Increasing Vegetable Intake Using Monosodium Glutamate: A Reduced-Effort Intervention

Texas Tech University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Culinary Medicine; Healthy Nutrition; Sodium Excess

Treatments: Behavioral: NaCl (sodium chloride/table salt); Behavioral: Salt replacement seasoning (70% salt and 30% MSG) mix; Behavioral: Salt replacement seasoning (50% salt and 50% MSG) mix

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05591612

2022-396

Details and patient eligibility

About

Food Intake Study: This will be a 4-week randomized controlled intervention study with a vegetable intake questionnaire, daily food intake, and seasoning usage measurement to test the acceptability of different seasoning ingredients and vegetable intake in healthy adults. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups (a) vegetables prepared with 50% NaCl and 50% MSG (50/50MSG Mix); (b) vegetables prepared with 70% NaCl and 30% MSG (70/30 MSG Mix); (c) vegetables prepared with NaCl (table salt).

Sensory Evaluation Study: A sensory evaluation utilizing all seasoning methods from the intervention will be conducted at a Texas Tech University culinary education lab. In a Texas Tech University culinary education lab, 2-4 vegetables will be cooked and seasoned with either 50/50MSG Mix, 70/30 MSG Mix, or NaCl for taste testing. Then, using a standardized form, participants will rate their acceptability and preference of each vegetable, including sensory characteristics such as appearance, color, odor, texture, and flavor.

Full description

Food Intake Study: This will be a 4-week randomized controlled intervention study with a vegetable intake questionnaire, daily food intake, and seasoning usage measurement to test the acceptability of different seasoning ingredients and vegetable intake in healthy adults. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups (a) vegetables prepared with 50% NaCl and 50% MSG (50/50MSG Mix); (b) vegetables prepared with 70% NaCl and 30% MSG (70/30 MSG Mix); (c) vegetables prepared with NaCl (table salt). Before the intervention, each group will be asked to keep a daily food intake record for one week to determine baseline vegetable intake. Each group will receive a culinary medicine program electronically, including recipe demonstrations, cooking skills, and nutrition education videos to provide instruction for vegetable consumption according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to each treatment group, a bottle of seasoning ingredients will be provided to use on vegetables. Prior to the intervention, participants will be 1) instructed on how to track daily food intake data using the MyFitnessPal® app, 2) track food intake for seven days, and 3) complete a questionnaire regarding vegetable intake pre-intervention. According to the group assignment, each treatment group will also receive a bottle of a seasoning blend that includes either 50/50MSG Mix, 70/30 MSG Mix, or NaCl to use on vegetables prepared at home. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, culinary medicine education (recipe demonstrations, cooking skills, and education videos for vegetable consumption) will be delivered electronically at baseline and once per week for four weeks to each participant. For four weeks, participants will track all meals daily, including vegetables prepared with designated seasoning at home. Remote follow-ups and dietary intake will be conducted weekly. After the intervention, the participants will 1) complete the same vegetable intake questionnaire for the four weeks of the intervention and 2) return the bottle of seasoning blend provided. Usage of seasoning for four weeks will be recorded. Data analyses will evaluate the changes in outcomes within and between groups. Participants will also be informed of the sensory evaluation study to be included among other participants of that study. MSG_Diet Food Questionaries (Updated).docx MyFitness Pal instructions.docx

Sensory Evaluation Study: A sensory evaluation utilizing all seasoning methods from the intervention will be conducted at a Texas Tech University culinary education lab. In a Texas Tech University culinary education lab, 2-4 vegetables will be cooked and seasoned with either 50/50MSG Mix, 70/30 MSG Mix, or NaCl for taste testing. Then, using a standardized form, participants will rate their acceptability and preference of each vegetable, including sensory characteristics such as appearance, color, odor, texture, and flavor.

Enrollment: 148 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years old and above

Exclusion criteria

• Allergy or aversion to MSG (monosodium glutamate) or potassium chloride
• Those that do not have a smart phone with the ability to download an app.
• Those who do not have a full kitchen and the willingness and ability to prepare vegetables according to a recipes.
• Those with an allergy, aversion, or dislike to vegetables that would make them not consume any vegetables during the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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148 participants in 3 patient groups

50% NaCl and 50% MSG Seasoning Mix

Experimental group

Description:

Participants received cooking demonstrations and nutrition education, and were asked to use the seasoning provided (50% NaCl and 50% MSG Seasoning Mix) on vegetables and foods prepared. Then they recorded their food intake to compare vegetable intake to other groups.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Salt replacement seasoning (50% salt and 50% MSG) mix

70% NaCl and 30% MSG Seasoning Mix

Experimental group

Description:

Participants received cooking demonstrations and nutrition education, and were asked to use the seasoning provided (70% NaCl and 30% MSG Seasoning Mix) on vegetables and foods prepared. Then they recorded their food intake to compare vegetable intake to other groups.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Salt replacement seasoning (70% salt and 30% MSG) mix

NaCl seasoning

Experimental group

Description:

Active Control Participants received cooking demonstrations and nutrition education, and were asked to use table salt on vegetables and foods prepared. Then they recorded their food intake to compare vegetable intake to other groups.

Treatment:

Behavioral: NaCl (sodium chloride/table salt)