Jakarta – PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA in collaboration with PT Rumah Innovation Natura held a Webinar Event: "Umami's Important Role in Increasing Nutrition & Health Intake of the Elderly", as an effort to support Indonesian people, especially the elderly, to stay healthy by disseminating facts and benefits of Umami Seasoning and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of participants for this webinar reached 673 participants, and most of them work as nutritionists & nutrition students from the Sumatra region.
One of the speakers at this webinar event, presenting Dr. Rita Ramayulis, DCN, M.Kes, as a nutrition expert, as well as Chair of the Indonesian Sport Nutritionist Association.
According to Dr. Rita, basically the appetite-regulating hormones in the elderly tend to decrease, especially when they are hospitalized. Therefore, if the elderly are hospitalized, the recovery process will be longer if the nutritional intake is small. "The appetites of the elderly and those who are recovering tend to be low due to various physiological and psychological factors, but can actually be overcome by increasing the taste receptors they have through regulating basic tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami)," said Dr. Rita, at the webinar.
"Actually, the use of MSG as a source of umami taste in food in hospitals can be a solution to speed up the recovery process of hospitalized elderly patients. There have been many studies that prove this, one of which was carried out by Shigeru Yamamoto et al, in 2009, in this study. "It is proven that giving MSG to the food consumed by the elderly makes them produce more saliva, which is important to help the chewing and swallowing process in the elderly," she continued.
The study also proves that the addition of MSG to the food consumed by the elderly, makes appetite increase. One of the main factors causing malnutrition in the elderly is a decrease in appetite and also problems chewing and swallowing. Thus, the role of MSG turned out to be very good.
Adding to the previous explanation, according to Dr. Rita, many people also have the wrong perception because they know that MSG as a source of the umami taste in food can increase appetite, so they are worried that food consumption is not controlled.
“Nevertheless, there are still people who are misguided. The umami taste in various foods does increase appetite, but that doesn’t mean it becomes uncontrollable like always want to eat continuously. In fact, umami seasoning can give you a feeling of fullness during and after eating. There are already scientific journals that explain this research,” said Dr. Rita.
Through this webinar, PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA hopes to educate participants about nutritional information with scientific facts, as well as contribute to realizing a healthier Indonesian society. This webinar event will continue until November 2021.
"This webinar event is for nutritionists, dietitians, & nutrition students, because we feel the need to spread true and informative facts about the umami spice that will support the Indonesian people to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. In addition, we hope that nutritionists, dietitians throughout Indonesia, can disseminate informative and scientific facts about what we convey today to the wider community," said by Katarina Larasati, Public Relations Manager - PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA.
PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA will not only continue to present deliciousness through its products, but also has a goal to improve the wellness of the people in Indonesia as a solution provider company for food and health problems.
About PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA
PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA is a leading food seasoning producer that has colored the lives of Indonesians with high quality products and brings delicacy in every consumer's dish. With its global slogan "Eat Well, Live Well", at the age of 52, PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA has made extraordinary achievements that mark the strength and resilience of a company that can make a major contribution to Indonesian society.