MSG is short for monosodium glutamate. It’s a flavor enhancer derived from L-glutamic acid, which is naturally present in many foods. L-glutamic acid is a nonessential amino acid, meaning that your body can produce it by itself and doesn’t need to get it from food.
MSG is a white, odorless, crystalline powder commonly use as a food additive. In the food industry, it’s known as E621. It dissolves easily in water, separating into sodium and free glutamate.สมัคร UFABET
It’s made by fermenting carb sources like sugar beet, sugar cane, and molasses.
There’s no chemical difference between the glutamic acid found naturally in some foods and that found in MSG. This means your body can’t differentiate between the two types.
MSG has a specific taste known as umami. The fifth basic taste alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Umami has a meaty flavor that refers to the presence of proteins in food.
Besides MSG, other umami compounds include inosine 5’-monophosphate (IMP) and guanosine 5’-monophosphate (GMP).
MSG is popular in Asian cooking and use in various process foods in the West. It’s estimated that people’s average daily intake is 0.3–1.0 grams.
Flavor enhancer
The flavor-enhancing effects of MSG are due to its umami taste, which induces salivary secretion. In other words, umami flavors make your mouth water, which can improve the taste of food.
What’s more, studies show that umami substances can lower the desire to salt foods. Salt is another flavor enhancer.