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In the bustling movie theater, a fierce car chase is unfolding on the big screen.
Just as cars were weaving down the highway and spectators were nervously clenching the armrests of their seats, a middle-aged man suddenly collapsed in the audience, causing chaos.
"Don't let foods high in salt and fat be your health killers. When a doctor next to him was in an emergency, he inadvertently said this sentence, which shocked Lin Haoran, who is an IT engineer.
Lin Haoran always thought that he maintained a healthy lifestyle, but this unexpected incident made him start to doubt whether his eating habits were really scientific.
He began to reflect on whether he should pay more attention to the condiments he consumes on a daily basis, such as the common MSG and chicken essence.
These two are almost a must-have on the dinner table of Chinese families, but little is known about their health effects by ordinary people.
Although monosodium glutamate (chemically known as monosodium glutamate) and chicken bouillon (the main ingredient also includes monosodium glutamate and some chicken extracts and excipients) can enhance the umami taste of food, their health effects are often the focus of debate.
Lim researches this topic to choose a healthier diet for himself and his family. After some research, Lin Haoran discovered that monosodium glutamate, the main ingredient of monosodium glutamate, is a non-essential amino acid, which can be synthesized by itself in the human body.
Despite long-standing rumors that MSG can cause the so-called "Chinese food syndrome" (including headaches, palpitations, and other symptoms), scientific studies have shown that moderate intake of monosodium glutamate is safe for most people.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also classifies MSG as a substance that is "generally considered safe."
However, Lam was more attracted to a study of chicken bouillon, which pointed out that while chicken extract added to chicken bouillon may lead people to mistakenly think that it is more "natural", in fact, chicken bouillon tends to contain more sodium than MSG.
A high-sodium diet is one of the main causes of hypertension, which is an important risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
For an IT engineer like Lin Haoran, sitting in front of a computer for a long time and lacking sufficient physical exercise is already a hidden danger to health problems.
If you add a high-sodium diet, it will undoubtedly make matters worse, and he realizes that the use of chicken essence should be minimized, especially in home cooking, and more attention should be paid to the freshness and natural taste of the ingredients themselves.
Through a comparative study of these two condiments, Lin Haoran has come to a unique point of view: when choosing condiments, it is necessary to consider not only whether they can enhance the taste of food, but also their long-term health effects.
He suggested that MSG can be used in moderation in home cooking to increase the umami flavor of dishes, but chicken bouillon should be avoided as much as possible to control the sodium content in the diet.
The study was not without practical support, as a study involving more than 1,000 adults showed that those who regularly used bouillon in their diet had a significantly higher prevalence of high blood pressure than those who used bouillon occasionally or without bouillon.
Through the introduction of doctors, Lin Haoran also learned about several cases of health problems caused by long-term high-sodium diets.
One of the cases was a middle-aged woman who was eventually diagnosed with high blood pressure due to the long-term heavy use of chicken bouillon.
The woman had no other underlying health problems, but her health deteriorated due to a high-sodium diet.
Through these studies and case studies, Lim is more convinced of the importance of dietary choices for health.
How can we effectively reduce sodium intake in our daily diet?
In analyzing this problem, we need to read from the food label;
Choose products that are low or no sodium, and use natural flavors and herbs in cooking to replace some of the salt.
Through these methods, we can effectively control and reduce the sodium content in our diet without sacrificing the taste of food, so as to provide more protection for the health of ourselves and our families.
What do you have to say about this? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!