Umami Committee supports the fight against hypertension during the National Day for the Prevention and Control of the disease | Press

São Paulo, April 2016 – On April 26, the National Day for the Prevention and Control of Hypertension, the Umami Committee – an organization responsible for promoting knowledge of the fifth basic taste in Brazil – will take part in an event organized by the Brazilian Society of Hypertension (SBH). The gathering aims to raise public awareness about the risks associated with high blood pressure and will feature several experts in the field.

The Umami Committee will participate by sharing information about the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a way to reduce sodium levels in meals. “MSG contains about one-third of the sodium found in table salt. In other words, while 1g of monosodium glutamate has 123mg of sodium, the same amount of salt has 388mg,” explains Mariana Rosa, nutritionist at the Umami Committee. “In practice, this means that if we replace half the amount of salt used in recipes with monosodium glutamate, we can reduce sodium content by at least 25%.”

Concerned about the excessive use of salt, the Umami Committee has also developed a fun educational game to teach practical ways to reduce sodium intake. You can find it by clicking here.

The statistics on hypertension are alarming: according to the Ministry of Health, 17 million people in Brazil suffer from high blood pressure. The causes vary, but the main factors include poor diet – especially excessive sodium consumption – sedentary lifestyle, obesity, unmoderated alcohol intake, and smoking.

The SBH event will take place in the lobby of the Conjunto Nacional (Av. Paulista, 2073 – São Paulo), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will be open to the public. “This type of discussion is essential to expand society’s knowledge about health-related issues, and information is the key to overcoming hypertension in Brazil,” concludes Mariana.

Service:

Event: Brazilian Society of Hypertension
Activities: Free program including blood pressure measurement, blood glucose testing, body mass index (BMI) calculation, and nutritional guidance
Date: April 26 (Tuesday)
Location: Lobby of Conjunto Nacional – Avenida Paulista, 2073 – near Consolação station, Metro Line 2-Green
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Free and open to the public

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 continuation of the taste for a few minutes after eating. To learn more, visit portalumami.com.br 

UMAMI COMMITTEE
The Umami Committee Brazil discusses and promotes topics related to the fifth taste. The Committee has a direct relationship with the Umami Information Center (UIC), a non-profit organization dedicated to research on the subject. To learn more, visit umamiinfo.com.