Is MSG bad for you?

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Not food?

Do you also not eat salt, sugar, or any other seasonings in your food?

Lots of stuff people eat is unhealthy. Those are the things I eliminate or minimize. Chips and KFC are recreational eating to me because of all the additives which make them super tasty. But like I said I do indulge occasionally, it's not a religion like it is to some people.

It's that my gut can't tolerate the stuff, all the additives, so I have to stick to simple food, and I get plenty of salt in my diet, just not in the form of MSG. Carrageenan is a big no-no for me, really irritates the gut. That's just an example.

I notice you like lots of spicy foods with lots of ingredients. I can't do that without my gut sending me hate mail and my reaching for the charcoal tablets. It's not mental, it's physical.

So my foods are simple. Breakfast today was wilted red lettuce, dehydrated apples from the yard, black beans from a can (no preservatives), and a splash of unsweetened almond milk. It's actually quite tasty. Oh, and a small glass of home made wine without all the histamine-raising preservatives you get in factory wine. It works for me. It's either that or a life of meds.

[repoman]

There apparently are also flavor super charger chemicals added to zing up the effects of free glutamate/glutamic acid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disodium_guanylate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disodium_inosinate

[Peez]

That doesn't change the fact that this is clearly racist, as evidenced by the fact that no one ever complains about MSG if it's in Western food.

Citation?

Peez

[Gun Nut]

I know someone who is allergic or sensitive to MSG.. they get migraine headaches when they eat enough of it. It has an accumulative effect on her too.. she can have some soy sauce here and there.. but like two days in a row and bam!
Saying MSG is the same as salt because of ions is the same as saying hydrogen peroxide is the same as water because its just another oxygen bond.

[J842P]

When Chinese restaurants used to put a lot of MSG in their food, it usually gave me a headache. There is no definitive research to support the idea that MSG causes any type of permanent damage, but it does give a lot of people headaches, or a few other side effects. None of the Asian restaurants that I've eaten at in recent years use MSG in the food anymore, so I have no idea why MSG is an issue now. It might just be the overload of sodium that gave some of us headaches. I don't use salt in my cooking or on my food, so maybe people like me just can't tolerate large amounts of sodium.

Anyway, I read a lot of medical sites before I posted this and they all said that there are a lot of people that have mild side effects from eating foods seasoned with MSG. I remember when it was a big thing for the menus in Asian restaurants to say, "no MSG added." That was a long time ago, so I didn't know anyone still used it. I can't tolerate a lot of other seasonings that are commonly used in Indian and/or Mexican food, but I don't think that makes me racist. It just means that I'm not able to tolerate certain spices and seasonings, so I avoid them as much as possible.

But seriously, do American restaurants still use MSG in the food?

Probably. In any event, MSG is naturally occurring in a lot of foods you eat, basically anything with protein in it.

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That doesn't change the fact that this is clearly racist, as evidenced by the fact that no one ever complains about MSG if it's in Western food.

Citation?

Peez

LOL you must not be familiar with Underseer.

[J842P]

I know someone who is allergic or sensitive to MSG.. they get migraine headaches when they eat enough of it. It has an accumulative effect on her too.. she can have some soy sauce here and there.. but like two days in a row and bam!
Saying MSG is the same as salt because of ions is the same as saying hydrogen peroxide is the same as water because its just another oxygen bond.

Well, not really, because ionic bonds behave differently in solution. In particular, MSG and sodium chloride both produce sodium ions, which both stimulate your salty gustatory receptors in the exact same way, it's just that MSG also creates glutamate, which stimulates your "umami" or "savory" gustatory receptors.

And again, MSG, which is just the sodium salt of glutamic acid, exists in practically everything you eat.

Glutamate is a fundamental signaling molecule as well, and plays a pervasive role in your nervous system. It isn't far-fetched that it may cause some side effects like headaches or what-not in sensitive people. But it may also be a placebo effect, and the combination of both.

Sort of like gluten "allergies", that is, there are definitely people who are sensitive to gluten, but there's a shit ton of people who are just following a trend, or heard that gluten is "bad", so now when they eat gluten, they feel "bad".

