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BackgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommend the consumption of less than 2,000 mg of sodium/day to reduce blood pressure and the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. The sodium intake among Vietnamese was reported to be 7,200 mg/d or more. Free L-glutamate enhances flavor when it is added to food and improves the taste of sodium-reduced foods.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate whether the intake of free L-glutamate-rich seasonings contributes to maintaining a low sodium intake in a cross-over study.MethodsFrom a total of 145 subjects, 42 participants were screened for participation in the cross-over design study. Subjects were randomly allocated to the Low free L-glutamate group (Low free L-Gl) and the Normal free L-glutamate group (Normal free L-Gl). Both received a direct educational guideline to reduce sodium intake. The Low free L-Gl group started with a restriction in the variety of free L-glutamate-rich seasonings, and the Normal free L-Gl group had no restriction in the variety of seasonings. Blood pressure was measured at week 0 (baseline), week 2, week 4, and week 6, while body weight, height, urine sodium and potassium excretion, chromogranin-A (CgA pmol/mg protein) from saliva, and free L-glutamate from food were measured at week 0, week 3, and week 6.ResultsIn Low free L-Gl, the amount of free L-glutamate in food decreased significantly from baseline to week 6 (p 0.05). However, the reduction of sodium excretion at week 6 was 22% in Low free L-Gl (5,875 mg/d vs. 4,603 mg/d, p