the main chemical component in monosodium glutamate is sodium glutamate. Glutamic acid is an amino acid, and sodium is an electrolyte, both of which are inherent ingredients in the human body. All kinds of protein generally contain glutamic acid, which will be hydrolyzed and released to form sodium glutamate, and soy sauce also contains it.
Myth: Does monosodium glutamate cause cancer when heated?
The results showed that the tasteless sodium pyroglutamate was only .14% when .2% monosodium glutamate and 2% salt solution were heated at 115℃ for 3 hours. Sodium glutamate is pyrolyzed above 2°C to produce sodium pyroglutamate, which is harmless to human body and has no fresh flavor, and may be beneficial to brain memory and cognition.
does monosodium glutamate cause depression and hair loss?
Studies have shown that a very high dose of monosodium glutamate is harmful to the nervous system and endocrine system of human body. For example, a study published in the journal of life Sciences shows that subcutaneous injection of a large dose of monosodium glutamate (4g/kg bw) will cause the development of depression and anxiety-like behavior in newborn rats, but this dose is equivalent to 24g of monosodium glutamate in human body (6kg). Dietary intake of monosodium glutamate (including free and bound glutamic acid) has little effect on plasma level. For example, if sodium glutamate is ingested at 15mg/kg bw, only a slight increase in plasma glutamic acid level can be detected in adults. Dietary intake of monosodium glutamate will not damage various organs of the human body.
Pay attention to eating monosodium glutamate
In fact, as long as you eat monosodium glutamate reasonably, it is harmless to your health. Even the European Union, which is very conservative in food safety, lists monosodium glutamate as the safest category. However, we should also pay attention to the following points when eating monosodium glutamate:
1
People with high blood pressure should not eat more monosodium glutamate.
The higher the blood pressure, the less sensitive the taste is, and the stronger the taste is, and it is easy to form a vicious circle. Therefore, people with high blood pressure are advised not to eat more monosodium glutamate.
2
If the intake does not exceed 7.5g, it is harmless to the body.
It is not advisable to add excessive monosodium glutamate to the dishes eaten by mothers and infants within 3 months after delivery. Because sodium glutamate in monosodium glutamate enters the baby through milk or food, it will specifically combine with zinc in the blood of the baby, generating glutamic acid that is not absorbed and utilized by the body and excreted with urine.
how should we choose the salt that suits us?
There are more and more kinds of salt in the market, such as iodized salt, low iodized salt, non-iodized salt, zinc salt, low sodium salt, seaweed salt, bamboo salt, etc.
So, what's the difference between different kinds of salt?
With these questions, let's see what Li Hongyu, director of the Nutrition Department of Chengdu Second People's Hospital, said. How to choose the salt that suits you?
Dr. Li told us that although there are many kinds of salt, the main ingredient is sodium chloride.
For example, on this basis, we often mention non-iodized salt, iodized salt and low iodized salt by adjusting different iodine contents. Different people have different needs for salt. Let's take a look at how to choose the salt that suits them:
Iodized salt
Appropriate: Pregnant women, lactating women and people who need iodine supplementation recommend iodine intake: 2 micrograms per day
Dr. Li said that the fetus and infancy are the key periods of brain development, which have high demand for iodine and are very sensitive to iodine deficiency, which easily affects normal growth and development. Therefore, for women who want a baby, it is recommended to supplement iodine in advance during the preparation period, which can effectively prevent miscarriage, premature delivery and fetal malformation. Similarly, lactating women should also supplement iodine in time, so as not to affect the baby's intellectual development and physical development. In addition, in remote mountainous areas lacking seafood, the iodine content in food is relatively low, so it is recommended to eat iodized salt to maintain normal body needs. Low iodized salt < P > is suitable: the recommended iodine intake for the general population: 15 micrograms per day for adults; Children (3-14 years old) 9-12 micrograms per day; 5 micrograms per day for infants (-12 months) With the improvement of living standards, seafood is increasing and food is increasingly abundant. Most healthy people with normal constitution don't need to deliberately supplement iodine, just keep a diverse diet and balanced nutrition. Dr. Li told us that in developed areas, especially in coastal areas, seafood is rich in iodine, so people tend to take too much iodine invisibly, which will lead to chronic exceeding the standard for a long time and increase the risk of thyroid diseases.
