KARACHI:
We tend to forget that as we grow older, our bodies undergo steady deterioration. To cope with this, we must make drastic changes in our lifestyle. I believe that my dietary choices enable me to be relatively healthier than an average person of my age. I think it is pertinent to mention here that I recently crossed 65.
An important decision I made was to cut down on unhealthy condiments. Both sugar and salt in excess can cause harmful lifelong diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Thus, I have taken efforts to cut out sugar completely and greatly reduced my salt intake. While many alternatives for sugar are available in the market, it is a challenge to find a substitute for salt. After days of research, I stumbled upon a study, which stated that Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, contains significantly less sodium than table salt.
Imagine my surprise to learn that MSG is a great alternative to salt but is completely banned in Pakistan even though renowned health organisations like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have classified MSG as a food ingredient that is generally safe in suitable amounts. I would urge our food authorities to revisit the ban and seriously consider re-introducing MSG back into the market as a safer and healthier alternative to salt.
Syed Ovais Akhtar
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2022.
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