University " Dunărea de Jos " of Galati

Cross-border Faculty of Humanities, Economics and Engineering

Specialty Food Engineering

Report
Theme:

,,Sodium glutamate”

Student: Cristian Stavila

Coordinator: Alina-Mihaela Elisha

2019
 Contents:
Brief History,, Sodium Glutamate” .............................................................................................3
Definition of sodium glutamate ....................................................................................................4
Group presentation .......................................................................................................................4
Examples of foods containing sodium glutamate........................................................................4
Properties of sodium glutamate ...................................................................................................5
Advantages and disadvantages of sodium glutamate .................................................................7
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................8
Bibliography: .................................................................................................................................9
 Brief History,, Sodium Glutamate”

Monosodium glutamate is a taste enhancer discovered as such in 1907 in Japan by

Kikunae Ikeda. Japanese cuisine has already used for at least a hundred years an extract from a
sea plant called kombu. Dry and prepared, it was used as a special flavor with the role of a taste
enhancer, but without really knowing the cause for which it gave such a pleasant taste to the
food. The Japanese researcher found that the substance responsible for potentiating taste is
glutamate and sold the patent to the Japanese spice company Suzuki. Together they laid the
foundation of the company Ajinomotoin 1909, a name that in translation would mean"the
essence of taste". It has started the mass production of glutamate from monosodium – a
substance produced by chemical processes and is much stronger than the kombu, the natural,
and, in 1933, Japan was already a production of about 5 tons per year.

After World War II, U.S. Army officials realized that Japanese soldiers ' food rations
were much tastier than American ones, and discovered monosodium glutamate – the key element
that potentiates the taste. Thus, the largest food producing companies in the United States met in
1948 and, having learned of this taste enhancer, decided to use it widely. By the 70s of the last
century, American companies had even used the substance in baby food, so in just a few years
the use of MSG had become a multibillion-dollar business.

But in 1957, researchers have found that the use of glutamate in the rats litter destroys the
cells in the retina of the eye, and in 1968, John Olney, a neuroscientist and neuropathologist at
the Department of Psychiatry of the University of St. louis. Louis, in the Washington, d.c., he
repeated the experiment with mice and found that glutamate monosodium not only destroys the
retina, but it is also responsible for the destruction of some of the major areas of the brain, and
produces effects very similar to those we see in stroke, or in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease
and Parkinson's disease.

The researcher communicated his findings to the U.S. Congress in a hearing attended by
major baby food manufacturers. They realised the threat hanging over their businesses if the
public found out the results of the research and agreed to withdraw the substance from food on
their own. But this happened only apparently, because glutamate was reintroduced in many other
forms and names. So, from then until today, the use of monosodium glutamate is a growing
business, with annual revenues of billions and billions of dollars and euros, its use spreading
widely throughout the world.

Food companies have hired armies of" researchers " to back up a very solid documented
record over the past 50 years. This created confusion, which cannot, however, withstand
hundreds and thousands of animal studies and experiments.
 They show that the use of the chemical compound of sodium glutamate and other taste
enhancers and artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, causes not only diabetes and obesity (a
real scourge in America, but also more and more in our country!), but it also affects the growth
hormone, thus preventing normal growth of the organs and parts of the body negatively affects
the functions of the reproductive health, causing infertility, raises the level of aggression and
anti-social behaviour, it causes large problems, attacks and also, last but not least, destroy the
brain, through the supraexcitarea of neurons., so that in both animals and humans, a decrease in
cognitive and intellectual abilities is observed. By destroying neurons and neural networks,
glutamate destroys memory, most likely becoming one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease,
which has seen an unprecedented scale in recent years.

