Truth about MSG?

Question

Why is MSG considered bad (ex: "Contains No MSG")? My husband literally has a bag of it he sprinkles on certain foods.

Answer 1

Some people react badly to MSG, but lots of people don't.  MSG stand for mono-sodium glutamate and glutamate is a source of the becoming famous umami flavor.  

If he has high blood pressure he should avoid MSG because of the sodium, elsewise go for it.

Answer 2

Although some people may have an allergic sensitivity to MSG, obviously your husband does not. MSG is a form of glutamic acid, an  amino acid that imparts the "fifth taste" also known as "umami" in Japan. The bad reputation that MSG has in western culture is because of over-use by fast food and food processing companies to enhance otherwise poor quality foods. MSG used in excess as any additive to food (salt or sugar) is not healthy.

Answer 3

The Basics

By Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D., September 1995

MSG (monosodium glutamate, ajinomoto) sensitivity is a sensitivity to free glutamic acid that occurs in food as a consequence of manufacture. All protein contains glutamic acid bound in it, but only when glutamic acid has been freed from protein prior to ingestion do people express MSG-sensitivity reactions. Some unadulterated protein may also have minute amounts of free glutamic acid associated with it, but MSG-sensitive people report no adverse reactions following ingestion of unadulterated protein. Any free glutamic acid freed from protein by a manufacturing process before it is eaten can cause the MSG reaction. The source of the hydrolysed protein (soy, corn, wheat, etc.,) appears to be irrelevant.

Manufacture of MSG

MSG is manufactured through a process of protein hydrolysis. When a product is 99% pure MSG, the product is called  "monosodium glutamate" by the FDA and must be labelled as such. However, when a hydrolysed protein contains less than 99% MSG, the FDA does not require that the MSG be identified. "Autolyzed Yeast," "Hydrolysed Soy Protein," and "Sodium Aseinate," are examples of names given to hydrolysed proteins on food labels.

Under FDA regulation, hydrolysed protein products may be used as ingredients in other products without mention of the original hydrolysed protein product. For example, "hydrolysed soy protein," when used in "flavouring(s)," "natural flavouring(s)," "natural flavour(s)," and products called broth, bouillon, or natural chicken flavouring, etc., does not have to be mentioned on product labels when the food processor claims that the hydrolysed protein is being used for purposes other than flavouring. "Hidden Sources of MSG" lists some of the ingredients presently used to hide MSG.

Growing Use of MSG

Use of MSG in food is growing. MSG is found in most soups, salad dressings, and processed meats; in some crackers, bread, canned tuna fish, most frozen entrees, ice cream, and frozen yoghurt. It is often used in "low fat" foods to make up for the flavour lost when fat is reduced or eliminated.

In 1969, Schaumburg et al. determined that approximately 30% of our population suffered adverse reactions when fed MSG in an ordinary diet. Reif-Lehrer, Kenney and Tidball confirmed his findings. Those studies were challenged by Kerr et al. in a 1979 glutamate industry sponsored study. Kerr et al. found that 43 percent of respondents reported one or more unpleasant symptoms associated with eating, but concluded that only 1.8% of the population might be sensitive to MSG. To accomplish this, Kerr et al. decreed that the only true symptoms of MSG-sensitivity, (that he called "Chinese restaurant syndrome"), were "burning, tightness, and numbness," experienced simultaneously, that commenced between 10 minutes and 2 hours after the start of a meal, and lasted 4 hours or less. Kerr et al. had to ignore all other reported symptoms in order to come up with this 1.8% figure.

Given the increase in use of MSG since 1979, we would presently expect more than 30% of the population to suffer adverse reactions to MSG in an ordinary diet.

Pinpointing MSG as a Reaction Trigger

MSG-sensitive people report reactions ranging from simple skin rash to severe depression and life-threatening physical conditions. Two or more reactions occurring together, or one following another, are not  uncommon. The amount of MSG ingested may also play a role in the specific nature of a reaction. The most commonly reported reaction is migraine headache.

However, the diagnosis of MSG sensitivity is extremely difficult. None of the symptoms of MSG-toxicity are caused exclusively by MSG. Most, if not all, could be caused by various physical conditions as well as by other food additives.

 Some people eat MSG and react immediately. Some react as late as 48 hours (or even 72 hours) after ingesting MSG. Of help in diagnosis is the fact that each person typically reacts within one predictable time frame after ingesting MSG.

 Reactions are dose related. Some people cannot tolerate even the smallest amount of MSG without having a reaction. Others tolerate single small amounts, but react to MSG when they ingest a gram or more in any one meal. Others can ingest five grams or more without evidencing a reaction.

