Nutritional effects of umami in the human diet

Abstract

Experimental studies have demonstrated that adding monosodium glutamate (MSG) to a large array of different savory foods influences palatability, food preferences, and food choice. Sensory evaluation tests have shown that both traditional and novel foods get higher palatability ratings if MSG is added at an appropriate dose. The acquisition of a liking for a novel food is facilitated by the addition of MSG to the recipe. In institutionalized elderly persons and hospitalized diabetic patients, the addition of MSG to target foods in a lunch meal induced an increased intake of those specific foods, with a subsequent decreased intake of foods presented later in the meal. In both populations, food selection was affected by MSG but meal size remained the same. Experiencing the positive effects of MSG is thus possible without inducing hyperphagia. Research should now investigate the long‐term effects of widespread MSG use on body weight control.