A possible application of monosodium glutamate to nutritional care for elderly people.

Recently, it has been clarified that glutamate (Glu) can stimulate the umami taste as well as the visceral sensation to help the gastric protein digestion. Our survey suggests the possibility that the amount of free Glu in hospital foods is lower than that in ordinary foods. In the present study, monosodium glutamate (MSG) was supplemented to meals for 11 elderly inpatients during 2 months, and the fortification effects on their nutritional status, general condition, and quality of life (QOL) were investigated. The degree of recognition was improved, and peripheral lymphocytes were increased, even when there was no change in nutritional intake or protein nutritional status. Based on these results, we concluded that appropriate utilization of Glu for nutritional care of the elderly people would be useful for improving QOL.