Definition of sodium glutamate

Sodium glutamate (e621 or monosodium glutamate - GMS) is a food additive. It is one of

many forms of glutamic acid, a non-essential amino acid

Group presentation

E 621 (sodium glutanate) is used for the preservation of sausages, milk, cheeses,
mushrooms. It's the main component of concentrated soups. Crystals do not taste, but combined
with chemical flavorings give flavors stronger than natural ones. It's a neurotoxin that causes
migraines that can't be treated with drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported in
the U.S. that e621 is one of the main factors causing Alzheimer's disease. Injections of affected
glutaneous animals (guinea pigs, dogs, monkeys) in the laboratory destroyed nerve cells in the
brain.

Examples of foods containing sodium glutamate

This substance, also known as sodium glutamate, Chinese salt, monosodium glutamate,
Natrium glutaminate (according to European regulations), is obtained by chemical, from
bacterial or vegetable fermented crops. It also exists in nature, in foods such as: yeast,
mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs, seafood, fish. Sodium monoglutamate is also found naturally in the
human body as a neurotransmitter and is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous
system.
 Here is below a list of hidden sources of glutamate. The elements of the list are in
descending order of the amount of glutamate contained:

1.Autolyzed yeast 15.Broth

2.Calcium caseinate 16.Tomato concentrate

3.Gelatin 17.Meat soup

4.Hydrolysed proteins 18.Barley malt

5.Sodium caseinate 19.Malt Extract

6.Yeast Extract 20.Malt flavour

7.Textured protein 21.Milk protein

8.Carrageenan 22.Protein isolate from milk

9.Vegetable gum 23.Milk protein concentrate

10.Spices 24.Soy protein

11.Flavors 25.Soy protein isolate

12.Natural flavors 26.Soy protein concentrate

13.Flavor of chicken, beef pork. 27.Soy sauce

14.Aroma of smoke 28.Soy Extract

Properties of sodium glutamate

Glutamate is one of the most important receptors and neurotransmitters in the body and
brain, being responsible, along with others, with the proper functioning of the nervous system. In
addition to the fact that glutamate is a substance found in natural products, this was one of the
arguments used by the "researchers" of large food companies to argue that the use of artificial
glutamate in food only goes on the line of nature. But research has shown that overexciting these
glutamate receptors in our body causes an imbalance throughout the body.
 Basically, glutamate is a substance that, added to food, can make us eat more, with
appetite and at shorter intervals of time a food with poor nutritional capabilities and, objectively,
less tasty. This resulted in the paradoxical situation that – as has been observed many times in
the past few years to have a population that eats a lot, but it's malnutrită, just because of the food,
lack of those nutrients crucial to the smooth running and maintenance of our body.

Researcher Russell L. Blaylock describes in his work "Excitotoxins – The taste that kills"
how they act on cells and neurons glutamate produced in industrial quantities and added to our
food. Cells use a safety system to absorb nutrients, and the key to this process is calcium or
sodium, substances that open the "door" of the cell.

Calcium is also the substance that opens the doors to neurons in the brain to make room
for nutrient agents, which in turn causes the neuron to transmit signals. But when the neuron is
exposed to excitotoxins such as monosodium glutamate, the neuron's blocking system is
disrupted: not only does too high a dose of calcium damage, but the neuron becomes overexcited
and continuously transmits signals until it runs out and dies.

MSG activates by overexciting all known types of receptors and neurotransmitters.

Magnesium and zinc are the substances that close the system and block the open calcium channel
for unwanted toxins, but what is observed in the food served by fast food, for example, is that it
is extremely poor precisely in substances such as zinc and magnesium. Thus, the neural channel
does not close, allowing excitotoxins to destroy the brain, and the effect is drowsiness and
lethargy, to which a general state of helplessness is added.

