The flavor enhancer glutamatecan be found in almost all ready meals, sauces and spice mixtures. It ensures that the taste of food is intensified in the brain and that it tastes more aromatic. At the same time, glutamate is an endogenous amino acid that acts as a messenger substance (neurotransmitter) and is also found in natural foods such as tomatoes and meat. According to the World Health Organization, artificially added glutamate has no harmful effect on the body, but manufacturers must indicate its use on the product ingredient list. Glutamate is hidden behind the names E 620 – 625. But even if glutamate is not on the list of ingredients, you should be careful because yeast extract, seasoning, soy seasoning and meat extract also contain glutamate.
By the way: The note “free of flavor enhancers” does not rule out the use of glutamate.
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Signs of glutamate intolerance
Symptoms of glutamate intolerance usually appear within minutes of eating a particular meal. This includes:
- headache
- nausea
- tingling in the throat
- itching
- palpitations
- hot flashes
- dry mouth
- skin redness
Can a glutamate allergy be detected?
Glutamate intolerance is a so-called pseudoallergy. This means that the body’s reaction is not triggered by the immune system and therefore cannot be detected with an allergy test.
China Restaurant Restaurant Syndrome
Glutamate intolerance became known in the 1970s as a result of the so-called “ Chinese Restaurant Syndrome ”. After enjoying Chinese food, many people complained of nausea, headaches , tingling in the throat and tachycardia.
It was quickly proven that these symptoms can be attributed to the excessive consumption of glutamate. However, since the symptoms of glutamate intolerance are very unspecific, it often goes undetected for a long time.
Treatment of glutamate intolerance
Anyone who fears suffering from glutamate intolerance should generally avoid ready meals, chips and condiments and cook as freshly as possible. A good vitamin B level also contributes to better tolerability of glutamate.
Side Effects of Glutamate
Anyone who tolerates foods containing glutamate can, of course, continue to use foods with glutamate in the future and without hesitation. But be careful: The protein building block is also used in low-quality foods to make them tastier and you can’t get enough of them. One of the biggest side effects of glutamate is almost certainly being overweight . So, even if you don’t have glutamate intolerance, it’s better to use high-quality foods that don’t contain any glutamate.
