“Soup wey sweet, na money kill am,” Nigerians always say, even when the soup is obviously powered with seasoning cubes. But there are few side effects of of seasoning cubes that you apparently do not know about.
Seasoning cubes no doubt make food delicious.
In Nigeria, many people enjoy cooking with seasoning cubes that come with different names.
Different variables are responsible for their choices, one of them addiction and another is ‘family tradition’.
Just because our parents used them, we have found them helpful and necessary in our meals.
Several cubes sometimes go into a put of soup to supposedly bring out the ‘delicious taste’.
Maggi website says: “You simply crumble 1 x Maggi seasoning cube into your pot of fresh vegetables and stir it all together to bring out the delicious taste”! (1)
While that message is so motivating and scrumptious to read, there is more.
However, we know that reading habit is on a consistent glide to the south around the world.
Nigeria appears to be in the echelon of this situation. As a result, many users miss the side effects of seasoning cubes they could deduce from the labels.
Tendency For Abuse
Many persons who use these cubes may not give time to reading the content of the cube.
Therefore, they are not sure of its nutritional value, a key component in ensuring that an individual is healthy.
You see, when the value of a thing is not known, there is a tendency for abuse.
People who use these cubes even believe that it is a concentration of crayfish, fish or meat that makes a cube.
Breakdown Of Seasoning Cubes’ Content
Indeed our research reveled so much and we could see these side effects of seasoning cubes that are often hidden from the average user.
A basic seasoning cube contains: “Iodised Salt, Sugar, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate), Maize Starch and Vegetable fat (Palm).”
Others are “Hydrolysed Soya Beans, Water, Colour (Ammonia Caramel), Onion, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Spice Extracts (White Pepper, Chilli, Clove) Flavouring, Yeast Extract”.
Here is a further breakdown of the content of these cubes, as against the daily human body requirement for these substances added to the cubes.
Contents of Maggi seasoning cube on its website.
Maggi on its website said a cube of its seasoning contains (2);
Energy: 30kl/7kcal <1%
Fat: 0.2g <1%
Saturates: 0.1g <1%
Sugars: 0.4g <1%
Salt: 2.50g and 42%
According to our health coach, there is a recommended amount of salt adults must take, as specified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (3).
Daily salt intake for adults should be less than 5 grams per day, it recommends.
An individual can get this from two cubes of seasoning 2.50g dropped into a pot of soup.
Other Related Articles That Are Helpful
- Lose Weight With 4 Simple Habits
- Best, Healthy Seasoning Cube For Cooking Everything
- How I Stopped Using Seasoning Cubes And Made Mine
- How To Make Your MSG-Free Seasoning
Some people, after adding 2 cubes of seasoning to their food, they still add some amount of salt into the soup. At that point, they are on their way to exceeding their daily intake.
“WHO even recommends that these 5 grams should be further cut down for children that are less than 15.
How many parents observe this?
Unfortunately, one of the reasons people come down with some ailments in life is their refusal to read and apply knowledge.
From her calculation, people consume too much salt. An average of 9 to 12 grams per day, or around twice the recommended maximum daily need.
Presence Of Sugar And MSG
Not very many people know that there is sugar (even though it is not significant) in the cubes they cook with.
Those avoiding sugar intake will get a portion of the 0.4grams of sugar from a cube of Maggi.
Ultimately, adding more than one cube increases the amount of sugar this cubes bring in. A little wonder they make soup sweet.
Meanwhile, another ingredient in seasoning that has become an issue of controversy is Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).
While some believe it is harmful to humans, there are others who claim that people who live healthy have no cause to worry about the amount of MSG in seasoning.
Meanwhile, a 2018 research work says: “although MSG has proven its value as an enhancer of flavour, different studies have hinted at possible toxic effects related to this popular food-additive (4).
“These toxic effects include CNS disorder, obesity, disruptions in adipose tissue physiology, hepatic damage, CRS and reproductive malfunctions”.
In essence, most of the write-ups on this MSG suggest that caution should be employed in eating items that have it as a component.
While it requires that seasoning cubes should be consumed in moderate quantity, WHO has emphasised the need for people to reduce intake of salt.
Need For Moderation
Basically, a reduction will help to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart attack.
This health risk that excessive intake of salt could cause stresses the need for moderation in the use of seasoning.
According to WHO, “reducing salt intake is one of the most cost-effective measures countries can take to improve population health outcomes”.
The world can prevent about 2.5 million deaths if we could reduce global salt consumption to the recommended level.
Kindly share with your friends and loved ones to help them know the side effects of seasoning cubes they add to their meals.