title: Association of monosodium glutamate intake with overweight in Chinese adults: the INTERMAP Study.
abstract: Animal studies indicate that monosodium glutamate (MSG) can induce hypothalamic lesions and leptin resistance, possibly influencing energy balance, leading to overweight. This study examines the association between MSG intake and overweight in humans. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 752 healthy Chinese (48.7% women), aged 40-59 years, randomly sampled from three rural villages in north and south China. The great majority of participants prepared their foods at home, without use of commercially processed foods. Diet was assessed with four in-depth multipass 24-h recalls. Participants were asked to demonstrate MSG amounts added in food preparation. Amounts shaken out were weighed by trained interviewers. Overweight was defined as BMI > or =25.0 or > or =23.0 kg/m(2)(based on World Health Organization recommendations for Asian populations). Eighty-two percent of participants were MSG users. Average intake was 0.33 g/day (s.d. = 0.40). With adjustment for potential confounders including physical activity and total energy intake, MSG intake was positively related to BMI. Prevalence of overweight was significantly higher in MSG users than nonusers. For users in the highest tertile of MSG intake compared to nonusers, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios of overweight (BMI > or =23.0 and > or =25.0) were 2.10 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-3.90, P for trend across four MSG categories = 0.03) and 2.75 (95% confidence interval, 1.28-5.95, P = 0.04). This research provides data that MSG intake may be associated with increased risk of overweight independent of physical activity and total energy intake in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Ka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Liancheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Daviglus
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Horn
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garside
authors.forename: Liguang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Dongshuang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yangfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Beifan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jeremiah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stamler
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D012970:Sodium Glutamate