Currently, no one is surprised at why on the shelves of grocery stores and supermarkets there is a huge amount of products containing dyes, sweeteners, flavors and other “chemicals”. Unfortunately, today's food manufacturers care little about consumer health. Nevertheless, there is a category of buyers who, for example, are interested in the following question: “Is monosodium glutamate harmful or not?” Let us consider it in more detail.
What do we know about E621
Before you figure out whether monosodium glutamate is harmful or not, you need to answer the following question: “What is this chemical compound?” This is just a white powder substance, which is the world's most popular food supplement, and it has many names: monosodium glutamate, weijing, umami, E621. The components contained in its composition make it possible to give amazing taste qualities even to the most fresh food.
It should be emphasized that E621 (monosodium glutamate) has no smell or taste, but if this component is added to mushrooms, meat or seafood, their taste will increase significantly. However, it does not have such an effect on fruits, sweets and chicken eggs.
There is no consensus
Until now, the question of whether monosodium glutamate is harmful or not remains open. Back in the 70s of the last century, it was widely discussed among the scientific community, but experts have not come to a consensus.
Initially, experts came to the conclusion that the use of E621 provokes the development of a number of ailments, and even a theory was developed according to which dishes of oriental cuisine, which are almost always added by the minds, cause an allergic reaction among Europeans in the form of symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and chills.
When considering whether monosodium glutamate is harmful or not, one cannot help but say that this food supplement is part of many seasonings. The most popular example is Vegeta. No one dares to call such a seasoning harmful to health.
Where is produced
The main supplier of minds is Japan. Most residents of the Land of the Rising Sun prefer to eat this particular supplement, and it is known that they are long-livers.
Is the E621 element harmless?
Some experts have no doubt that monosodium glutamate, whose formula is C 5 P 8 NO 4 Na * H 2 O, does not cause any harm to health. It is only a flavor enhancer, rehabilitating aromas that have weakened as a result of long-term storage.
Despite the fact that the taste of monosodium glutamate is not pronounced, it has another positive property - it oxidizes fats, due to which food products do not have rancidity.
It is very curious that at one time Soviet scientists developed the special vitamin Glutamevit, which included E621. It was created in order to make it easier for a person to cope with stresses and depressive states. Moreover, the development was successfully tested on schoolchildren, with its help they began to better absorb the curriculum.
However, we should not forget that the taste enhancer monosodium glutamate E621 does not have any vitamins in it, so when you eat it you need to know the measure.
E621 negatively affects health?
Doctors have a point of view according to which the minds are harmful to human health. Her supporters argue that the above supplement is addictive, which provokes the desire to eat as many foods with the content of E621 as possible. At the same time, an increase in the concentration of weizin in the body leads to an imbalance between antioxidants and proaxidants, digestive disorders and overweight.
Is monosodium glutamate always harmful?
It must be emphasized that the E621 sodium salt is produced in the body of every person. Food products such as milk, fish, meat, soybeans, seaweed, mushrooms, albeit in small doses, but contain by the minds. At the same time, no one placed the food additive in them artificially. This circumstance only confirms the fact that in small quantities weijing does not cause any harm to health.
The main thing is balance
The human body functions in such a way that if some trace elements are not involved in the process of life, they are transformed into others and stored “in reserve”. However, this rule applies only to a certain part of salts E621. Excess food additives, especially those produced artificially, which also contains toxic impurities, can really provoke pathologies that are dangerous to health.
Once again about the dangers of sodium glutamate
It should be noted that doctors in many countries have repeatedly asked WHO to ban the use of E621. In their opinion, this food supplement negatively affects the health of asthmatics. Also, supporters of the theory about the dangers of sodium glutamate are convinced that this taste enhancer impairs the function of the retina of the eye, which can provoke glaucoma. However, scientific grounds for such arguments have not yet been found.
The only thing that can be reliably talked about is that E621, subject to an excess, provokes obesity. It is noteworthy that when our tongue feels the above food supplement, the taste buds receive a signal that the food that got into the mouth contains protein, which means it is nutritious. In reality, there is no protein, but the human body thinks differently, and requires such dishes even more and more.
Doctors also claim that the minds provoke the production of insulin by the pancreas, while the concentration of carbohydrates that enter the body along with E621 is negligible. As a result, the sugar content in the blood decreases and a feeling of hunger again seizes you.
Today, almost every fast food producer uses monosodium glutamate in their production. It is thanks to this food supplement that a person becomes addicted to dine at fast food points. Over time, in such people, salt in their body begins to be deposited. To avoid such negative health effects, one should not remember: the taste enhancer, monosodium glutamate E621 should be taken in moderation.