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In a small town, there lives a 64-year-old aunt named Chen Hui. Before her retirement, Chen Hui worked as a librarian, an ordinary but very orderly profession.
Despite the seemingly ordinary nature of her life, she has an extraordinary dedication to health. For years, she insisted on not using MSG, believing that it would keep her in better health.
One day, Chen Hui felt that her memory seemed to be not as good as before, and she decided to go to the hospital for a comprehensive physical examination. The results showed that she was in fairly good physical condition, but her doctor, Dr. Zhang, noticed something unusual.
Dr. Teo is a middle-aged man with a sense of humor and a penchant for explaining medical knowledge in a humorous way. When looking at Chen's blood test results, he noticed that she had a slightly lower sodium level.
This led Dr. Zhang to become interested in Chen Hui's eating habits. He inquired about her daily diet and learned that Chen Hui had not used MSG for many years for her health.
Dr. Cheung explained that although MSG is misunderstood by many people, the main ingredient, monosodium glutamate, is a non-essential amino acid that the body can synthesize on its own, but it plays an important role in the human body. Glutamate is not only an important neurotransmitter, but it is also involved in cognitive functions in the brain, such as learning and memory.
He went on to say that monosodium glutamate, the main ingredient of MSG, is actually not much different from the sodium in the salt we consume. Both salt (sodium chloride) and monosodium glutamate (monosodium glutamate) contain sodium chemically, but people are often concerned about excessive sodium intake, not sodium itself.
Dr Cheung pointed out that the use of MSG in moderation does not pose a health risk, but can enhance the flavour of food without adding extra salt.
In addition, Dr. Zhang also mentioned that monosodium glutamate can help improve the umami taste of food, making it easier for people to be satisfied, which can indirectly help control food intake and maintain a healthy weight.
This is especially important for older people like Chen, who may lose taste as they age, and a moderate amount of monosodium glutamate can help enhance the taste of food and improve appetite and nutrient absorption in older adults.
Finally, Dr Teo points out that overly restrictive dietary restrictions can sometimes lead to nutritional imbalances. He advises Chen Hui to consider introducing MSG in moderation, especially when making low-salt recipes that require freshness.
After this inspection, Chen Hui was a little surprised but also quite relieved. She realized that she might have understood the effects of MSG too one-sidedly and began to reconsider her eating habits.
A few months later, at the advice of Dr. Zhang, Chen Hui gradually used a small amount of MSG in some dishes. She was surprised to find that the dishes did indeed taste more delicious, and she didn't feel any discomfort.
During a follow-up visit, Chen Hui said to Dr. Zhang, "Dr. Zhang, I find that I can now control my diet better and feel that my overall health has improved. But I still have a question, does MSG affect my blood pressure? I remember hearing that MSG increases blood pressure. ”
Dr. Zhang smiled and replied, "That's a good question." In fact, the sodium content in MSG is much lower than that of table salt. The amount of sodium in MSG is only about 0.5 grams per 5 grams, while the sodium content in the same weight of table salt is as high as 2 grams. ”
"So, if you use MSG instead of some table salt, it can help control your total sodium intake, which can help manage your blood pressure. Of course, the key is to control your total sodium intake and keep it at a healthy level. ”
After hearing this, Chen Hui felt that her understanding of MSG had become more in-depth. She decided to use MSG appropriately while maintaining a moderate amount of total sodium intake, so that she could enjoy the food while taking care of her health.
What do you think about the issue of dietary health? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!