 The adverse effects of MSG ingestion may be cumulative. People have reported eating small amounts of MSG once a week without experiencing reactions, while having reactions when those same products were consumed two or three days in a row.

 MSG is very often hidden in food. Hiding MSG makes recognition of MSG so complex and confusing that people who are sensitive to MSG have a great deal of difficulty realizing it. If a person had a reaction after eating something known to contain MSG, he might suspect that MSG was the culprit. But if that person had the same reaction after eating something that contained MSG but did not disclose the fact on a label, he would very likely question his original suspicion. Until all sources of MSG are easily identifiable, evaluation of possible MSG reactions will be difficult.

 Difficulty in diagnosing MSG-sensitivity is compounded by the industry practice of illegally advertising "No MSG" or "No MSG Added" on product labels when the products do contain MSG.

 Diagnostic tools available to the physician are limited to challenge. In a physician's office, an appropriate dose (or doses) would have to be selected, and provision would have to be made for both restricting the patient's contact with other potential reaction triggers and observing reactions delayed by as much as 72 hours. As an alternative, physician and patient working together may be able to identify, or rule out, MSG as a reaction  trigger through analysis of a patient food diary.

About the People who Sell the Product

There is considerable evidence to suggest that consumption of MSG places humans at risk, and that the greatest risk is faced by children.

On the other hand, studies designed, implemented, and/or supported by the glutamate industry are generally questionable. All of the data presented by The Glutamate Association, the International Glutamate Technical Committee, and their sponsors, as "proving" that MSG is "safe" appear to be flawed. Some, particularly those in which MSG and/or aspartame are used in placebos, appear to be fraudulent.

We are aware of no person, institution, or agency, that has claimed that MSG is "safe," that does not have close ties to the food and/or drug industries, or that has not been remunerated by them. In 1992, the FDA appointed both Andrew G. Ebert, Ph.D., chairman of the International Glutamate Technical Committee (IGTC), and Kristin McNutt, Ph.D., paid spokesperson for the IGTC, to the FDA Food Advisory Committee. Dr Ebert is (or was) also an official "Observer" at the World Health Organization. In 1992, the FDA funded "an  independent  study" conducted by the  Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, with Expert Panel members including four people with ties to the glutamate industry. Steve Taylor, Ph.D., who is (or was) The Institute for Food Technologists' Communicator on the subject of MSG has been a paid spokesperson for the IGTC for years.

Trade associations that represent glutamate industry interests include the International Food Information Council (IFIC) and the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). IFIC actively fought the presentation of a "60 Minutes" program on safety/hazards of MSG in 1991, and presently offers packets of materials that pretend to demonstrate that MSG is "safe." The IFIC packet includes a list of speakers who will attest to the safety of MSG. The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology is one of the organizations that has developed materials jointly with IFIC or IFIC's foundation. Their brochure entitled "Understanding Food Allergy" includes such false information as "Whenever MSG is added to food, it is listed on the label as monosodium glutamate." The FDA has also developed a brochure jointly with IFIC.

In 1994, IFIC commissioned a review of the book Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills written by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. Blaylock warned that MSG probably contributes to  brain tumour and neurodegenerative disease such as ALS,  Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. The review was done for IFIC by Jonathan Pincus, M.D., who, it would appear, did not read Blaylock's book. Dr. Pincus' research has, in part, been supported by ILSI. ILSI has also provided grant money to The Food Allergy Network. Dr. Steve Taylor, mentioned earlier as being a paid spokesman for the glutamate industry, is a member of The Food Allergy Network Medical Advisory Board. The Food Allergy Network is a non-profit organization that claims as members both the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Misleading and Deceptive Use of "No MSG" on Product Labels  

Manufacturers are acutely aware that, in general, consumers would prefer not to have MSG in their food. Some have responded by using "clean labels," i.e., labels that do not reveal that the food contains MSG. Others advertise "No MSG," "No MSG Added," or "No Added MSG," even though their products contain MSG.

Advertising "No MSG," "No MSG Added," or "No Added MSG"  "has been found to be false and misleading under section (403)(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act when the label also lists any hydrolysed protein as an ingredient since it contains MSG." Thus, to advertise "No MSG," "No MSG Added,&q

Answer 4

People think it is because it's completely artificial. However, I personally do not feel sick or "bad" after eating it...it makes food taste SO much better and my mom uses it in practically everything.

