Chemical compound- Monosodium Glutamate Introduction Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is the salt of an amino acid-Glutamic Acid or glutamate. It is commonly used as a flavor enhancing food additive. MSG is a very important ingredient in the cuisines of China and Japan. Glutamates are found naturally in tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms. It is also used in soups, sauces and frozen vegetables. MSG has a unique taste, known as umami (meaning “savory deliciousness”) which is considered distinct from the four basic tastes sweet, sour, salty and bitter. History MSG was first recognized by Kikunae Ikeda at the Tokyo Imperial University, Japan in 1908. He took the seaweed called Laminaria japonica and ran it through a series of chemical experiments for a few days and noticed a crystalline form developing. Then, the Ajinomoto ("essence of taste") company was formed to manufacture and market MSG in Japan. It was also introduced to the United States in 1947 as Ac'cent flavour enhancer. Structure and Nature The molecular formula of MSG is C5H8NO4Na and molecular mass is 169.111099g/mol. It is a white powder with a melting temperature of 225°C and is soluble in water. MSG is quite stable as it does not change in appearance or quality at room temperature. In acidic conditions (pH 2.2-2.4) and at high temperatures MSG is dehydrated and converted into 5-pyrrolidone-2-carboxylic acid. . Method of manufacture Monosodium glutamate can be produced by three common methods which are hydrolysis of proteins, synthesis, and microbial fermentation. In the hydrolysis method, the protein is hydrolyzed with a strong mineral acid to free amino acids, and the glutamic acid is then separated from the mixture, purified, and converted to monosodium glutamat... ... middle of paper ... ...used by MSG are called the Chinese restaurant syndrome due to the fact that it is used in large amounts in Chinese food and restaurants. As mentioned earlier, MSG causes us to crave the foods processed with MSG-and a majority of processed and packaged foods now contain monosodium glutamate. This is one of the main reasons people in America are becoming obese. It has been reported that the average person eats much more glutamate than what is considered to be a safe and normal amount in the typical American diet. Conclusion Small amounts of MSG are not a problem, but if small amounts of MSG are in several common foods that are consumed every day, the problem becomes much more serious. The only way to ensure limited consumption of monosodium glutamate is to eat natural fruits and vegetables and limited quantity of processed and packaged foods from the supermarket.
“The passive American consumer, sitting down to a meal of pre-prepared or fast food, confronts a platter covered with inert, anonymous substances that have been processed, dyed, breaded, sauced, gravied, ground, pulped, strained, blended, prettified, and sanitized beyond resemblance to any creature that every lived (Berry 9).” This a great example that makes that makes us learn and think about when we eat a fast food product and also what it contains. This should a reason for us to be thinkful of the food products that we consume on a daily basis, and so do our
Magnesium is an important element necessary healthy bones and teeth. The use of all muscles, and nerves convert it into energy for daily living. It is also instrumental in maintaining adequate levels of calcium in the blood. Having a therapeutic magnesium level helps prevent cardiovascular disease and reduces the risk of bone loss. The body of the adult human contains about 2000 mEq of Mg. Half of this amount stays within the skeleton and the other half in soft tissues (Wacker and Parisi 1968). The normal concentration in the blood is somewhere in the ranges of 1.7-2.3 mg/dL (Magnesium, 2013)
The diagnosis for MG is often very difficult. Since there are many disorders that cause weakness, a number of tests may be used to determine a diagnosis of MG. In addition to a complete medical and neurological evaluation, a blood test for the abnormal antibodies can be completed to see if they are present. Three studies are used for the diagnosis of MG, anit-AchR antibody titers, the Tensilon test, and electromyography, including both the Jolly test and single fiber EMG. Used together, these three studies are almost 100% sensitive for Myasthenia Gravis.
