The Interplay between Glutamate and the Four Classic Tastes

Table salt is NaCl, which means that, like MSG, it contains sodium. When these two substances are dissolved in water, their sodium takes on the form of sodium ions (Na⁺). Taste tests have been carried out in which the sodium concentration from table salt and MSG together was kept constant in a food, but the relative proportion of each was varied. In all cases, the research subjects reported that decreasing the salt content while increasing that of the MSG made the food taste saltier and improved its palatability; there was, consequently, no reason to add more salt. The experiment demonstrated that the judicious use of MSG makes it possible to decrease the salt content of food without losing even a little of its salty taste. This is good news for people with high blood pressure, a health problem that is on the upswing in a large proportion of the population.