Is MSG bad for you?

[Underseer]

[YOUTUBE]Sm8Yx-gWlMs[/YOUTUBE]

A long time ago, people who tried Chinese food came down with a mysterious ailment that was dubbed "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" that included a scary list of symptoms. This was said to be caused by monosodium glutemate, and so to this day, people think that MSG is bad for you despite the fact that there has never been a scientific study proving that Chinese Restaurant Syndrome is a real disease, much less than that it is caused by MSG.

[ent]ldquo[/ent]You know what causes Chinese Restaurant Syndrome? Racism.[ent]rdquo[/ent]

Mind you, the sodium ions in MSG can cause the same problems as the sodium ions in table salt, but other than that it's just a sodium ion bonded to glutamic acid.

If MSG caused brain damage as the racists imagine, then China and Japan would be among the dumbest nations on the planet right now.

Part of the problem is the "liberal" mainstream media, which was happy to exploit racist fears about Asian people in the 1970s to push stories about MSG being bad for you and citing research that turned out to be flawed, but after decades of subsequent research showed the flaws in the original research, the media was suddenly not as interested in reporting the retractions because not-racism doesn't sell as many news stories as racism.

The kicker is that those who complain about MSG never seem to complain about MSG in Western ingredients or dishes. It just becomes a problem when it's in Asian food.

To any conservatives or libertarians reading this, I apologize for saying that racism is a bad thing, and I hope your feelings were not hurt by my words. I only complain about racist things because I am a sinister Social Justice Warrior out to attack your freedom to not be criticized.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

MSG is not food, which is why I don't eat it. It's in a few things I eat occasionally, but those things it mentioned in the first minutes of the video are all things I do not eat.

I was never aware of its association with racism.

 

[spikepipsqueak]

I often can't understand how you make unrelated topics into questions of racism, Underseer.

In some people, glutamates interfere with nerve impulse transmission. It can play havoc in those people. That happens whatever food it is delivered in, but probably happened more when Asian restaurants became popular in the West.

MSG is not typically used in home cooking in English speaking countries whereas some Chinese friends of mine do add tasting powder to home cooked meals.

The people who react also have to avoid potato chips and other foods that aren't related to Asian culture, including KFC.

 

[repoman]

So, on a basic level is this a "dose makes the poison" issue?

There is free glutamic acid and glutamate (proton is gone) in a lot of savory food that give the sense of umami.

There is also a lot of glutamate in protein powder - often 20% of the amino acid by weight.

But, would not the glutamate have to get into the blood in significant quantities and then get past the blood brain barrier and then show it would do something? This should be eminently testable, so easy as to be trivial.

Is the "theory" that MSG (if it gets into the brain) is a long term brain stressor that would lead to something that would look like standard aging, but push it up by a decade or more earlier?

Now, the fact that MSG directly stimulates the tongue's umami sensors may in itself do some rewiring of taste, sort of like artificial sweeteners push our taste buds and appetite in a bad direction. It does not have to actually get past the blood brain barrier.

 

[Peez]

I often can't understand how you make unrelated topics into questions of racism, Underseer.

In some people, glutamates interfere with nerve impulse transmission. It can play havoc in those people. That happens whatever food it is delivered in, but probably happened more when Asian restaurants became popular in the West.

MSG is not typically used in home cooking in English speaking countries whereas some Chinese friends of mine do add tasting powder to home cooked meals.

The people who react also have to avoid potato chips and other foods that aren't related to Asian culture, including KFC.

Interestingly, according to my (admittedly meager) searches, the idea of a "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" was generated by a Chinese immigrant to the USA. Many people I know are suspicious of any artificial (and many natural) additive, regardless of cultural associations. There are plenty of people out there with racist attitudes, to lesser and greater degrees, but there does not seem to be anything necessarily racist about a mistrust of MSG.

Peez

 

[Underseer]

MSG is not food, which is why I don't eat it. It's in a few things I eat occasionally, but those things it mentioned in the first minutes of the video are all things I do not eat.

