MSG – people either love it or hate it. Ever since 1968, when Dr. Koop described a series of symptoms he suffered after eating out at a Chinese restaurant, people have been blaming monosodium glutamate (MSG) for “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” But is MSG really the culprit? And what is it about this small crystal with no distinctive taste of its own that makes food taste so good? Should you use MSG when cooking at home? Learn more about the pros and cons of using MSG.
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Comments
I’ve noticed that when I (accidentally!) eat some MSG, my skin breaks out the next day. For that reason alone, I avoid it!
I think the proper amount of MSG used in cooking is tolerable, since it can enhance the taste and in my opinion doesn’t harm our health.
Perhaps some people are allergic to MSG but we can’t use some specific cases by certain people who are allergic to judge whether it’s healthy or not. It’s almost the same as if I drink too much of Vitamin C, I’m almost certain have digestive problems, but is Vitamin C bad ?
Maybe if we use too much of MSG that can cause some problems, so always use in a proper manner.
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Sometimes I get a headache when I eat out at a Chinese restaurant that uses MSG, but other times not, so it’s hard to trace the culprit.
There is no scientific evidence that MSG is bad for human health. In several studies where people who claimed to be sensitive to MSG took both a placebo capsule and an MSG capsule, there was no difference in the people’s symptoms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
tbh i’d leave it,
when i eat chinese food it feels like my throat has closed up, it leaves my youngest sister with a rash and makes my mum’s mouth go numb. Also, my other sister found it in some crips and she got an allergic reaction.
Personally, i think adding MSG to food is cheating!
Many studies have proven that MSG is not the culprit in Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. In fact, the culprit seems to be other ingredients in the dish for which people have a low tolerance, i.e. peanuts, chili peppers, anise. Studies have also concluded that the addition of MSG is beneficial for those on a low sodium diet. The use of MSG can reduce your sodium intake by as much as 40%. If the recipe calls for 1 tsp of salt, use 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp MSG. Don’t try this on baked goods such as bread and pastries as this will have an effect on the doughs ability to rise. Unfortunately MSG has an undeserved bad reputation even though it is just salt the same way high fructose corn syrup is just sugar.
You cannot be allergic to MSG. It occurs naturally in meat, cheese, and tomatoes, and is produced by your body in large quantities. It is also in breastmilk, so every time you breastfeed your baby, you are giving them a hefty dose of MSG.
Saying you are allergic to MSG is like saying you are allergic to citric acid (the compound that makes fruit sour) – you cannot be, because if you were, you’d be extremely dead