Obesity, voracity, and short stature: the impact of glutamate on the regulation of appetite

HERMANUSSEN M; ANA PAULA GARCÍA; SUNDER M; VOIGT M; SALAZAR V; TRESGUERRES JA

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION

NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

Año: 2006 vol. 60 p. 25 - 31

0954-3007

Abstract Background: World-wide obesity has risen to alarming levels. We present experimental support for a new and very challenging hypothesis linking obesity, voracity and growth hormone deficiency, to the consumption of elevated amounts of the amino acid glutamate (GLU). Supraphysiological doses of GLU are toxic for neuronal cells. Methods: Human data were obtained from 807,592 German conscripts born between 1974 and 1978, and from 1,432,368 women of the German birth statistics (deutsche Perinatalerhebung) 1995-1997. The effects of orally administered monosodium glutamate (MSG), were investigated in 30 pregnant Wistar rats and their offspring. Pregnant animals either received no extra MSG, or 2.5 g MSG or 5 g MSG per day, up to the end of the weaning period. 2.5 g, respectively 5 g MSG accounted for some 10%, respectively 20% of dry weight of the average daily food ration. After weaning, MSG feeding was continued in the offspring. Findings: Morbid obesity associates with short stature. Average stature of conscripts progressively declines when BMI increases above 38 kg/m². Also morbidly obese young women are shorter than average. Oral administration of MSG to pregnant rats affects birth weight of the offspring. Maternal feeding with 5 g MSG per day results in severe birth weight reduction (p