There are many tips you can use to prevent overeating, from eating slowly, chewing each bite well, to eating several smaller meals throughout the day. But new research has found that the solution to a reduced appetite is a delicious umami-rich soup before the main course.
Umami is the fifth taste, in addition to the four basic ones (sweet, salty, sour and bitter), and is found in foods such as tuna, squid, shrimp, beef, pork, chicken, tomatoes, truffles, soybeans, potatoes and eggs.
Umami is known as a delicious taste, and we feel it thanks to glutamic acid, which is the source of monosodium glutamate, writes the Body and soul portal, and reports Index.hr
Harvard Medical School researchers decided to investigate whether umami-rich foods can influence the brain to make healthier food choices and reduce appetite, especially in women who are at risk of overeating and weight gain.
As part of the research, a group of women consumed 240 ml of chicken soup before the main course. For some, the soup is seasoned with 1,44 grams of monosodium glutamate, and for others it is not.
The results, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, revealed that women who consumed foods rich in umami had better control and were more focused during meals. Better activity of the part of the brain associated with food control was recorded in them.
"Many cultures around the world advocate soup before meals," said study author Dr. Miguel Alonso.
"These results show that people at high risk of obesity can benefit if they consume soup before meals," added Dr. Alonso and warned that the results are promising, but further research needs to be conducted to fully analyze the effect of umami foods on the brain. .
"Future research should reveal how this method affects food intake in the long term and whether it can be used to help people lose weight more easily."
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