What is MSG, and is it actually bad for you? - Sarah E. Tracy

3,947,647 views ・ 2021-09-02

TED-Ed


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譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Amanda Zhu
00:07
In 1968, Dr. Robert Ho Man Kwok felt ill after dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
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1968 年,
郭浩民醫生在中國餐廳 吃過晚餐之後感到不適。
00:14
He wrote a letter detailing his symptoms to a prestigious medical journal,
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他寫信給一份很有名望的醫學期刊, 說明他的症狀細節,
00:18
pondering whether his illness had resulted from eating monosodium glutamate—
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懷疑他的不適是不是因為 吃了麩胺酸鈉,
00:23
also known as MSG.
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也就是味精。
00:25
Kwok’s connection between his headache and this common seasoning
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郭醫生認為他的頭痛
和這種美國中式料理 常用調味料有關,
00:29
in American Chinese cuisine was just a hunch.
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但這只是出於直覺。
00:32
But his letter would dramatically change the world's relationship with MSG,
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但他的信卻大大改變了 世界和味精的關係,
00:37
inspiring international panic, biased science,
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不但引起國際恐慌,
並助長了偏頗的科學及聳動的新聞,
00:41
and sensationalist journalism for the next 40 years.
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影響持續四十年之久。
00:46
So what is this mysterious seasoning?
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所以這種神秘的調味料是什麼?
00:48
Where does it come from, and is it actually bad for you?
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它從何而來?對人體真的不好嗎?
00:53
MSG is a mixture of two common substances.
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味精是由兩種簡單的成分組成:
鈉,已公認是飲食中 很重要的一部分;
00:57
Sodium, which is well-established as an essential part of our diet,
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01:01
and glutamate, a very common amino acid
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以及麩胺酸,很常見的胺基酸,
01:04
found in numerous plant and animal proteins.
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在許多植物和動物蛋白質中都有。
01:08
Glutamate plays a key role in our digestion, muscle function,
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在我們的消化、 肌肉功能,及免疫系統中,
麩胺酸鹽都扮演了關鍵的角色。
01:12
and immune system.
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01:13
Around the time of Dr. Kwok's letter,
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在郭醫生寫信的那個時期,
麩胺酸鹽一直被視為 腦部化學機制的重要元素。
01:16
it had been identified as an important part of our brain chemistry.
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01:20
Our body produces enough glutamate for all these processes,
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我們的身體會產生足夠的麩胺酸鹽 來應付這些生化反應,
01:24
but the molecule is also present in our diet.
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但這種能加強食物風味的分子
也會出現在我們的飲食中,
01:28
You can taste its signature savory flavor in foods
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包括香菇、起士、蕃茄、高湯。
01:31
like mushrooms, cheese, tomatoes, and broth.
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對這種豐富口味的追求, 在 1908 年促成了味精的發明。
01:36
Chasing this rich flavor is what led to MSG’s invention in 1908.
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日本化學家池田菊苗
01:41
A Japanese chemist named Dr. Ikeda Kikunae
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01:44
was trying to isolate the molecule responsible for a unique flavor
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試圖將這種口味獨特的分子分離出來,
他稱此味為「旨み」(旨味), 意即「鮮美的味道」。
01:49
he called “umami,” meaning “a pleasant, savory taste.”
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01:53
Today, umami is recognized as one of the five basic tastes in food science.
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現今,在食物科學中,
旨味被視為五種基本口味之一。
每一種基本口味都是由 專屬的分子機制產生,
01:59
Each basic taste is produced by unique molecular mechanisms
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02:02
that can’t be replicated by combining other known tastes.
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無法透過混合其他已知的味道來複製。
至於旨味,
02:07
In the case of umami,
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02:08
those mechanisms arise when we cook or ferment certain foods,
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某些食物在烹煮或發酵時, 就會產生那些機制,
分解其中的蛋白質,
02:13
breaking down their proteins and releasing amino acids like glutamate.
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釋放出胺基酸,比如麩胺酸。
但池田發現了一種 可以產生這種化學反應的美味捷徑,
02:18
But Ikeda found a savory shortcut to producing this chemical reaction.
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02:23
By isolating high quantities of glutamate from a bowl of noodle broth
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做法是從一碗拉麵高湯中 分離出大量的麩胺酸,
把它們和另一種 味道強化劑結合,比如鈉,
02:28
and combining them with another flavor enhancer like sodium,
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如此創造出的調味料
02:32
he created a seasoning that instantly increased the umami of any dish.
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能馬上在任何菜餚中增加旨味。
結果大獲成功。
02:38
The result was a major success.
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02:40
By the 1930s, MSG was a kitchen staple across most of Asia;
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到了 1930 年代,味精成了 亞洲多數地區的廚房必備調味料;
02:45
and by the mid-20th century,
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到了二十世紀中,
02:47
it could be found in commercial food production worldwide.
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它已經被用於世界各地的 商業食品製造。
所以,郭醫生的信件刊登出來後,
02:51
So when Dr. Kwok's letter was published, the outrage was immediate.
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馬上引發眾怒。
02:55
Researchers and citizens demanded a scientific enquiry
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研究者和人民要求
對這種廣為使用的 添加物進行科學調查。
02:59
into the popular additive.
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03:01
On one hand, this wasn’t unreasonable.
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一方面,這並非不合理。
這種物質尚未經毒性檢測,
03:04
The substance hadn't been tested for toxicity,
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它對健康的影響也多半未知。
03:07
and its health impacts were largely unknown.
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03:10
However, it’s likely many people weren’t responding
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不過,讓大部分人反彈的
03:13
to a lack of food safety regulation,
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並不是缺乏食物安全法規,
而是信件的標題: 「中國餐館症候群」。
03:16
but rather the letter’s title: “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.”
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雖然很多菜餚都會用到味精,
03:20
While MSG was commonly used in numerous cuisines,
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許多美國人長年來
03:24
many Americans had longstanding prejudices against Asian eating customs,
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對亞洲人的飲食習俗都存有偏見,
為之貼上異國或危險的標籤。
03:29
labeling them as exotic or dangerous.
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這些污名激起了 帶有種族偏見的新聞報導,
03:32
These stigmas fueled racially biased journalism,
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並散播恐懼,
03:35
and spread fear that eating at Chinese restaurants could make you sick.
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讓大家認為在中國餐館 用餐就會生病。
這些有偏見的報導延伸出 許多關於味精和旨味的研究,
03:40
This prejudiced reporting extended to numerous studies about MSG and umami,
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研究結果完全不像 新聞標題暗示的那麼肯定。
03:45
the results of which were much less conclusive than the headlines suggested.
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03:49
For example, when a 1969 study found that injecting mice with MSG
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舉例來說,
一項 1969 年的研究發現, 將味精注射到老鼠身上
會對牠們的視網膜和腦部 造成嚴重傷害,
03:55
caused severe damage to their retina and brain,
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有些新聞管道就因此武斷地宣稱,
03:58
some news outlets jumped to proclaim that eating MSG could cause brain damage.
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吃下味精會造成大腦損傷。
04:03
Similarly, while some studies reported that excess glutamate
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同樣地,雖然有些研究 指出過量的麩胺酸鹽
04:07
could lead to problems like Alzheimer’s,
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可能會造成阿茲海默症等問題,
04:09
these conditions were later found to be caused by internal glutamate imbalances,
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後來發現這些病症的成因
是體內麩胺酸鹽不平衡,
和我們吃下的味精無關。
04:14
unrelated to the MSG we eat.
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04:17
These headlines weren't just a product of prejudiced reporters.
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不僅存有偏見的記者 會下這樣的標題,
04:21
Throughout the late 60s and early 70s,
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1960 年代末,1970 年代初,
04:23
many doctors also considered “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”
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許多醫生也認為「中國餐館症候群」
04:27
to be a legitimate ailment.
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的確是一種疾病。
04:29
Fortunately, today’s MSG researchers no longer see the additive
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幸運的是,
現今的味精研究者不再用歧視的眼光
看待這種添加物。
04:34
in this discriminatory way.
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近期的研究確認了麩胺酸鹽
04:36
Recent studies have established the vital role glutamate plays in our metabolism,
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在我們的新陳代謝中 扮演重要的角色,
有些研究者甚至認為, 味精可以替代脂肪和納來增添美味,
04:41
and some researchers even think MSG is a healthier alternative
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而且還更健康。
04:45
to added fat and sodium.
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04:47
Others are investigating whether regular consumption of MSG
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也有研究者在探究
經常吃味精是否和肥胖有關,
04:51
could be linked to obesity,
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04:53
and it is possible that binging MSG produces headaches,
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以及大量食用味精
是否可能讓某些人產生 頭痛、胸痛或心悸的症狀。
04:57
chest pains, or heart palpitations for some people.
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但對多數的食客,
05:01
But for most diners, a moderate amount of this savory seasoning
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適量吃入這種可口的調味料 還蠻安全的,
05:05
seems like a safe way to make life a little tastier.
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也可以讓人生更美味。
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