Pea Protein

[RiceGuy]

One more question.... I just purchased NOW bulk plain beef gelatin online to use in natural desserts and as a binder to replace eggs. I don't use Knox because of the pork. The label says nothing about being hydrolyzed. Did I waste my money? Is there free glutamate in this product?

I don't know for certain, but according to the USDA, the amount of glutamic acid doesn't appear out of the ordinary. Whether there is free glutamic acid is another matter.

[Gentleheart]

I don't know for certain, but according to the USDA, the amount of glutamic acid doesn't appear out of the ordinary. Whether there is free glutamic acid is another matter.

Thanks! I ended up calling them and talking to a chemist at NOW foods. It is true that ALL gelatin is hydrolized. He also agreed that ALL protein supplements or predigested processed foods containing protein are actually hydrolized. He said that there are a few people who are extremely sensitive to the free glutamic acid produced in that process, but most are not.

But he said that glycine and proline are also freed up in the same procedure. Glycine in particular does just the opposite in the body as the glutamic acid and can cancel out any negatives created. At least that is the case in gelatin because gelatin is particularly high in glycine.

Sounds to me like the digestion of protein releases glutamic acid. Would that not occur by just eating protein foods as well? I'm no chemist. But most foods contain many chemicals in perfect synergy to keep balance. Are we sure that the glutamic acid in this case is not taken care of by other balancing constituents of the same process?

I still contend that just eating food the way it grows is safest. It's just not always easy in the 21st century.