[LifeStyle] Study indicates alternative to flavor food without excess salt

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From a culinary perspective, salt has many desirable properties. It is cheap, and by adding it to food, it improves its flavor.

Additionally, the human body requires a small amount of sodium to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals, according to the Harvard University Department of Health. It is estimated that we need around 500 milligrams of sodium a day for these vital functions.

However, too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, warns the World Health Organization (WHO).

This has prompted WHO members to agree to reduce the world's po[CENSORED]tion's salt intake by 30% by 2025.

But, for several people it is difficult to stop using it. For those who are used to high levels of salt in their food, its abrupt absence can make food "taste bad."

Having this problem, a study carried out by the food company Ajinomoto proposes an alternative that can give flavor to the food and that at the same time can help reduce salt.

The article called Cutting down on sodium, not on taste (Reduce sodium, not the flavor translated into Spanish), which was published in an advertising way in the scientific journal Nature, suggests that to reduce salt, a seasoning capable of provide the "umami" flavor.

Umami, which roughly translates to "tasty" in Japanese, is known as the "fifth taste" along with sour, sweet, salty, and bitter. It was first discovered in 1908 when the Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda identified glutamate as the amino acid that gives kombu, a type of seaweed, its umami flavor.

The article indicates that glutamate is also a umami-inducing substance found in many foods like cheese, meats, and tomatoes. Since glutamate is one of the building blocks of proteins and peptides, it "keeps the body functioning and aids in the digestion of proteins."

One ingredient that can provide this flavor is monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG. Monosodium glutamate contains two-thirds less sodium than salt, and since there is no chemical difference between glutamate found in food and commercially manufactured monosodium glutamate, the body processes them in the same way. MSG has an appearance similar to salt.

According to Hiroyuki Kojima, Senior Vice President of Ajinomoto's Research and Development Planning Department, "umami seasoning is such a good alternative because with less sodium than salt and no added aroma, partial replacement of salt with MSG improves positive traits of low-salt foods ".

Ajinomoto, in 2017 was able to reduce salt intake in Iwate, a prefecture in northern Japan. To improve people's diets, the entity worked with retailers and the Iwate prefectural government to promote low-sodium products and recipes that use locally sourced ingredients.

Internationally, one of the most cost-effective measures countries can take to improve people's health is to reduce salt intake, according to the WHO.

While MSG might be a seasoning that helps the purpose of reducing salt intake, it also has its controversies. Some people may experience adverse effects when they consume high doses of MSG in a meal, according to a study cited by Healthline. Symptoms included headache, muscle tension, numbness, tingling, weakness, and redness.