[repoman]

They also get a shit ton of quick carbs from wheat and if they stop eating it they often clamp down on that as well. That will help a lot of people out for sure. Correlation but not causation with gluten.

[Under the Rose]

When Chinese restaurants used to put a lot of MSG in their food, it usually gave me a headache. There is no definitive research to support the idea that MSG causes any type of permanent damage, but it does give a lot of people headaches, or a few other side effects. None of the Asian restaurants that I've eaten at in recent years use MSG in the food anymore, so I have no idea why MSG is an issue now. It might just be the overload of sodium that gave some of us headaches. I don't use salt in my cooking or on my food, so maybe people like me just can't tolerate large amounts of sodium.

Anyway, I read a lot of medical sites before I posted this and they all said that there are a lot of people that have mild side effects from eating foods seasoned with MSG. I remember when it was a big thing for the menus in Asian restaurants to say, "no MSG added." That was a long time ago, so I didn't know anyone still used it. I can't tolerate a lot of other seasonings that are commonly used in Indian and/or Mexican food, but I don't think that makes me racist. It just means that I'm not able to tolerate certain spices and seasonings, so I avoid them as much as possible.

But seriously, do American restaurants still use MSG in the food?

In Canada, a majority of canned soups contain MSG. Additionally, many ingredients that go by other names contain MSG. The processed food industry contains a lot of 'Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS)' ingredients that are banned in European and other countries. It is a food industry first and foremost and the name of the game is profit and finding uses for otherwise waste products. Much of the research for GRAS ingredients has been done at the cost of the industry and never really held to much scrutiny or long term studies done on same. Ask yourself why the industry has been so resistant to more precise labeling regulation? It can hardly be about cost since they reinvent themselves almost annually along with new packaging and printing.

If you are one of those who does notice any effects from MSG (or any of it's ilk) then by all means stay informed and make your purchasing choices accordingly. As per the links I have provided, the subject remains contentious.

Hidden names for MSG and free glutamic acid:

Names of ingredients that always contain processed free glutamic acid: (7)

• Glutamic Acid (E 620)
• Glutamate (E 620)
• Monosodium Glutamate (E 621)
• Monopotassium Glutamate (E 622)
• Calcium Glutamate (E 623)
• Monoammonium Glutamate (E 624)
• Magnesium Glutamate (E 625)
• Natrium Glutamate
• Yeast Extract
• Anything “hydrolyzed”
• Any “hydrolyzed protein”
• Calcium Caseinate
• Sodium Caseinate
• Yeast Food
• Yeast Nutrient
• Autolyzed Yeast
• Gelatin
• Textured Protein
• Soy Protein
• Soy Protein Concentrate
• Soy Protein Isolate
• Whey Protein
• Whey Protein Concentrate
• Whey Protein Isolate
• Anything “…protein”
• Vetsin
• Ajinomoto

Names of ingredients that often contain or produce processed free glutamic acid: (7)

• Carrageenan (E 407)
• Bouillon and broth
• Stock
• Any “flavors” or “flavoring”
• Maltodextrin
• Citric acid, Citrate (E 330)
• Anything “ultra-pasteurized”
• Barley malt
• Pectin (E 440)
• Protease
• Anything “enzyme modified”
• Anything containing “enzymes”
• Malt extract
• Soy sauce
• Soy sauce extract
• Anything “protein fortified”
• Anything “fermented”
• Seasonings

The following are ingredients suspected of containing or creating sufficient processed free glutamic acid to serve as MSG-reaction triggers in HIGHLY SENSITIVE people: (7)

• Corn starch
• Corn syrup
• Modified food starch
• Lipolyzed butter fat
• Dextrose
• Rice syrup
• Brown rice syrup
• Milk powder
• Reduced fat milk (skim; 1%; 2%)
• Most things labeled “Low Fat” or “No Fat”
• Anything labeled “Enriched”
• Anything labeled “Vitamin Enriched”

https://lifespa.com/sneaky-names-for-msg-check-your-labels/

https://examine.com/nutrition/is-msg...r-your-health/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/msg-good-or-bad

[J842P]

When Chinese restaurants used to put a lot of MSG in their food, it usually gave me a headache. There is no definitive research to support the idea that MSG causes any type of permanent damage, but it does give a lot of people headaches, or a few other side effects. None of the Asian restaurants that I've eaten at in recent years use MSG in the food anymore, so I have no idea why MSG is an issue now. It might just be the overload of sodium that gave some of us headaches. I don't use salt in my cooking or on my food, so maybe people like me just can't tolerate large amounts of sodium.

