From the Research
High glutamate levels are generally considered safe and do not have a significant negative impact on health when consumed as part of a normal diet, as evidenced by the European Food Safety Authority's Acceptable Daily Intake of 30 mg/kg body weight/day 1.
Key Points
- Glutamate is a non-essential amino acid that plays a key role in nitrogen homeostasis and is a major source of dietary glutamate, primarily found in proteins, naturally free, and as an additive in foods 1.
- The pharmacokinetics of glutamate are largely impacted by concomitant food intake, but the extent to which plasma glutamate concentration must rise to have deleterious effects is never encountered in humans consuming glutamate in their daily diets 1.
- Some studies suggest that high glutamate levels in the brain can have negative impacts on neurological function, leading to excitotoxicity, a process where neurons become overstimulated and eventually die, which is implicated in various neurological conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS 2, 3, 4.
- However, these findings are based on specific contexts, such as individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis or those with Alzheimer's disease, and may not be generalizable to the broader population consuming glutamate as part of a normal diet.
- Managing high glutamate levels may involve medications like memantine or lamotrigine that modulate glutamate activity, as well as lifestyle modifications such as reducing consumption of foods high in free glutamate, managing stress, ensuring adequate sleep, and regular exercise 2, 3, 4.
- Magnesium supplementation may also help regulate glutamate activity, although the evidence for this is not as strong as for other interventions 5.
Recommendations
- For the general population, there is no need to limit glutamate intake or take specific measures to manage glutamate levels, as the current evidence suggests that glutamate is safe and does not have significant negative health effects when consumed as part of a normal diet 1.
- For individuals with specific neurological conditions or those at clinical high risk for psychosis, managing high glutamate levels may involve a combination of medications and lifestyle modifications, and should be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional.