Is MSG Really That Dangerous?
MSG, monosodium glutamate, is the salt of an amino acid that is commonly used as a flavor enhancer.
Glutamate by itself is even used as a flavor enhancer. Originating out of Japan, MSG has been used for years without much scrutiny. When MSG was first discovered, it was as an extract of seaweed.
Is MSG something we should avoid at all costs?
Now that MSG has become common worldwide, we have heard complaints of headaches and other side effects through our friends and the media. However, very few people actually have a bad reaction to MSG. Researchers estimate 25-40% of the world population may be sensitive to MSG.
There have been few documented cases of people having nausea, headaches, tensed breathing, facial pressure, rapid heart beat, and other flu-like symptoms. The most common and likely side effect would be a headache if you happen to be MSG sensitive.
MSG is very similar in composition to soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce which we never hear such negative comments about. There have been countless studies performed on MSG and most all come back with the conclusion that there is no link between MSG and harmful effects. Even the Japanese, who consume large amounts, rarely report negative reactions.
Which Foods Contain MSG
We typically think of MSG in food at Chinese restaurants, but these days it is more common in fast food and processed foods.
- Chips and crackers
- Salty snack foods
- Condiments and dressings
- Seasoning blends and packets
- Marinades
- Aged and dried meats
- Frozen dinners
Conclusion
Most of the foods that contain MSG are the more processed, high sodium, low nutritional value foods. So, this may be why people see a link between higher MSG consumption and increased risk of obesity or other health problems.
There is no reason to avoid MSG unless you have a bad reaction or are sensitive. It has been used for years to get the elderly to eat their food.There is especially no need to avoid glutamate which is found in hundreds of different foods, and even exists naturally in our own bodies.
Editor's Note: MSG is often not listed as such in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, but instead listed as food additive #621 in the ingredients label.
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20 Comments
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Created / Updated: February 16, 2012
I've never had issues with it--I eat soy sauce very frequently and I'm sure that is a good source of MSG. It's the "umami" flavor that you get in savory foods. Glutamate is present naturally in a lot of foods and MSG is basically just glutamate and sodium. I don't see anything wrong with eating it, as long as you are using it in moderation and aren't eating a lot of the junk foods that it's found in.
ReplyI think the problem with MSG is that it causes people to eat more calories. That "umami" http://www.diet-blog.com/10/poll_umami_the_new_msg.php factor makes food more appealing, factored with it's use on unhealthy food. Who can just eat 5 or 6 Doritos? MSG causes people to want to eat the whole bag in one sitting.
ReplyAgreed. I definitely think it makes people eat larger quantities because it increases flavor.
ReplyHow do you figure this when it comes to the Asians? Do they eat more too?
ReplyI would say it's more a widely used westernized Asian food additive. I doubt many in china use msg in their traditional Chinese cuisine. However, obesity rates in Asian countries are on the rise I believe.
ReplyI used to work in food manufacturing. An interesting fact: The flavor combination used to make Nacho Cheese Doritos is the most addictive flavor there is. They engineer it to be addictive so more people will buy it. It's a very common thing in the snack foods industry--they use a lot of garlic powder and MSG.
ReplyI so believe that Spectra, Doritos are so addictive. I rarely buy them because I know if I do, I'll eat too many at once. :-)
ReplyGreat post! I absolutely agree with this as MSG is a neurotoxin and causes great harm within our body beyond what we can even measure at this point. Thanks!
ReplyThank you, Doctor, for telling people so.
I'm not sure the original post makes it clear what a very serious thing consuming MSG is for A LOT of us!
ReplyI remember when I was "growing up" I used to always get headaches after eating something with MSG. I also think MSG makes you eat more. Whenever I used to eat at the Chinese food place in the mall food court I always was able to eat the entire huge plate then I would be hungry again an hour later! Crazy.
ReplyI am also sure it is also addictive. When I have a cheat day and eat Doritos (loaded with MSG), I end up craving it for days after. When I don't eat Doritos for a long time, I stop craving them.
Interesting post!
If you are eating a diet that is very high in processed foods, MSG is the least of your problems.
When you eat whole, natural foods, you minimize your exposure to MSG and every other type of food additive. That is what I tell my nutrition clients to eat!
Dr Tom Halton
ReplyGuess again, Doc!
The effects of MSG come on suddenly and can be temporarily debilitating. Experience that while you're driving on a long car trip and you WILL NOT think it's less of an issue than nutrition or longevity! Maybe the effect won't kill you directly, but the consequences certainly can!
ReplyI live in Thailand and they put MSG in everything!
ReplyWait a minute -- you say the reaction affects 25% to 40% of us but there are FEW documented cases?
1 out of 4 to almost 1 out of 2 is NOT a rare condition... the national institues of health get real excited when an infection affects 1 out of 1,000! By your numbers,the rare thing would be to sit in a restaurant and NOT be surrounded by affectd people -- in fact by those numbers it would be rare not to have one at your own table.
Is documentation the issue? Well document this: MSG gives me bad headaches. And it gives my wife sometimes disabling headaches. This is an extremely limited sample, but that's 100% ! Don't be implying that the effect is rare and nothing to worry about!
ReplyActually it's probably far, FAR less than that. In a well controlled double-blind, placebo study - out of 130 subjects who THOUGHT they had msg reactions, only 2 of them - yes, 2 of them reacted to both 5mg of msg and the placebo.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10736382
ReplySorry - I meant to say "reacted to both 5mg of msg and NOT the placebo". Conclusion: MSG is nothing to worry about for almost everybody.
ReplyI would tend to agree Mike, the mind is a powerful thing.
ReplyI am VERY reactive to msg or any other free glutamate for that matter. For years I've struggled with debilitating pain & symptoms for which no treatment, wholistic or pharmacological, has worked. I know of others with many of my same symptoms. I've spent many hours learning, testing, and proving "free" glutamates to be the culprit. It is an additive in almost everything, including multi-vitamins. I believe there to be inherent problems with the tests and trials that have been conducted so far, and I have yet to find a study on the accumulative effects of glutamates on the body.
ReplyI think it makes food taste very good. It is in my miso, and my chicken broth concentrate, and though I do tend to retain water, that might be the sodium, not the glutamate. I also like soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and other such foods. I've never seen a mechanism by which it might be damaging, anecdotes aside. Yum!
ReplyIndeed, MSG can enhance the taste of any kinds of foods. However, it is still important to be cautious on what we eat so that we can be healthy and live longer.
Reply