Sodium glutamate

Description of substance

The glutamate of sodium represents monosodium salt of glutaminic acid - white crystal powder, soluble in water. At contact with liquids substance breaks up to anions of a glutamate and cations of sodium. In the food industry the glutamate of sodium carries the name of "the amplifier of taste" and is registered under the E621 code.

Chemical formula of substance - _C5H8NNaO4.

Glutaminic acid (glutamine) is one of the most widely presented in the nature of replaceable amino acids which is a part practically of all proteinaceous products. Cow's milk, cheese, eggs, beef, meat of a duck, corn, green peas, tomatoes and some other belong to their number. A glutamine - biologically active agent, a neurotransmitter (the substance capable to carry out momentum transfer from one nervous cell to another), the main construction material of a human body, the nootropic means improving work of a brain. Glutaminic acid is also used as medical drug, rendering exciting and psychogogic action on a human body.

The amplifier of taste a glutamate of sodium is the derivative substance of glutaminic acid which is artificially synthesized by the person and for this reason has no above-mentioned advantages.

Action of a glutamate of sodium is based on strengthening of sensitivity of receptors of language due to increase in conductivity of nervous channels and force of nervous impulse - the effect lasting for 20 minutes after the use of nutritional supplement. Taste of a glutamate of sodium call "meat" or "bulyonopodobny" - it is capable to increase natural taste of products from meat, fish, a bird, vegetables, mushrooms and is widely applied in dishes of the Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisines. In Japan taste of a glutamate of sodium is referred to "the fifth taste" (in addition to acid, salty, sweet and bitter) and call it "minds", that is "tasty".

Use of a glutamate of sodium

Industrial use of nutritional supplement originates in Japan where for long years seasoned dishes with extract of the seaweed rich with glutaminic acid.

Chemically pure substance produced by way of fermentation from carbohydrates was for the first time received in 1907 by Ikeda Kikunae - the employee of the Tokyo Imperial University which took out the patent for a way of production of food drugs according to which the first glutamate of sodium was made. Since 1960 the glutamate of E 621 sodium became usual additive in food, and its annual consumption in the world reached 200 000 tons.

The amplifier of taste a glutamate of sodium is widely used as a part of meat, the sausages, cubes, seasonings, sauces frozen and tinned semi-finished products, croutons of industrial production, chips, "fast food" and many other products.

This substance is brought in the list of raw materials:

• "Dishes tinned lunch for the special consumer. Specifications" (State standard specification 18487-80);
• "Concentrates food first and second lunch junk foods. Specifications" (State standard specification 50847-96);
• "Canned food fish. Pastes. Specifications" (State standard specification 7457).

Harm of a glutamate of sodium

During the numerous disputes and researches the glutamate of E621 sodium was recognized as conditionally safe nutritional supplement at the use in maximum permissible quantities. The evidence of explicit negative impact on a sodium glutamate human body in reasonable dosages is not revealed.

Nevertheless, the negative impact of nutritional supplement on a mammal organism was revealed. During the researches of the Japanese scientist Hirosi Oguro feeding rats with a sodium glutamate in number of 20% of all consumed food thinning of a retina of an eye and, as a result, total loss of sight was revealed. According to explanations to an experiment, the glutamate of sodium contacted receptors of cells of a retina, reducing ability of other cells to carry out nervous impulses. Besides, a large amount of nutritional supplement in the intraocular liquid washing a retina was revealed.

However Hirosi Oguro expressed afterwards doubts about purity of an experiment as conditions in which experimental rats were put cannot be transferred to living people. "Thus, - the scientist claims, - consumption of substance in small amounts is admissible".

Harm of a glutamate of sodium at the systematic use in large numbers is shown by a so-called "syndrome of the Chinese restaurant": face reddening, necks, areas of a mouth, tachycardia, headache. Besides, it is established that E621 nutritional supplement damages brain cells, increases risks of a course of a disease of Alzheimer, and also causes narcotic accustoming including at children, promoting an overeating. As the producer, having pursued profit, actively adds the amplifier of taste a sodium glutamate to food, the consumer often passes many calories to unbalanced food that affects both its weight, and on health of digestive tract.

It should be noted that the glutamate of E621 sodium causes resistant dependence: using food with nutritional supplement constantly the person gets used to its saturated taste, and all other dishes seem to it fresh. Therefore the person eats much more food with specific taste, than would follow, weaning from such useful dishes as porridges, stewed vegetables, soups without "cubes" and salads.

To minimize harm of a glutamate of sodium, it is necessary:

• Whenever possible to avoid the use of "fast food" and semi-finished products;
• To eat the food cooked at home from bought in a supermarket or in the market of crude products;
• Not to use cubes, and to buy pure seasonings;
• It is attentive to read structure of a product on packaging, avoiding presence of E621 nutritional supplement and its derivatives.