteins it considers harmful. Foods that are known to cause allergic reactions are called allergens. The major allergens in the U.S. are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and sesame and are commonly referred to as “The Big Nine.” Some individuals who consume these allergens can have an adverse (allergic) reaction to the foods. Typical symptoms of allergic reactions include skin irritations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and life-threatening anaphylaxis: the most severe form of allergic reaction. Many of these symptoms may leave you feeling sick but experiencing them is not enough to diagnose a food allergy. In fact, food allergies can only be diagnosed by a medical doctor who is a board-certified allergist. Allergists use a number of techniques to diagnose a true food allergy. These diagnostics can include a medical history, an oral food challenge, […]

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Where Do Sustainable and Healthy Food Choices Intersect?

Healthy food choices are often on many of our minds as we plan what our next meal will include. Many of us are also focused on sustainability and the environmental aspects of our food chain that impact the planet. We may practice environmentally friendly habits, like recycling, shopping at farmers’ markets and buying foods with less packaging. But the intersection of these two diet-choice aspects­—health and environmental sustainability—and the lenses through which we evaluate both, are worth investigating. Is one more important that the other? Do other factors such as taste, price and convenience still significantly impact our food choices too? Findings from the International Food Information Council Foundation’s 2019 Food and Health Survey as well as another IFIC Foundation survey, Consumer Attitudes and Perceptions on Healthy and Environmentally Sustainable Diets (to be released this fall), help shed light on these issues. Sticking with sustainability The 2019 Food and Health Survey found that environmental sustainability was a significant purchase driver, with over half (54 percent) of people saying it was important that the foods they purchase and consume be produced in an environmentally sustainable way. Of those who believe environmental sustainability is important, the top three food characteristics that people use to identify these foods are “being labeled as being locally grown” (51 percent), “being labeled as sustainably sourced” (47 percent), and “being labeled as non-GMO/not bioengineered” (47 percent). Interestingly, 41 percent of respondents look for recyclable packaging and 35 percent look to make purchases with minimal packaging. This year, the survey also asked consumers whether they find it difficult to know whether their food choices are environmentally sustainable. Over six in ten (63 percent) of consumers agreed that it is hard for consumers to know whether the food choices they make are environmentally sustainable. As a follow-up, we asked […]

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Nutrition 101 Video Series: Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

This is the seventh installment of our “Nutrition 101” video series, presented in partnership with Osmosis, a group that focuses on health science education, highlighting the basics of several nutrition topics. For a look back at what we’ve covered so far, watch our videos on  fats,  carbohydrates and sugars,  hydration, low-calorie sweeteners, protein and gut health.  Savory foods are inherently delicious—but have you ever wondered why? In 1908, a Japanese professor pondered this question when exploring what made kelp broth taste so good. He recognized a unique taste in it that was different from the four well-known tastes of sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It turns out that glutamate, an amino acid made by many plants and animals, was the source of this distinctive taste, which became known as “umami” in reference to “umai,” the Japanese word for delicious. The professor isolated glutamate from seaweed to produce a crystallized salt form of glutamate that combined one molecule of glutamate with the ion sodium to make it even tastier. This umami seasoning is still widely used today and is also known as monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Glutamate is the most abundant amino acid found in nature, and it’s one of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins in the human body. Because glutamate is synthesized as part of the normal metabolic process, it is considered a non-essential amino acid. In other words, we don’t technically need to get it from food. Our bodies synthesize about 50 grams of glutamate each day and store about 4.5 pounds of glutamate in major organs like the brain, muscles, kidneys and liver. On average we eat about 10 to 20 grams of glutamate each day, mostly from protein-containing foods like meat, cheese, nuts and legumes. Whether consumed from food or in the form of MSG, […]

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Can Calorie-Dense Foods Also Be Healthy?

For so long, we’ve been taught that high-calorie means bad. But what if we told you that way of thinking was outdated, and more importantly, wrong? A food’s quality isn’t defined by a single characteristic. Rather, it’s the sum of all its parts—with calorie count being only one component. In fact, a slew of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients may accompany a calorie-dense food, meaning high-calorie can also be of high nutritional value. In this context, we’re not talking about calorie-dense foods like baked goods, chips or candy, which have less to offer nutritionally. Instead, we’ll focus on whole, minimally processed foods considered to contribute healthful components to our daily diets. Take nuts, seeds and full-fat dairy products, for example. Nuts, seeds and butters made from nuts and seeds are high in healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats that are associated with lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (otherwise known as LDL, or the “bad” kind of cholesterol). They’re also a source of protein, which makes us feel full after eating them—unlike other calorie-dense but nutrient-poor snacks like chips and cookies. Dairy products provide protein, calcium, vitamin D (if fortified) and potassium. Full-fat dairy has more fat than non-fat or low-fat options, which bumps up the calorie count but also enhances the richness of milk and yogurt. This can leave us feeling more satisfied than if we’d consumed something with less fat, making it easier to keep portions in check. Here are a few more calorie-dense foods that are also nutrient-dense: It’s important to be mindful when eating calorie-dense foods, since their calorie contributions can add up quickly. For example, one serving of nuts and seeds equals about a quarter of a cup, or about the size of the palm of your hand, and a serving of whole milk is one 8-ounce cup. […]

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