Umami can reduce sodium without compromising flavor | Press

This is the conclusion of a study conducted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, published by The Wall Street Journal.

Including umami ingredients or foods in meals helps reduce sodium without sacrificing taste and flavor. That is the conclusion of a study conducted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, published by The Wall Street Journal, which states that sodium reduction can vary depending on the food consumed as well as the amount and type of umami ingredients present. Based on the scale used in academia, this study falls under the “Grade I” classification, the most reliable of all.

“Umami is the least-known basic taste compared to salty, sweet, bitter, and sour,” said Kristi Crowe, PhD in Nutrition. “Western societies have only recently begun to understand umami, even though it is present in broths, aged cheeses, tomatoes, and other products that contain glutamate, a common amino acid and component of protein.”

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), the ingredient that provides the umami taste, is produced from sugarcane and is widely used around the world as a flavor enhancer. MSG is considered a safe ingredient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency responsible for food oversight.

Even so, in recent decades questions have arisen about its presence in processed foods and its relationship to the fifth basic taste, umami. “The purpose of the Evidence Analysis Library (EAL) project, the research arm of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, was to help registered dietitians understand umami and MSG from both scientific and culinary perspectives,” Crowe explained.

To address these questions with scientific backing, the EAL drew on four studies that showed inconsistent results regarding the presence of side effects after MSG ingestion by healthy adults. For example, two of these studies involved children and adults with chronic urticaria, and consumption of the ingredient did not worsen symptoms, just as in two other studies conducted in adults with asthma.
The report and research summaries are available (in English) at: http://andevidencelibrary.com/topic.cfm?cat=4818, where you can access the full analysis and process details.

UMAMI TASTE

Umami is the fifth basic taste of the human palate and was discovered in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda. It was only recognized by the scientific community in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami found specific receptors on the taste buds. The amino acid glutamate and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main substances that provide umami. Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and meats in general are foods that contain these substances in large amounts and therefore have a more pronounced fifth taste. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and a lingering taste for a few minutes after food is ingested.