Lab Peptides Could Boost Saltiness Without Adding Salt

Researchers found three mushroom peptides that increase saltiness perception by up to 70.59% in lab tests — potentially enabling lower-sodium diets without sacrificing taste.

Three peptides derived from edible beech mushrooms increased perceived saltiness in laboratory tests: ASHGEGF boosted saltiness perception by 70.59%, LDDGF by 49.02%, and GDDWT by 47.06%. All tested at 1 milligram per milliliter concentration in 3 milligrams per milliliter sodium chloride solutions using 14 trained assessors. The study, published in npj Science of Food, was conducted by teams from Gannan Medical University and Shanxi Medical University — not the University of Basel as previously claimed. While these findings could theoretically enable sodium reduction for hypertension prevention by allowing less salt to be used without losing taste, the research does not establish how much sodium reduction is possible in real food, confirm safety for human consumption, or prove stability beyond lab conditions. The effect requires specific environments and may not survive cooking or storage. This work represents a potential pathway for better salt management but remains experimental and unproven in practical applications.

Source: ScienceAlert