The most likely cause of early hunger after a Chinese meal is the glycemic load. Chinese dishes tend to be loaded with added sugars (we all love that orange sauce) and simple carbohydrates such as white rice and white flour.
Chinese meals tend to be rather low in protein. They are also low in fiber, which seems to decrease hunger. Fiber is the indigestible component of grains, vegetables and fruits and fills the stomach before it is eliminated, and a full stomach decreases the release of ghrelin.
It's just one of the many foods filled with monosodium glutamate (MSG), an additive that makes everything taste more appetizing, increasing your desire to continue noshing. That's not all: MSG also increases appetite by blocking the message to the brain that you've eaten your fill.
MSG—a chemical added to Chinese food to enhance the flavor—may cause your hunger levels to yoyo: Researchers at the University of Sussex in the U.K. found that people who ate foods with the chemical were less hungry 30 minutes after eating, but their appetite then spiked an hour later.
One junk food meal
And the quick spike in your blood sugar from eating junk foods high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars can cause a surge in insulin, leading to a quick drop in blood sugar. That leaves you feeling tired, cranky and hungry for more.
Rapid food meltdown and vanishing caloric density.
Foods that rapidly vanish or “melt in your mouth” signal to your brain that you're not eating as much as you actually are. In other words, these foods literally tell your brain that you're not full, even though you're eating a lot of calories.
It's so widely used because it taps into our fifth basic taste: umami (pronounced oo-maa-mee). Umami is less well known than the other tastes like saltiness or sweetness, but it's everywhere – it's the complex, savory taste you find in mushrooms or Parmesan cheese.
The effects of monosodium glutamate in the body are the same as naturally occurring glutamate. Glutamate plays an important role in digestion by increasing salivation, signaling that a meal contains protein and fueling the cells of the GI tract.
MSG-induced symptoms are typically not severe and subside on their own entirely within 72 hours. 1 However, if you have mild symptoms do not appear to resolve or continue worsening after 48 hours, speak to your healthcare provider, as it may be something more serious.
Chinese food and soups contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) as the main addictive ingredient. A sensitive individual may suffer from headache, giddiness, sweating, abdominal pain, and urticaria within a few hours of consumption of MSG.
The glutamate in MSG activates pleasure centers in the brain and actually has addictive properties. When you couple hunger with MSG's addictive potential, you have a substance that you may very well start consuming more and more of on a daily basis.
Myth: MSG is high in salt, or sodium
Unlike regular table salt, which is 40% sodium, MSG contains only 12% sodium, which is one-third the amount in table salt. Researchers have also explored MSG as a viable alternative to salt to reduce sodium intake and improve public health through a reduced risk of hypertension.
This problem is also called Chinese restaurant syndrome. It involves a set of symptoms that some people have after eating food with the additive monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is commonly used in food prepared in Chinese restaurants.
What doctors used to call 'Chinese restaurant syndrome' is actually a reaction to monosodium glutamate (MSG), a seasoning commonly used in Chinese food. Now renamed MSG symptom complex, it happens when the flavouring causes symptoms like headache, sweating, nausea, tiredness or a rapid heart rate.
Hypertension: Chinese food also has a lot of salt. Eating it often can increase your blood pressure giving rise to various other complications of the heart. If you suffer from cardiovascular diseases, it is best you avoid eating Chinese food. Weight gain: Rice and noodles are rich in carbohydrates.
In Australia and New Zealand, no food additive — including MSG — is approved for use in food until its safety has been established by FSANZ. MSG and other glutamates are among a group of food additives that are generally permitted in foods, due to their safety.
The FDA banned the use of cyclamate, an artificial sweetener, in 1969 when an animal study showed that a cyclamate-saccharin mixture increased the incidence of bladder cancer in rats.
How can I know if there is MSG in my food? FDA requires that foods containing added MSG list it in the ingredient panel on the packaging as monosodium glutamate.
Currently, mainland China is the world's largest MSG producer and consumer.
MSG is naturally occurring in many vegetables and fungi. Manufacturers can derive it from plants and vegetables, typically corn and beets, and added to many common food products such as bouillon cubes, processed meats, and more.
There's no concern that water thins down or weakens down (dilute) the digestive juices or interfere with digestion. In fact, drinking water during or after a meal helps how your body breaks down and processes food (digestion).
The correct way to fully chew your food and put this new weight loss eating method into practice is to remember to chew your food approximately 35 to 45 times after you have taken a bite of it. Up until this point you most likely have only chewed your food about 10-12 times before swallowing. This is common.