新研究：吃味精對健康有害？建議你看看最新的科普大綱

The myth that monosodium glutamate (MSG) is somehow bad for you is one of those food misconceptions that just. Won't. die.
味精對人體有害的說法是對食物存在的衆多誤解之一，它並不會致死。
Objections to this chemical range from the vague, arm-waving "unhealthy" label all the way to it being a damaging neurotoxin that makes you addicted to fast food.
反對食用這種化學物質的原因有自始至終貼着的含糊的“不健康的”標籤，以及它是一種破壞性的神經毒素，會使你對快餐上癮。
It seems that no matter how many times experts communicate the truth about this harmless food additive, you'll still find plenty of savoury snacks and instant ramen in your local grocery store boasting their "MSG-free" status.
似乎不管專家說多少次這種食品添加劑無害，你還是能在當地雜貨店裏找到許多自詡“無味精的”可口小吃和速食拉麪。
Which is why even in 2019, the latest YouTube video released by Canadian dietitian Abbey Sharp is as relevant as ever. In less than 15 minutes, she breaks down a bunch of total nonsense about MSG, explaining the science in a simple, engaging manner.
這就是爲什麼即使在2019年加拿大營養學家艾比·夏普在YouTube上發佈的最新視頻仍然和以往一樣是有關味精的。在不到15分鐘的視頻中，她用簡單又有趣的方式解釋了有關味精的科學研究，並推翻了相關謬論。
Sharp's video is actually a response to a 2008 viral video "The Truth about MSG", in which chiropractor and nutritionist Vincent Bellonzi makes a series of scientific-sounding claims on how MSG is a toxin that "excites the reward system", makes people fat and unable to control their emotions, and much more.
夏普的視頻實際上是對2008年瘋傳的“關於味精的真相”的一個視頻的迴應。在這個視頻中，脊椎按摩師兼營養學家文森特·貝倫茲發表了一系列聽起來符合科學規律的主張，他表示，味精是一種可以“刺激獎勵系統”的毒素，使人們發胖，還使人們無法控制他們的情緒等等。
As a quick recap, here's what you need to know about MSG. Naturally occurring in many protein-rich foods is glutamic acid, a chemical widely used by living organisms to make proteins in the body.
簡單概括一下你需要了解的關於味精的內容。穀氨酸原本就存在於許多富含蛋白質的食物中，它是生物體用來在體內合成蛋白質的一種被廣泛應用的化學物質。
When you dissolve this acid or one of its salts in water, you end up with negative ions called glutamates, responsible for that savoury umami flavour. Classic examples of naturally glutamate-rich foods are canned tomatoes, soy sauce, and aged cheese.
當你在水中溶解這種酸或它的鹽類物質的時候，你就會得到穀氨酸鹽負離子，就是它使食物產生鮮味的。原本就富含穀氨酸的典型食物有罐裝西紅柿、醬油和陳年奶酪。
MSG attackers will claim it's not the same as the 'natural' stuff, but this is false: when dissolved, on a chemical level the flavour-enhancing action of MSG is exactly the same as that of the 'natural' glutamate in, say, tomato sauce.
味精抨擊者可能會說，它與“天然的”物質不同，但這是錯誤的：從化學的角度講，當味精溶解後，它的增味作用與番茄醬中的“天然”穀氨酸完全相同。