Increasing Vegetable Intake Using Monosodium Glutamate in a Randomized Controlled Trial: A Culinary Medicine Intervention

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a flavor enhancer in increasing vegetable intake compared to sodium chloride (NaCl) alone combined with a digital culinary medicine education program. A two-phase randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted from February to November 2023. Phase one involved a five-week intervention where participants received a designated seasoning and logged their vegetable intake using the MyFitnessPal app. Phase two involved a sensory evaluation, assessing the palatability of green beans and sweet potatoes seasoned with NaCl/MSG mixtures using a Likert scale and triangle tests to determine preference and palatability. Phase one; 60 participants were assigned to one of three groups: 100% NaCl (control), 50/50 NaCl/MSG, and 70/30 NaCl/MSG. Phase two; 88 participants and all seasoning groups received a digital culinary medicine education program with recipes and videos. The 50/50 NaCl/MSG group showed a mean increase in vegetable intake from 1.46 to 1.55 cups/day, while the NaCl group showed a decrease from 1.33 to 0.95 cups/day (p = 0.46). Preference tests indicated favorability trends for MSG mixtures, particularly with green beans seasoned with the 50/50 NaCl/MSG mixture (p = 0.07). Although the differences in vegetable intake were not statistically significant, the findings suggest that MSG could enhance vegetable palatability and intake, aligning with the principles of culinary medicine. This represents a promising strategy for improving dietary habits. Further research is warranted to confirm these findings. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05591612.

Keywords: culinary medicine; monosodium glutamate; palatability; sensory evaluation; vegetable intake.