Too Much Seasoning, Too Little Health: The Silent Danger in Your Kitchen”
Let’s talk about something sitting quietly in almost every Nigerian kitchen seasoning cubes.
You know them well. The “flavour masters.” The small but mighty cubes that transform a basic pot of soup into something your neighbours will smell three compounds away. But here’s the not-so-sweet truth: those little blocks of magic could be slowly damaging your health, one delicious bite at a time.
1. Seasoning Cubes Are Sodium Bombs in Disguise
Seasoning cubes are more than just spices. They’re loaded with salt (sodium) and MSG (monosodium glutamate). Yes, they taste amazing, but too much sodium can silently harm your heart and kidneys.
Tired all the time? Swollen feet? High blood pressure at a young age? Your seasoning habit could be one of the hidden culprits.
2. “But I Don’t Even Add Salt!” That Doesn’t Mean You’re Safe
This is where most people miss it.
You don’t need to sprinkle salt for your sodium levels to be too high. Just one or two cubes per meal might already exceed the recommended daily limit. And when you combine that with salty snacks, suya, white bread, and processed foods… your body is overloaded before you even realize it.
3. Your Kidneys Are Not Indestructible
Your kidneys work hard every day to filter your blood and manage your body’s salt balance. But constantly forcing them to process excess sodium? That’s like making them work overtime every single day with no rest. Over time, fatigue, swelling, and even kidney failure can sneak in.
And once those symptoms show up, treatment is often expensive and stressful.
4. MSG Reactions Are Real — Even if You Haven’t Noticed Yet
Some people are sensitive to MSG and don’t even realize it. It can cause headaches, sweating, tingling, a fast heartbeat, anxiety, or a general “off” feeling after eating.
So if you’ve ever finished a tasty meal and felt strangely uncomfortable afterward… it might be your body quietly protesting.
5. How to Keep Your Food Tasty and Safe
Don’t worry no one’s asking you to eat bland meals. There are plenty of ways to keep your food rich and flavourful without overloading on cubes:
Use real ingredients: onions, garlic, ginger, local herbs, curry, thyme, scent leaf, turmeric, uziza… all packed with natural flavour.
Cut down gradually: Instead of 3 cubes, try 1. Your taste buds will adjust over time.
Taste first, cube later: Most times, the food is already well-seasoned.
Educate with love: Help others around you (mama, aunty, house help) understand this. It’s not criticism, it’s care.
Final Word: Let Your Food Heal, Not Harm
You deserve to enjoy delicious meals — but not at the cost of your health.
That sweet stew, that rich jollof, that smoky native soup — let it be both enjoyable and safe.
Because life is already hard enough — your food shouldn’t be what slowly breaks you down.
Let’s talk about something sitting quietly in almost every Nigerian kitchen seasoning cubes.
You know them well. The “flavour masters.” The small but mighty cubes that transform a basic pot of soup into something your neighbours will smell three compounds away. But here’s the not-so-sweet truth: those little blocks of magic could be slowly damaging your health, one delicious bite at a time.
1. Seasoning Cubes Are Sodium Bombs in Disguise
Seasoning cubes are more than just spices. They’re loaded with salt (sodium) and MSG (monosodium glutamate). Yes, they taste amazing, but too much sodium can silently harm your heart and kidneys.
Tired all the time? Swollen feet? High blood pressure at a young age? Your seasoning habit could be one of the hidden culprits.
2. “But I Don’t Even Add Salt!” That Doesn’t Mean You’re Safe
This is where most people miss it.
You don’t need to sprinkle salt for your sodium levels to be too high. Just one or two cubes per meal might already exceed the recommended daily limit. And when you combine that with salty snacks, suya, white bread, and processed foods… your body is overloaded before you even realize it.
3. Your Kidneys Are Not Indestructible
Your kidneys work hard every day to filter your blood and manage your body’s salt balance. But constantly forcing them to process excess sodium? That’s like making them work overtime every single day with no rest. Over time, fatigue, swelling, and even kidney failure can sneak in.
