On March 3, the Apex court imposed a ban on the sale, import and export of Chinese Salt also known as “Ajinomoto” across the entire country declaring it ‘hazardous for health’. I was more than delighted when I came across the court’s ruling in this regard. You must be wondering why? To answer your why, I am writing this blog.

Chinese salt is an essential ingredient of cooking used in roughly six out of 10 houses in Pakistan to enhance the flavor of the food especially while cooking Chinese dishes like soups, Manchurian, kinds of pasta etc. Adding Chinese salt to food provides mainly two benefits among others. First, it savors the flavor of the food and second, if you are adding Chinese salt to your cuisine, you can skip normal salt altogether and still your food would taste perfect.

Like many others in my country, I was also a frequent user of Chinese salt in my regular cooking routine until a doctor warned me of its side effects and I stopped using it altogether. It so happened that I was consulting an Ayurveda doctor, Dr. Mumtaz of Hamdard Clinic in relation to some hormonal problems, from past few months. In a few sittings, she reached the conclusion that my hormones were disturbed due to my diet.

Hence, she asked me about basic ingredients of my daily cooking. When I mentioned Chinese salt among other ingredients, she made me stop for a while and right away pointed out that this is the problematic ingredient in my diet. She warned me that I should stop using it immediately or else it will cause further damage to my hormones and endocrine system.

The primary ingredient of Chinese Salt is a substance called Monosodium Glutamate or MSG. Several studies and researchers have been conducted on the harmful effects of consuming MSG in large quantities around the globe. A research conducted in Thailand in 2012, reveals that consumption of MSG in large amounts risks you to develop metabolic syndrome which manifests itself through different symptoms like hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, and hyperglycemia (abnormally high blood sugar).

I contacted Dr. Azra Saeed Awan, Professor HOD gynecology/obstetrics, Fauji Foundation Islamabad and queried her about the health hazards of consuming MSG in pregnancy and otherwise. She said: ‘Chinese salt, composed of Monosodium Glutamate, is used in different cuisines for taste enhancement. However, it has been banned in different regions due to its harmful effects on precipitating migraine, severe increase in blood pressure that can lead to stroke (hypertensive crisis) and chest pain due to insufficient flow of blood to the heart muscle (angina).’

When asked about the hazards of Chinese salt in pregnancy, Dr. Azra replied, ‘It had been found to cause complications in pregnancy. According to studies done on pregnant mice, it crosses the maternal placental barrier (a barrier between mother and fetus which is a very poor block to chemicals) and has harmful effects on fetal growth causing fetal growth restriction.’

She added: ‘Consumption of MSG also risks chances of perinatal mortality (stillbirths). There are case reports that reveal an increase in a disorder of pregnancy called pre-eclampsia(PE) if MSG is consumed in larger quantities,’ she further added. ‘PE is a disorder of pregnancy which is characterized by high blood pressure and at times a significant amount of protein in the urine,’ she said while describing the disorder in detail.

While the Supreme Court has banned the sale of this hazardous product, the dismal reality is that it can still be found in the local markets. Moreover, MSG is an essential component of not just Chinese salt but also various other taste enhancers and spices like chicken stocks, seasonings, and sauces. It is also an essential ingredient of various tempting snacks and meals.

It is high time we stop using Chinese salt and all those foods which contain monosodium glutamate before the silent killer takes a toll on our lives silently. Please do your nation a favor by sharing this blog as much as you can, so that maximum people can be warned of the side effects of this widely used food additive-Ajinomoto.