I think it's all in the head...my aunt says that she can't have MSG because it makes her feel sick, but when my mom made her food that had MSG, she ate it and felt fine because my mom just told her there was no msg in it :) haha

Answer 5

causes cancer ?!!!!!

Answer 6

MSG is ismply a flavour enchancer. its just that some people react badly to it. Like i mean, are peanuts bad for you? Then Why does some packaging say "does not contain peanuts" or "may contain peanuts"?

Answer 7

Msg is a preservative and flavor enhancer that is hidden in ALOT of the food we eat by the use of other names that aren't as recognizable.  I didn't know anything about it other than "it's not very good for you", until one day at 22 years old I had an anaphylactic reaction to consuming a larger than average amount of it for me. So then I did some research and found alot of not very well known information on it.

First of all, it's addictive. Of course you could argue that caffeine is addictive too, but msg can cause a very wide range of health problems. And generally the worse the food is for you the more msg there is in it, so it's addictive qualities doesn't tend to lead to very good eating habits.

My anaphylactic reaction to it made it very clear that I am highly sensitive to it, but it isn't always going to be that clear. There is such a spectrum of ways someone can react to it that alot of the time we don't even consider msg as a possible reason for different health issues we deal with. Often you can't know to what extent msg plays a role in your health until you make a conscious choice to limit it in your diet, which let me tell you, is very hard. Some people can tell right after they eat something, some people don't have any idea until they react to eating a large amount of it, and some people never have any idea that the different health issues they deal with are connected to the regular consumption of it.

There are so many things that people suffer with on a daily basis that could possibly be better controlled or even eliminated by limiting their msg intake. It can cause severe depression, chronic migrains, tinnitus, joint pain, back pain, fatigue, IBS, digestive problems, and so on, and so on..

So your husband may not have any obvious reaction after eating msg, but that doesn't mean he can't be having any less obvious reactions to it. It's hard, just about impossible, to stay completely away from it, but I recommend everyone makes an effort to eat less of it. There are just too many possibilities to the havoc it could be causing on your body.

Answer 8

It's a flavor enhancer but I try to avoid it.  It's in a lot of products including bouillon cubes, chips and snack foods, and is notorious in Asian snack foods like rice crackers.  I used to get more headaches when I ate it, but now that I'm MSG free, I rarely if ever have a headache.

Answer 9

MSG or monosodium glutamate is an artificial salt & flavour enhancer. That's y it make ur food taste so good. We are actually hard to avoid eating this synthetic salt if we eating outside food (i mean non home cooked food). A little bit of MSG make ur food more delicious and more people come to ur shop, but adding too much MSG into ur food will make u very thirsty after eating it, and some may feel giddy. According to certain researches, long term of consuming MSG will cause adverse effect to ur health like hair falls or even cancer. However, it's all actually depends on individual, if u've already use to it just continue what u r doin lar..

Answer 10

http://www.msg.org.au/main.html

Made from natural ingredients

Many people believe that monosodium glutamate is made from chemicals. Monosodium glutamate is a chemical in the same way that the water we drink and the oxygen we breathe are chemicals. In fact all our food is made of thousands of chemicals. That does not mean they are produced in a laboratory by chemical synthesis ­ they occur naturally. Like many foods glutamate is produced through fermentation, a process used in making beer, vinegar, soy sauce and yogurt. The process begins with natural products such as molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets and food starch from tapioca or cereals which are fermented in a controlled environment with a micro-organism (Corynebacterium glutamicum).

The crude glutamic acid produced in this process is then filtered, purified and converted by neutralisation into monosodium glutamate. After additional purification, crystallisation, drying and sieving, monosodium glutamate has the form of pure white crystals ready for packing and use.

Answer 11

It is a preservative which is bad for us.

Answer 12

Well all it is used for preserving food to last longer. It contains something that is not good for us as well as really not needed. When food is no longer good-get rid of it-not try to make it last forever. Hope this helped a little. Tell your husband to quit eating it.

Answer 13

I don't believe there have been any conclusive scientific studies that have proved that MSG is detrimental to health.

MSG really isn't bad for you (so long as it is, as everything else, eaten in moderation!). The glutamates that people claim give them 'chinese restaurant syndrome' are also present in things like vegemite and cheese as naturally occuring compounds.

Answer 14

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, of which there is a large amount in our bodies.  Glutamic acid is one of the 20 or so amino acids that are the indispensable building blocks of all the proteins in our bodies.  So you can rail against it, propagate pseudoscience about it, fear it, avoid it, or love it, but you cannot live without it.