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Understanding the real MSG: Put the pinch on salt
By Sue Mah, MHSc, RD
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 Something a little serendipitous happened recently while dining out with my family at a Chinese restaurant in Toronto. After the waiter took our order, he asked if we preferred “no MSG” with our meals.
As the daughter of a Chinese chef, I have been enjoying my dad’s authentic cuisine – without any added MSG – all my life. And as a dietitian, my job is to encourage Canadians to be proactive and choose healthier options when they eat out. So, putting two and two together, you can probably guess that I answered the waiter’s question with a resounding, “Yes please!”
The problem though isn’t MSG per se. The problem is sodium. MSG is just one of the many ingredients that are a source of sodium in our food supply. The latest figures from Statistics Canada show that all of us are eating far too much sodium. On average, Canadians eat almost 3100 mg of sodium a day, which is about one-third more than the recommended maximum. Men, it seems, are far worse than women, ingesting approximately 4100 mg of sodium daily, and that’s NOT including what they add during cooking or eating. What’s more troubling is that 75 per cent of our preschoolers, and a shocking 93 per cent of kids aged four to eight are also overdosing on sodium.
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There is a clear link between sodium comsumption and hypertension. A landmark Canadian study found that reducing our salt intake could eliminate hypertension in one million Canadians and save $430 million a year in health care costs relating to the disease. A couple of years ago, I interviewed Dr. Norm Campbell, Chair of the Canadian Hypertension Education Program, President of Blood Pressure Canada, and one of the study’s authors. His words still ring clearly in my head. He said: “Even if blood pressure is normal at the age of 55, 90 per cent of people will develop high blood pressure later in life.”
It is this type of awareness and education that we need. With World Hypertension Day upon us, consumers will no doubt be seeing, reading and hearing more about what they can to prevent and treat hypertension. But the prevention of hypertension is impossible without the support of the food industry.
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A national Working Group on Dietary Reduction of Sodium has been charged with the mandate of developing and implementing a strategy for reducing dietory sodium int ake among Canadians. Members of the group include s takeholders from food manufacturing and industry groups, as well as health agencies, academia, consumer advocacy groups and government. Their final strategy report with recommendations is due out next month.
As a long time nutrition consultant to the food industry, I know it’s going to take some time to reformulate products and ‘retrain’ consumers’ taste buds. I do, however, like what I’m seeing thus far. Kudos to Campbell Company of Canada, who in 2007, received Blood Pressure Canada’s Certificate of Excellence in recognition of its leadership in producing and promot ing lower sodium soup choices. Thumbs up to the Heart and Stroke Foundation for lowering the sodium criteria in their Health Check program for restaurants and foodservice meals. And three cheers for the Chinese waiter who himself took the initiative to offer me a sodium- cons cious meal . It was absolutely delicious.
[Editor’s note: CRFA represents the foodservice industry on the Working Group on Dietary Reduction of Sodium
mentioned above.]
About the author:
Sue Mah, MHSc, RD is a nutrition writer, media spokesperson and President of Nutrition Solutions Inc www.nutritionsolutions.ca. As a consultant to food industry, she has helped to develop national nutrition resources and media campaigns. Sue teaches a nutrition workshop designed for food/beverage, marketing, sales and PR professionals. Contact Sue at 416-997-8721 or sue@nutritionsolutions.ca.
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