1, the difference between monosodium glutamate and amino acids is first of all different kinds.
1) monosodium glutamate is a condiment, and its main component is sodium glutamate.
2) Amino acids are the basic substances that constitute protein for animal nutrition. It is an organic compound containing basic amino groups and acidic carboxyl groups. The amino group attached to the α-carbon is an α-amino acid. The amino acids that make up protein are mostly α-amino acids.
2. Different roles
The main function of monosodium glutamate is to increase the flavor of food. It is most used in Chinese food and can also be used in soups and sauces. When monosodium glutamate is dissolved in water, it will have the taste of meat, which can stimulate taste buds and add flavor to food. Generally speaking, if it is not eaten in large quantities, it should be harmless. The intake stipulated by the World Health Organization is 1.20 mg/kg body weight per adult per day (about 50 kg body weight, 6 g monosodium glutamate per day).
Amino acids can play the following roles in human body through metabolism: ① synthesizing tissue protein; (2) into acid, hormone, antibody, creatine and other ammonia-containing substances; (3) into carbohydrates and fats; ④ Oxidation into carbon dioxide, water and urea to generate energy.
The main functions are:
1) physiological regulation
Protein, an essential factor, plays an obvious role in food nutrition, but it can't be directly used in human body, but can be used by turning it into small amino acids. That is, it is not directly absorbed by the human body in the gastrointestinal tract, but is decomposed into low molecular weight peptides or amino acids by various digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, and then absorbed in the small intestine and enters the liver along the hepatic portal vein.
2) Medical function
Amino acids are mainly used to prepare compound amino acid infusion in medicine, and also used as therapeutic drugs and synthetic peptides. There are more than 100 kinds of amino acids used as medicines, including 20 kinds of amino acids that constitute protein and more than 100 kinds of amino acids that constitute non-protein. Compound preparation composed of various amino acids plays a very important role in modern intravenous nutrition infusion and "element diet" therapy. It plays an active role in maintaining the nutrition of critically ill patients and saving their lives, and has become one of the indispensable medical varieties in modern medicine.
3) food
The requirement of essential amino acids for adults is about 20% ~ 37% of that for protein.