Monosodium glutamate is emerging as popular food ingredient found in most snack food

Monosodium glutamate is the salty solution of glutamic acid, also called sodium glutamate. Most often referred to as "mono-sodium glutamate" or "monosodiumglutamate," it's a common ingredient found in most snack foods such as popcorn, pretzels, cookies, cakes, ice cream, sherbets, and smoothies. It belongs to the amide class of amino acids. It is often used as an artificial sweetener and has a number of industrial usages. Although monosodium glutamate is widely used as a flavor enhancer and food seasoning, it can cause serious side effects when taken at the right dosage. Glutamates are also used in flavorings to add the different taste sensations that are so unique to certain foods.

It has emerged that excessive intake of glutamate has many adverse effects on the human body. The most common symptoms of gout patients are nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, and disturbed sleep. Many food additives have been identified that cause these problems but not one food additive can be tagged as a gout remedy.

The major function of glutamate in our body is to provide the complete nutritional requirements of the body without causing any side effects. The major benefit of using MSG is that it maintains the balance of the blood sugar levels, reduces appetite, maintains fluid balance in the body, and maintains the normal functioning of the nervous system. The food additives which use glutamic acid as one of the main ingredients have been found to be helpful in curing almost all health related problems. The natural flavor of the food can be retained when monosodium glutamate is added. Food companies use this food additive to add natural flavor and aroma to their foods.