Therefore, this group of people should pay special attention to the low iodine diet.
non-iodized salt
Appropriate: recommended iodine intake for some patients with thyroid diseases: micrograms per day
Patients with thyroid diseases should pay special attention to iodine intake.
iodine excess is the cause of serious thyroid disease, which can stimulate molecular growth and aggravate tumors. Seriously, it will also make the original hidden thyroid self-encouragement disease appear. Therefore, Dr. Li suggested that patients with thyroid diseases should follow the doctor's advice and choose a low-iodine or iodine-free diet. In addition, Dr. Li also mentioned that the word "non-iodized salt" is generally on the packaging in non-iodized salt, which clearly indicates that there are not many in the market and it may be difficult to buy. At this point, ordinary salt can be poured into the pot and stir-fried for five minutes, and the iodine contained in it will volatilize in large quantities.
Low sodium salt
Appropriate: Excessive intake of sodium ion in salt in hypertensive patients
will cause adrenal gland and brain tissue to release a factor, which will increase blood pressure, increase blood vessel wall pressure, and cause cell edema, resulting in continuous blood pressure drop. Therefore, Dr. Li suggested that patients with hypertension should pay attention to a low-salt and low-sodium diet and try to control the daily salt intake below 3-4 grams, which will help to balance blood pressure.
Salt-free diet
Suitable: patients with abnormal renal function
Dr. Li emphasized that patients with abnormal renal function should pay special attention to low sodium and potassium, strictly control the intake of potassium according to the doctor's advice, and directly adopt a salt-free diet if necessary. Because too much sodium and potassium intake will accelerate kidney damage, resulting in inability to excrete urine and aggravate the condition.
uremia patients need to be more cautious, so it is suggested to consult the competent doctor and nutritionist directly and eat reasonably according to the arrangement.
Dr. Li said that although it tastes good without salt, we must pay attention to the intake of salt.
Because foods with too much salt will reduce the viscosity of protective mucus in the stomach, which will reduce its protective effect on the stomach wall, and various harmful factors in food will more easily act on the stomach wall and promote the occurrence of gastric cancer. In addition, too much salt intake will also lead to a large loss of calcium in our bodies, leading to "brittle bones", and the symptoms of osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly people will be more obvious. Therefore, the intake of salt should not only vary from region to region, but also from person to person. The daily intake of salt for healthy adults should not exceed 6 grams. Dr. Li made an analogy. A flat iron beer cover is just the salt intake needed by healthy adults in a day, which is about 5 grams to 6 grams. For some patients with chronic diseases, half a cover is generally enough.
We should pay attention to these misunderstandings of salt.
Myth 1: Is the nutrition of sea salt higher than that of well salt? Are all kinds of added salt more nutritious than ordinary salt?
Dr. Li said that the salt in our country is generally divided into two categories, namely well salt and sea salt. It's just that the origin is different, the nutrition is similar, and the iodine content of sea salt is relatively high. Dr. Li stressed that we should not think that it is good to contain all kinds of added salt. If the ingredients in salt are added too much, it will easily cause electrolyte disorder and lose nutrition. Try to choose the salt produced by regular national manufacturers. Ordinary snowflake salt is enough to supplement a variety of minerals and is suitable for most ordinary people. In short, buy salt, only buy the right one, not the expensive one.
Myth 2: Can eating soy sauce without salt reduce the intake of salt?
Dr. Li told us that 5ml of soy sauce is equivalent to 1g of salt, which is more likely to lead to excessive salt intake.
Therefore, it is suggested that people with heavy tastes should constantly strengthen their health concept, change their cooking and eating habits, reduce the amount of salt by measuring (quantitative salt spoon), eat less pickled foods, and gradually cultivate a light taste.
In addition, chicken essence, lobster sauce and oyster sauce are all condiments containing salt, so don't mix them when cooking.
When is the best time to put salt in cooking?
Dr. Li told us that the nutrients contained in salt are easily volatilized at high temperature. If the salt is put in too early and volatilized during cooking, the salty taste of the salt will be reduced. After cooking, people will think that the dishes are not salty and add salt again, which will easily lead to excessive salt intake. In addition, if the salt is put in too early, the iodine in it will volatilize, which will also cause the vegetables to come out of the water and turn black, which will affect the appearance of the dishes. Therefore, it is suggested to put salt when the dishes are about to be cooked.
how to preserve salt?
Dr. Li said that iodized salt is easily oxidized and decomposed under the influence of heat, light and wind, which makes iodine ineffective. In order to better retain the nutrients in table salt, it is suggested to store it in ceramics and glass bottles and keep it in a dry and dark place to avoid sun exposure and air moisture absorption.
Of course, it's also a good idea to eat as you buy, buy less at a time and avoid long-term storage. In short, salt is a good thing, but it can't be excessive. Iodine can be added, but it should be supplemented according to the crowd.