Lysergic acid diethylamide was the first synthetic hallucinogen that was discovered. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, better known as LSD and was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann on November 16, 1938. The discovery took place in Basel, Switzerland when Albert Hofmann joined Author Stroll’s pharmaceutical-chemical department of Sandoz Laboratories. This acid is found on ergot fungus; this type of fungus naturally grows on grains. Albert Hofmann studied ergot fungus with the hope to create a respiratory and circulatory stimulant. Hoffman began to lose interest since his research would not advance, so he decided to set it aside for approximately five years. On April 16, 1943 he decided to re-open the experiment and accidentally absorbed a small amount through his finger tips. That is when he discovered the true potential of LSD. He described the experience as:
Based on the evidence of the movie, “Supersize Me,” a guy ate nothing but McDonald’s for a month straight, and gained 25 pounds. There are high amount of grams of fat, sodium, and sugar which lead up to excessive weight gain. They add all of this to make their food better tasting, more addicting to make customers come back. Did you know McDonald’s is very unsanitary and get violations often? There has been cases of food being dropped on the floor, employees spitting in the food, and handling food without washing their hands or wearing gloves!
The most simple way to avoid toxic ingredients is to look at the Nutrition Facts label. The
the resulting amino acid would be sodium glycinate (see fig. 3), an example of a
Aspartame has been known as one of the most famous sweeteners and additives to food. Since its discovery in 1965-1969, it has now been developed into a commercial product in which several products use it to enhance its sweetness and taste. Because of this, it has also been a very prosperous commercial product where its company developers get much profit on. Nonetheless, it has been the subject of issue and controversy. Several reports and studies rebuke the suitability of it being a food product stating that it is more known as a poison. Therefore, in this essay, the advantages and limitations of Aspartame as a chemical food additive will be analyzed and evaluated with regards to Economic and environmental factors. Also, the physiological effect of this chemical additive will be looked upon and discussed.
John B.Curtis invented the first commercial chewing gum in 1848. But it is documented that the first piece of gum is over 9,000 years old. After John B. Curtis introduced chewing gum, several people made chewing gum but the first patent was given to a dentist name William Finley Semple in 1869.
Out of all cations (positive ions) found in the human body, Magnesium is the fourth most abundant. Over half, usually between 50 and 60% is found in our skeletons. The other 40 to 50% is found evenly
Neurotransmitters are essential for transferring information between neurons and are released from a presynaptic terminal into a synaptic cleft. When the neurotransmitters bind to the postsynaptic receptors (specialized protein molecules that capture and react to molecules of the neurotransmitter), it induces an ionic flux which depolarizes the neuron. Neurotransmitter binding may also cause metabolic changes such as the activation of secondary messenger systems. Efficient neurotransmitters must satisfy two requirements: the level of neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft must be kept low in order to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio upon binding of fresh transmitter to its receptor; and the second requirement is the rapid replacement of a transmitter that is released from a presynaptic terminal (Glutamate and Glutamine in the Brain, 2000). I am choosing glutamate as my neurotransmitter of choice, so in order for glutamate to be an efficient neurotransmitter, a low external signal-to-noise ratio must be preset in order to prevent excitotoxicity which can damage and even kill nearby neurons. Glutamate must also need to be removed from the synapse or it must have to be resynthesized within the
In February 2006, Menu started receiving information that animals were getting sick after eating the pet food. Menu conducted a taste-test on their animal, which resulted in at least nine animal deaths. In March, Menu finally notified the U.S. distributor they were investigating the Chinese wheat gluten as possible
Since McDonalds is aware that people are more concerned with the healthiness of their products, they have added few items such as salads and fruits to gain a better reputation. Many high ranked officials even claim their food to be among the safest. “McDonald's is considered one of the best, if not the best, company in the United States when it comes to food safety” says Weisman. This claim, however, does not at all account for the poison...
Magnesium can be found in many types of food in many types of food, of which, if consumed, can prevent from many illnesses.
Our society nowadays is rather different from the society that existed previously. Throughout the history, the habits of people have dramatically changed as well as the lifestyle did. The development of new technologies that we are able to witness in our days is changing how we live and how we perceive the environment around us. With regards to this, it would not be a surprise that our eating habits and how we view the food have also changed with the flow of the time and that the junk food is gaining larger popularity. With the growth of the junk food consumption, people become concerned with the quality of the food they eat and with the effects that it has on their health. Speaking about the influence of junk food on the health, many researchers