Anyway, I read a lot of medical sites before I posted this and they all said that there are a lot of people that have mild side effects from eating foods seasoned with MSG. I remember when it was a big thing for the menus in Asian restaurants to say, "no MSG added." That was a long time ago, so I didn't know anyone still used it. I can't tolerate a lot of other seasonings that are commonly used in Indian and/or Mexican food, but I don't think that makes me racist. It just means that I'm not able to tolerate certain spices and seasonings, so I avoid them as much as possible.

But seriously, do American restaurants still use MSG in the food?

In Canada, a majority of canned soups contain MSG. Additionally, many ingredients that go by other names contain MSG. The processed food industry contains a lot of 'Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS)' ingredients that are banned in European and other countries. It is a food industry first and foremost and the name of the game is profit and finding uses for otherwise waste products. Much of the research for GRAS ingredients has been done at the cost of the industry and never really held to much scrutiny or long term studies done on same. Ask yourself why the industry has been so resistant to more precise labeling regulation? It can hardly be about cost since they reinvent themselves almost annually along with new packaging and printing.

If you are one of those who does notice any effects from MSG (or any of it's ilk) then by all means stay informed and make your purchasing choices accordingly. As per the links I have provided, the subject remains contentious.

Hidden names for MSG and free glutamic acid:

Names of ingredients that always contain processed free glutamic acid: (7)

• Glutamic Acid (E 620)
• Glutamate (E 620)
• Monosodium Glutamate (E 621)
• Monopotassium Glutamate (E 622)
• Calcium Glutamate (E 623)
• Monoammonium Glutamate (E 624)
• Magnesium Glutamate (E 625)
• Natrium Glutamate
• Yeast Extract
• Anything “hydrolyzed”
• Any “hydrolyzed protein”
• Calcium Caseinate
• Sodium Caseinate
• Yeast Food
• Yeast Nutrient
• Autolyzed Yeast
• Gelatin
• Textured Protein
• Soy Protein
• Soy Protein Concentrate
• Soy Protein Isolate
• Whey Protein
• Whey Protein Concentrate
• Whey Protein Isolate
• Anything “…protein”
• Vetsin
• Ajinomoto

Names of ingredients that often contain or produce processed free glutamic acid: (7)

• Carrageenan (E 407)
• Bouillon and broth
• Stock
• Any “flavors” or “flavoring”
• Maltodextrin
• Citric acid, Citrate (E 330)
• Anything “ultra-pasteurized”
• Barley malt
• Pectin (E 440)
• Protease
• Anything “enzyme modified”
• Anything containing “enzymes”
• Malt extract
• Soy sauce
• Soy sauce extract
• Anything “protein fortified”
• Anything “fermented”
• Seasonings

The following are ingredients suspected of containing or creating sufficient processed free glutamic acid to serve as MSG-reaction triggers in HIGHLY SENSITIVE people: (7)

• Corn starch
• Corn syrup
• Modified food starch
• Lipolyzed butter fat
• Dextrose
• Rice syrup
• Brown rice syrup
• Milk powder
• Reduced fat milk (skim; 1%; 2%)
• Most things labeled “Low Fat” or “No Fat”
• Anything labeled “Enriched”
• Anything labeled “Vitamin Enriched”

https://lifespa.com/sneaky-names-for-msg-check-your-labels/

https://examine.com/nutrition/is-msg...r-your-health/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/msg-good-or-bad

Pretty much all food will produce glutamic acid, even if it isn't sprinkled on, during cooking, curing, pickling and digestion. It is impossible to avoid, and even if you could avoid eating it, your own body creates it!

[southernhybrid]

It was probably the quantity of the MSG that gave me headaches. When I was growing up many decades ago, Chinese restaurants used to load the food up with MSG, until lots of people complained it gave them headaches. To me, the food tastes much better without it.