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Effect of Starch Ingestion on Plasma Glutamate Concentrations in Humans Ingesting Monosodium L-Glutamate in Soup¹

Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry, the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242

Plasma glutamate concentrations in human subjects are markedly lower when monosodium L-glutamate is ingested in a water solution containing partially hydrolyzed starch than when ingested in water alone. This study was carried out to investigate whether starch ingested as crackers had a similar effect. Eight normal adult subjects (four male, four female) ingested three servings of a beef consommé providing 50 mg/kg body weight monosodium L-glutamate. One serving was consommé alone, the other two were accompanied by sufficient crackers to provide 0.25 or 0.5 g starch per kilogram body weight, respectively. Ingestion of consommé containing glutamate significantly increased the mean plasma glutamate concentration above baseline to a mean peak value 30 min later. The peak after consumption of 0.5 g starch per kilogram body weight, but not 0.25 g/kg body weight, was significantly lower than when consommé alone was ingested. These data indicate that simultaneous ingestion of metabolizable carbohydrate with glutamate has a marked effect on the plasma glutamate response and indicate that the threshold value for carbohydrate is greater than 0.25 g/kg body weight.

KEY WORDS: • monosodium L-glutamate • MSG • carbohydrate effect

¹ Supported in part by a grant-in-aid from the International Glutamate Technical Committee.

Manuscript received 31 May 1984.