4 Food Myths That Need to Be Debunked

São Paulo, September 2020 – With the growing flow of information in the digital age, news spreads faster than ever and, as a result, fact-checking may not always be done properly. When it comes to nutrition, it is essential to verify the reliability of information shared in texts and videos.

Aiming to unravel some food-related myths and raise awareness for healthier eating, Hellen Maluly, PhD in Food Science from the Umami Committee, listed the main questions on the topic. Check them out:

Flavor and taste are similar concepts

Although many people think they are synonyms, Hellen Maluly explains that the difference lies in how the senses are interpreted. “Taste is related to the sense of the palate. When a taste in food is identified, the taste buds send information to a specific area of the brain—the gustatory cortex—which identifies the sense. Flavor, meanwhile, involves all the senses, especially smell, which is a primitive sense, since the combination of senses allows for a greater sensory experience and different perceptions when tasting food,” she highlights.

Are there only four tastes?

Many are unaware that there is a taste beyond the well-known four: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Discovered by Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, umami—the fifth basic taste of the human palate—brings many health benefits and can be easily identified. Just as sugar represents the sweet taste, umami can be represented by monosodium glutamate (MSG). “It is present in several everyday foods, such as tomatoes, parmesan cheese, corn, and meats. In addition, including ingredients that provide the umami taste in the menu improves food acceptance, especially among children and the elderly,” she concludes.

Tongue map

At school we come across the tongue map and learn that there are specific regions that independently identify each taste. “That map doesn’t exist, since the tongue has taste bud receptors spread over its entire surface. We can perceive all five tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—anywhere on the tongue, which favors diversity in our palate,” she clarifies.

Is monosodium glutamate bad for your health?

Glutamate is an amino acid produced by our bodies and found naturally in foods we eat daily, such as meats, fish, and mushrooms. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), its industrial form, provides the umami taste to preparations and can be used to reduce sodium in foods. “While 1 g of table salt has 388 mg of sodium, the same amount of monosodium glutamate has only 123 mg,” explains Hellen. Defined by global health bodies, the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for MSG shows that it can be consumed daily, within established limits, without harming the body.

In addition to contributing to sodium reduction, glutamic acid can support advances in medical treatments. A study published in October 2019 by Tottori University in Japan shows that MSG may help people suffering from dementia. The researchers found that the group of patients who used monosodium glutamate in their meals performed better on a general cognitive ability test. “Loss of appetite is considered a risk factor for the progression of dementia in elderly patients, so it is important to stimulate new tastes that can help with food acceptance,” she notes.

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste in the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the persistence of taste for a few minutes after ingestion. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.