I was never aware of its association with racism.

Not food?

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

If you don't get some sodium, you die.

Cutting out all glutamic acid would probably not be very good for you either.

Be more specific about what you mean by "not food"?

- - - Updated - - -

I often can't understand how you make unrelated topics into questions of racism, Underseer.

In some people, glutamates interfere with nerve impulse transmission. It can play havoc in those people. That happens whatever food it is delivered in, but probably happened more when Asian restaurants became popular in the West.

MSG is not typically used in home cooking in English speaking countries whereas some Chinese friends of mine do add tasting powder to home cooked meals.

The people who react also have to avoid potato chips and other foods that aren't related to Asian culture, including KFC.

Interestingly, according to my (admittedly meager) searches, the idea of a "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" was generated by a Chinese immigrant to the USA. Many people I know are suspicious of any artificial (and many natural) additive, regardless of cultural associations. There are plenty of people out there with racist attitudes, to lesser and greater degrees, but there does not seem to be anything necessarily racist about a mistrust of MSG.

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.

- - - Updated - - -

I often can't understand how you make unrelated topics into questions of racism, Underseer.

In some people, glutamates interfere with nerve impulse transmission. It can play havoc in those people. That happens whatever food it is delivered in, but probably happened more when Asian restaurants became popular in the West.

MSG is not typically used in home cooking in English speaking countries whereas some Chinese friends of mine do add tasting powder to home cooked meals.

The people who react also have to avoid potato chips and other foods that aren't related to Asian culture, including KFC.

Watch the video. It's racism. I'm sorry if complaining about racism offends you.

 

[bilby]

Not food?

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

If you don't get some sodium, you die.

Cutting out all glutamic acid would probably not be very good for you either.

Be more specific about what you mean by "not food"?

Glutamate is synthesized by the human body, so a healthy person can survive without eating it - but it would require an unusual diet very low in protein in order to do so.

I know a few people who 'know' that MSG gives them headaches. But oddly, that only happens when they eat food that they suspect contains MSG - if they eat something with MSG that they didn't realize contained it, they are fine, and if they eat food that probably doesn't contain it, but that they imagine probably does (typically Asian take-away) then they get a headache.

Food intolerances are real, devastating and very, very rare. The vast majority of people who avoid MSG, Gluten, or other additives and ingredients are victims of self hypnosis. Their symptoms may be real, but the causes are psychological.

 

[repoman]

Not food?

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

If you don't get some sodium, you die.

Cutting out all glutamic acid would probably not be very good for you either.

Be more specific about what you mean by "not food"?

Glutamate is synthesized by the human body, so a healthy person can survive without eating it - but it would require an unusual diet very low in protein in order to do so.

I know a few people who 'know' that MSG gives them headaches. But oddly, that only happens when they eat food that they suspect contains MSG - if they eat something with MSG that they didn't realize contained it, they are fine, and if they eat food that probably doesn't contain it, but that they imagine probably does (typically Asian take-away) then they get a headache.

Food intolerances are real, devastating and very, very rare. The vast majority of people who avoid MSG, Gluten, or other additives and ingredients are victims of self hypnosis. Their symptoms may be real, but the causes are psychological.

Ironically, a lot of the new chemically synthesized or concentrated ingredients like the "gums" and carrageenan that are used to give texture instead of flour, dairy and eggs seem to be dangerous for long term consumption.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5389019/

 

[J842P]

MSG is not food, which is why I don't eat it. It's in a few things I eat occasionally, but those things it mentioned in the first minutes of the video are all things I do not eat.

I was never aware of its association with racism.

Of course it's a food, as much as salt or sugar or whatever.

 

[southernhybrid]

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?

 

[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.

- - - Updated - - -

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/

[url]https://examine.com/nutrition/is-msg-bad-for-your-health/

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






[/URL]

 

[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/

[url]https://examine.com/nutrition/is-msg-bad-for-your-health/

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






[/URL]

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.