Some symptoms found in glutamate:

Cardiac: Muscle:

* Arrhythmia * Stings

* Arterial fibrillation * Simultaneous pain

* Slowing of the heart * Slimming

* Angina pectoris Respiratory:

* Increased blood pressure * Asthma

* Low blood pressure * Insufficient breathing

Gastrointestinal disorders: * Chest pain

* Diarrhoea * Irritation of the nose

* Nausea / Vomiting

* Stomach cramps

* Irritated Colon

* Hemorrhoids
Neurological: Uro-genital:

* Depression * Prostate pain

* Anger reactions * Vaginal pain

* Dizziness * Frequent urination

* Disorientation

Visual:

* Blurred vision

* Cumbersome focus

* Pressure around the eyes

Advantages and disadvantages of sodium glutamate

For many years, scientists, nutritionists, and study carefully the composition of the
substance, and to try to understand what is beneficial or harmful, it is not possible to use it in a
reasonable amount, or to abandon it altogether. However, the beneficial properties of
monosodium glutamate also has this:

 The aroma enhancer significantly improves the production of special substances-

endrogennogo gastrin. Due to his mucous cells (gastrin) stomach actively proliferate,
which leads to an abundant secretion of gastric juice, as well as better work intestine.
 If a person has high blood pressure, E621 can not only be used, but even necessary. It is
known that salt (sodium chloride) for hypertensive patients is strongly discouraged, but
MSG is useful and in fact replaces the familiar to many dietary supplement, providing a
good taste of the dish.
 Based on the taste enhancer developed special drugs that positively affect the central
nervous system.
 The acidic part of glutamate changes ammonia accumulates in the human body, turning it
into other chemical salts that do not pose any danger.
 Glutamate can even treat gastritis. However, it is only the hypoacid form-with low
acidity. If the substance got into the intestine glutathione produced, it improves
immunity.
 Disadvantages of sodium glutamate:

 First of all, it should be noted that the additive E621 food is very toxic properties,
because of which it is a powerful stimulating effect on brain cells. Therefore, if you
frequently or regularly eat foods with flavor enhancer, the changes in the brain can be
simply irreversible. This is especially true for children and adolescents
 In no case can not eat e621 pregnant and lactating women, because because of these same
toxins, pollutants brain and nerve cells of the child will be affected.
 The substance is fraught with danger: there are some serious problems with the digestive
system, there is some sort of hormonal imbalance, and disrupted the structure of the
retina.
 Asthma, kidney disease, allergies-a few diseases that can occur when a large
consumption of food additive E621.
 Glutamate dependence-about it, perhaps, scientists often write. The human body is so
accustomed to an additive that" ordinary "food for him is perceived as" fresh " bad taste -
that you want to add to any glutamate dish. Over time, a person even stop working taste
buds.
 Chronic administration increases the risk of ulcers and gastritis.

Recommendations

Carefully reading the labels, of course! But this, unfortunately, is not enough. Glutamate
is present in quite large quantities and in other substances, such as:

 carrageenan (you can find it especially on the label of commercial ice cream);
 autolised yeast / yeast extract;
 calcium/sodium caseinate;
 gelatin;
 hydrolysed proteins;
 barley malt / malt extract / malt flavor;
 milk/soy protein.

Children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with a particular allergen history should
not consume products on whose label it appears as an ingredient (mono) sodium glutamate. Even
healthy people should avoid exposure to this substance, because of overdose, and combination
with other substances (such as aspartame) can lead to serious health disorders.
 Bibliography:

 Dulama, M. E. Study of changing students ' conceptions of food additives

 CONSTANIN, R., & STĂNESCU, S. (2009). ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS
 Lucas, D. R., & Newhouse, J. P. (1957). The toxic effect of sodium L-glutamate on the
inner layers of the retina. AMA archives of ophthalmology, 58(2), 193-201.
 HAYASHI, T. (1954). Effects of sodium glutamate on the nervous system. The Keio
Journal of Medicine, 3 (4), 183-192.
 https://doc.ro/sanatate/glutamat-de-sodiu-efecte-asupra-sanatatii
 https://www.infocons.ro/ro/i-despre-glutamatul-de-sodiu-e621-MTgyODAtMQ.html