What is Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Are They Harmful?

Flavor enhancers in foods can affect our health due to the harmful chemical compounds in them. We are starting to become more conscious about these flavor enhancers day by day.

Disodium inosinate ve disodium guanylateis one of the most used food improvers that can be found in a wide variety of products. It is often combined with other flavor enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). 

Often referred to as "natural flavor". It is used with MSG in various foods such as instant soups, potato chips and dairy products.

Are these additives harmful? Request disodium guanylate ve disodium inosinate Things to know about additives ...

What is Disodium Guanylate?

Disodium guanylate It is a widely used food additive. In fact, it is a type of salt derived from guanosine monophosphate (GMP).

In biochemical terms, GMP is a nucleotide that is a component of important molecules such as DNA.

Disodium guanylate usually made from fermented tapioca starch, but with yeast, mushrooms, and seaweedIt can also be derived from. In nature, it is more readily found in dried mushrooms.

How to Use Disodium Guanylate?

Disodium guanylate It is typically paired with monosodium glutamate (MSG) or other glutamates but can also be used on its own - but this is extremely rare because it is more expensive to manufacture.

Glutamates are proteins found naturally in foods such as tomatoes and cheese. They are also found in our brain where they act as neurotransmitters.

While table salt (sodium chloride) can bring out the flavors of foods, compounds such as glutamates increase the way our tongue perceives salt. Disodium guanylate It increases the flavor intensity of salt, so slightly less salt is used to produce the same effect.

Disodium guanylate and MSG together increase the flavor of foods. Humans respond eight times stronger to mixtures of nucleotides such as MSG and GMP than MSG alone.

In other words, MSG and disodium guanylate combined, we perceive foods as more delicious.

In one study, the sodium content in fermented sausages was replaced with potassium chloride, resulting in unpleasant qualities such as poor texture and flavor. However, after adding MSG and flavor enhancing nucleotides, those involved in the study noted that it was delicious.

MSG and disodium guanylate the combination gives the food an umami flavor. Considered the fifth basic taste, umami is associated with the salty or meaty flavors of beef, mushroom, yeast and rich broth.

Disodium guanylateGiven that it doesn't create the umami flavor by itself, it has to be paired with MSG.

Which Foods Contain Disodium Guanylate?

Disodium guanylate It is added to a wide variety of processed foods.

These include prepackaged cereals, sauces, instant soups, instant noodles, snacks, pasta products, spice mixes, cured meats, energy drinks, and canned vegetables.

However, this compound is naturally found in foods like fish and mushrooms as well. For example, dried shiitake mushroomEach 100 grams of their oil contains 150 mg.

Disodium guanylatecan be listed as "yeast extract" or "natural flavors" in an ingredient list.

Is Disodium Guanylate Harmful?

Both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), disodium guanylatethinks that it is safe.

However, adequate intake (AI) or dosage guidelines have not been established due to a lack of research.

Contributes to total sodium levels

Disodium guanylatecan increase the total sodium content of a food product but is often found in small and variable amounts.

MSG with disodium guanylate is often used to replace salt because excessive salt intake can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

However, one mouse study showed that those fed 4 grams of MSG per gram of body weight increased oxidative stress in their blood. Oxidative stresscan lead to inflammation that can lead to chronic illnesses such as heart disease.

Who should avoid this additive?

Those who are sensitive to MSG, as these additives are often paired together, disodium guanylateshould stay away from the sun.

Symptoms of MSG sensitivity include headache, muscle tension, and facial flushing.

MSG can appear on product labels under names such as glutamate, ajinomoto, and glutamic acid. It is widely considered safe as long as it is not consumed in excess.

Those with a history of gout or uric acid kidney stones should also avoid this additive. This is because guanylates are frequently metabolized into purines, which are compounds that can raise uric acid levels in our bodies.

What is Disodium Inosinate?

Disodium inosinate (E631) is the disodium salt of inosinic acid that works as a food enhancer. 

In foods disodium inosinateThe taste of s is a kind of meaty and salty, also known as umami flavor. Generally, foods that contain this flavor are irresistibly delicious and addictive.

If you're wondering why it's hard to resist a pack of potato chips, why disodium inosinate can.

IMP, Disodium 5′-inosinate, Disodium inosine-5′-monophosphate and 5′-inosinic acid, disodium salt are other names for this food flavor.

It is one of the most used food flavorings in fast foods, processed foods, and other salty and sweet products.

Disodium Inosinate Properties

This compound has a CAS number of 4691-65-0 and a molecular weight of 392.17 (anhydrous). Disodium inosinate It can be done in two ways. It can be produced from bacterial fermentation of sugar or carbon source. It can also be produced by breaking down nucleotides from yeast extract into nucleic acid.

Disodium inosinateThe chemical formula of is C10H11N4Na2O8P. It is an expensive product and mostly monosodium glutamate (MSG) and disodium guanylate It is combined with other boosters such as (GMP). 

When combined with GMP, it is referred to as disodium 5′-ribonucleotides or E635. Disodium inosinate If MSG is not listed on the label of a product when listing, it is possible that glutamic acid is combined or naturally occurs from food ingredients such as tomato, parmesan cheese, or yeast extract.

Disodium inosinateIt appears as a white granule or powder. It is odorless and soluble in water. 

Is Disodium Inosinate Safe?

Disodium inosinate It falls into the category of additives other than color and flavorings. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have also declared this product safe.

It has also been declared safe in UK, Australia and New Zealand food standards. In the UK food standard agencies categorized as others, in Australia and New Zealand; It is listed as safe with code number 631.

The Food Additives Expert Committee has also declared that it is safe. However, they did not specify the daily intake.

People with certain health conditions, allergies, or intolerance are likely to have side effects.

Disodium Inosinate Side Effects

Usually, there is no risk of side effects declared by food standard associations. It has been tested on animals such as mice, rabbits, chickens, dogs, monkeys to control the toxicity of this aroma.

No significant signs of toxicity were found in the results. There were no signs of carcinogenicity or genotoxicity. 

What Foods Contain Disodium Inosinate?

As a flavor enhancer disodium inosinateFound in a variety of foods, such as instant noodles, pizza, cheese, tomato sauces, soups, fast food, snack foods, potato chips.

It is also used in foods such as crackers, meat, seafood, poultry, canned food, ice cream, soft candy, pudding, seasonings and spices.

Is Disodium Inosinate Gluten Free?

This additive is considered gluten-free. It does not contain wheat, rye, barley or its hybrids. 

As a result;

Disodium guanylateis a widely used food additive as a flavor enhancer. It helps to increase the salt density.

Usually paired with MSG. Together, these compounds are the fifth essential flavor umami creates.

To determine the limits of safety disodium guanylate It is generally considered safe, although more research is needed on it. Still, people with a history of MSG sensitivity, gout, or kidney stones should avoid it.

Having a gluten-free food flavor disodium inosinateis safe for those with gluten intolerance. 

Disodium inosinateSafe for those with a tolerance until they have an insufficient rate. It is an additive used in foods such as fast food, instant noodles and pizza.