Although you hear constantly about sugar and salt being white poisons for the body, there’s another common food ingredient that’s more harmful than these two. It’s sodium glutamate E621 – an additive used largely in the food industry as well as restaurants.
Sodium glutamate E621 is used primarily to enhance the taste of food. It comes in different forms – white crystalline powder similar to salt and sugar, and liquid, i.e. aqueous solution that tastes like meat soup. It’s found in almost all manufactured food. Aside from improving the food flavor, it also increases appetite, creates addiction and leads to overeating and obesity.
According to medical research, sodium glutamate stimulates the brain cells creating a similar effect to drugs. This substance is quickly absorbed by the brain as it travels through the bloodstream. Once it reaches the brain, it triggers a change in the genes responsible for the sense of taste. High amounts of sodium glutamate are found in many popular products including sausages, salami, frankfurters, chips, prepared soups, cans, beer and many more.
Note: the recommended daily allowance for sodium glutamate is 1.5 grams for adults and not more than half a gram for children. However, today nearly 200 thousand tons of this additive are used on an average annual basis in the world.
An overdose of E621, also known as Chinese restaurant syndrome, leads to dizziness, migraine, visual disturbances, hormonal imbalance, nausea, weakness, dizziness, chest pain, etc.
Sodium glutamate was discovered by a Japanese chemist, Ikeda Kikunae in 1907. It doesn’t only improve the natural taste of food, but it also improves the taste and aroma of tinned, frozen and fast food. Needless to mention, this additive is greatly popular in America – the Americans are one of the largest consumers of processed food in the world.
What’s disturbing about this common food additive is that it causes serious health consequences. As a number of studies have found, it affects vision in lab mice as well as the receptors of the tongue thus exacerbating the taste of food. Moreover, it creates addiction to foods like chips, chocolates, and ready-made meals, while on the other hand, increasing the food industry profits.
It’s important to know that food manufacturers benefit a lot from using E621 because it not only reduces the cost of production, but also increases sales of the products.
So, the next time you buy food, check for the ingredients and avoid products that contain E621.
Natural spices are a much better and healthier alternative to this food additive.
