Abstract
L-glutamic acid (Glu), a non-essential amino acid, is known for a typical umami taste molecule, and its sodium salt has been used for a century as a seasoning to improve the palatability of foods. Glu has recently been found to be the only amino acid that stimulated the gastric vagal nerve. These gustatory and gastric functions of free Glu may improve the quality of life of the hospitalized elderly with a decreased digestive function. We analyzed the free Glu contents of our hospital food to estimate the daily free Glu supply for the hospitalized elderly. The average daily free Glu supply in our hospital was around 700 mg/day. This value is less than half of the daily intake of L-glutamate as a food additive in 246 foods for people over 65 years of age which was reported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (now called the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) in 2000. The effect of fortifying free Glu in our hospital foods should be examined.