And once those symptoms show up, treatment is often expensive and stressful.
4. MSG Reactions Are Real — Even if You Haven’t Noticed Yet
Some people are sensitive to MSG and don’t even realize it. It can cause headaches, sweating, tingling, a fast heartbeat, anxiety, or a general “off” feeling after eating.
So if you’ve ever finished a tasty meal and felt strangely uncomfortable afterward… it might be your body quietly protesting.
5. How to Keep Your Food Tasty and Safe
Don’t worry no one’s asking you to eat bland meals. There are plenty of ways to keep your food rich and flavourful without overloading on cubes:
Use real ingredients: onions, garlic, ginger, local herbs, curry, thyme, scent leaf, turmeric, uziza… all packed with natural flavour.
Cut down gradually: Instead of 3 cubes, try 1. Your taste buds will adjust over time.
Taste first, cube later: Most times, the food is already well-seasoned.
Educate with love: Help others around you (mama, aunty, house help) understand this. It’s not criticism, it’s care.
Final Word: Let Your Food Heal, Not Harm
You deserve to enjoy delicious meals — but not at the cost of your health.
That sweet stew, that rich jollof, that smoky native soup — let it be both enjoyable and safe.
Because life is already hard enough — your food shouldn’t be what slowly breaks you down.
Too Much Seasoning, Too Little Health: The Silent Danger in Your Kitchen”
Let’s talk about something sitting quietly in almost every Nigerian kitchen seasoning cubes.
You know them well. The “flavour masters.” The small but mighty cubes that transform a basic pot of soup into something your neighbours will smell three compounds away. But here’s the not-so-sweet truth: those little blocks of magic could be slowly damaging your health, one delicious bite at a time.
1. Seasoning Cubes Are Sodium Bombs in Disguise
Seasoning cubes are more than just spices. They’re loaded with salt (sodium) and MSG (monosodium glutamate). Yes, they taste amazing, but too much sodium can silently harm your heart and kidneys.
Tired all the time? Swollen feet? High blood pressure at a young age? Your seasoning habit could be one of the hidden culprits.
2. “But I Don’t Even Add Salt!” That Doesn’t Mean You’re Safe
This is where most people miss it.
You don’t need to sprinkle salt for your sodium levels to be too high. Just one or two cubes per meal might already exceed the recommended daily limit. And when you combine that with salty snacks, suya, white bread, and processed foods… your body is overloaded before you even realize it.
3. Your Kidneys Are Not Indestructible
Your kidneys work hard every day to filter your blood and manage your body’s salt balance. But constantly forcing them to process excess sodium? That’s like making them work overtime every single day with no rest. Over time, fatigue, swelling, and even kidney failure can sneak in.
And once those symptoms show up, treatment is often expensive and stressful.
4. MSG Reactions Are Real — Even if You Haven’t Noticed Yet
Some people are sensitive to MSG and don’t even realize it. It can cause headaches, sweating, tingling, a fast heartbeat, anxiety, or a general “off” feeling after eating.
So if you’ve ever finished a tasty meal and felt strangely uncomfortable afterward… it might be your body quietly protesting.
5. How to Keep Your Food Tasty and Safe
Don’t worry no one’s asking you to eat bland meals. There are plenty of ways to keep your food rich and flavourful without overloading on cubes:
✅ Use real ingredients: onions, garlic, ginger, local herbs, curry, thyme, scent leaf, turmeric, uziza… all packed with natural flavour.
✅ Cut down gradually: Instead of 3 cubes, try 1. Your taste buds will adjust over time.
✅ Taste first, cube later: Most times, the food is already well-seasoned.
✅ Educate with love: Help others around you (mama, aunty, house help) understand this. It’s not criticism, it’s care.
🍲 Final Word: Let Your Food Heal, Not Harm
You deserve to enjoy delicious meals — but not at the cost of your health.
That sweet stew, that rich jollof, that smoky native soup — let it be both enjoyable and safe.
Because life is already hard enough — your food shouldn’t be what slowly breaks you down.
