Oh nos! Monosodium Glutamate!
I've always wondered why Asian restaurants put a "No MSG" disclaimer on their menus. I never realized MSG was still a problem in foods until I started this Asian diet. When I started the diet earlier this week I went to Safeway to pick up some quick-fix supplies. One of the items I grabbed was a box of instant Golden Curry sauce. Since my boyfriend has always been worried about how much sodium he consumes, he's even got me to flipping labels to check the amount of sodium and the ingredients list. The second-to-the-last ingredient listed on the back was monosodium glutamate. Now I've heard lots of rumors about MSG from "it can give you cancer" to "it makes you addicted to the food, causing you to eat more," but what does it really do?
A Google search of "MSG" will bring up Web sites such as and one titled show up before the FDA Web site of MSG. The FDA Web site states: "People sensitive to MSG may have mild and transitory reactions when they eat foods that contain large amounts of MSG ... FDA believes that MSG is a safe food ingredient for the general population." So according to the FDA MSG is safe to consume, unless you are someone who is sensitive to MSG consumption. If you are, you should probably avoid MSG and look for the little disclaimer in Chinese restaurants, this is not unlike having a food allergy. If something makes you feel sick, don't eat it, but don't set up Web sites claiming the compound . The FDA Web site states:
"Studies have shown that the body uses glutamate, an amino acid, as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain and that there are glutamate-responsive tissues in other parts of the body, as well. Abnormal function of glutamate receptors has been linked with certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's chorea. Injections of glutamate in laboratory animals have resulted in damage to nerve cells in the brain. Consumption of glutamate in food, however, does not cause this effect. "
This means that you cannot get adverse health through oral consumption of MSG. Period.
