Article: ADVERSE EFFECT OF MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE IN RELATION TO THE CONCEPT OF DUSHI VISHA: A REVIEW

Article Category: Review articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.100351

Pages: 3-6

Author: Lalita Annaji. Somnathe *, Sonali Chalakh

Abstract: In modern era, due to western and fast lifestyle, peoples changed their food habits. Chinese and fast foods mean noodles, burger, fried rice, pizza, soups, chips and packed foods are most popular in today’s trend of society. Ajinomoto is one of the preservatives which is used in almost all type of fast and packed foods containing monosodium glutamate which is mainly used as flavour enhancer of food. It increases the appetite by stimulating the appetite centre but now a day it has been debated for its safety and harmful effects as it affect almost every major organ in the body. The adverse effect of MSG ingestion may be cumulative, cumulative toxicity is the accumulation of the toxins over a period of time and in turn resulting in the harsh effect on the body and mind.  Dushi Visha is one of the kritrim types of the visha explained in Ayurveda. It is a type of toxin which remains inside the body for long time and then produces various ill effects on the body. Dushi Visha has got its own significance in the present day because of increased food adulteration, change in the food processing and increased use of chemical manures which produce toxic effect on long run. This cumulative toxicity is similar to the Dushi Visha concept defined by Acharya Sushruta which cannot produce its symptoms immediately, but it takes long time and manifest after getting favourable condition.

Keyword: Monosodium glutamate, Dushi visha, cumulative toxicity, Ajinomoto