Nutritionist teaches how to reduce sodium in your diet

With only 1/3 of the sodium found in table salt, monosodium glutamate can be an ally in your diet.

November 2018 – Using salt is one of the great dilemmas in the kitchen, since this ingredient makes meals tastier but contains a large amount of sodium. In this context, monosodium glutamate, known as MSG, emerges as an ally when preparing a meal.

According to nutritionist Mariana Rosa, from the Umami Committee—an organization responsible for promoting the fifth basic taste of the human palate—monosodium glutamate has only one-third of the sodium found in table salt. “In 1 g of MSG we find 123 mg of sodium, while salt, in the same amount, contains 388 mg,” she explains.

Besides having less sodium, monosodium glutamate is a source of glutamic acid, which occurs naturally in foods such as meats, tomatoes, cheeses, and mushrooms. “As the industrialized form of glutamate, MSG also helps provide foods with the umami taste, perceived by the tongue’s mGluR4, T1R1, and T2R3 receptors, which send signals to the brain and allow us to identify this taste,” Mariana notes.

For correct use and sodium reduction, the nutritionist offers a tip: the ideal is to use half monosodium glutamate and half salt. For example, if you use one teaspoon of salt in the preparation of 500 g of rice, you should balance it with 1/2 teaspoon of salt (2.5 g) and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (2.0 g).

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 on 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 eating. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br and follow us at facebook.com/ogostoumami and instagram.com/ogostoumami.