(21-04-11) Consumption of monosodium glutamate in relation to incidence of overweight in Chinese adults: China Health and Nutrition Survey.

He K, Du S, Xun P, Sharma S, Wang H, Zhai F, Popkin B.

Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public
Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor
enhancer, is positively associated with weight gain, which influences energy
balance through the disruption of the hypothalamic signaling cascade of leptin
action.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the longitudinal association between
MSG consumption and incidence of overweight.

DESIGN: Data were collected from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS),
a prospective open-cohort, ongoing nationwide health and nutrition survey,
consisting of 10,095 apparently healthy Chinese adults aged 18-65 y at entry
from 1991 to 2006. Diet, including MSG and other condiments, was assessed with
a weighed food inventory in combination with three 24-h recalls. Incident
overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) ?? 25 or ??23 based
on World Health Organization recommendations for Asian populations. Multilevel
mixed-effects models were constructed to estimate change in BMI, and Cox
regression models with gamma shared frailty were used to determine the
incidence of overweight.

RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 5.5 y. The cumulative mean (??SD) MSG intake of
2.2 ?? 1.6 g/d was positively associated with BMI after adjustment for potential
confounders and cluster effects at different levels (individual, household, and
community). The adjusted hazard ratio of overweight was 1.33 (95% CI: 1.01,
1.75; P for trend < 0.01) for participants in the highest quintile of MSG
intake compared with those in the lowest quintile after adjustment for age,
physical activity, total energy intake, and other major lifestyle factors.

CONCLUSIONS: MSG consumption was positively, longitudinally associated with
overweight development among apparently healthy Chinese adults. Additional
studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms of action and to establish causal
inference.

Source: Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Apr 6. [Epub ahead of print]

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