20. Chinese Food
Many takeaways are made using MSG, or monosodium glutamate. MSG is a common flavour enhancer and is found in a huge range of foods, usually of the processed variety, including ham, bacon and sausages, shop bought soups and pies.
MSG is a type of salt, which explains why we often feel so thirsty after eating Chinese food. At times, we can think that we’re hungry, rather than thirsty, and so we keep on eating until we’re uncomfortably full and we have to undo that top button!
But not only that, MSG is thought to interfere with a hormone called leptin. Leptin is responsible for telling us when we’re full (it works in conjunction with another hormone called ghrelin, which is responsible for letting us know when we’re hungry. When one is up, the other is down.).
Leptin tells the brain when we have enough fat stored, and therefore we don’t need to continue eating. But if we consume foods such as Chinese food that contains high levels of MSG, this message can be interrupted. We then carry on eating as if we’re not full, when actually we are. So try to ignore feeling hungry shortly after your favourite Chinese dish, as it’s probably all a trick that your body is playing on you!
