What is msg and why is it bad for you?

Answer 1

MSG is a flavor enhancer that accentuates "meatiness." It's a component of the proteins found in many foods, but critics say in its purified form it can be a potent neurotoxin, causing nerve cells literally to excite themselves to death. An alleged example of this is "Chinese restaurant syndrome." A half hour after eating MSG-laden soup, once a staple of budget Chinese cuisine, some people say they experience headaches, tightness of the chest, and a burning sensation. Researchers have had difficulty reproducing this in the lab, but the feds got so many complaints from the field they've issued tougher label requirements for MSG in meat and poultry and are thinking of doing the same for other foods.

MSG may also be harmful to babies, which is why it was yanked out of baby food 20 years ago. But MSG makers and some scientists hotly deny that MSG poses a threat to the average adult. If you want to avoid it, watch out for the term "natural flavoring" on ingredients labels. Until the rules are changed, that could be a camouflage for MSG.

Answer 2

MSG is a flavor enhancer used to bring out the best flavor of foods. Controversy arose over the past 30 years because of reports of adverse reactions in people who've eaten foods that contain MSG. Here are some links with information so you can draw your own conclusions:

http://www.msgfacts.com/facts/msgfact01.html

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/msg.html

http://www.nomsg.com/harmful.html

http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

Answer 3

MSG enhances food flavor and, I think, is a kind of preservative. I don't know how bad it is for people - My smother-in-law is allergic to it though. Too, I've heard the suff can make a person sleepy. It's used a lot in Chinese foods.

Answer 4

MSG is a flavor enhancer called monosodium glutamate..It's used in chinese foods as well as Accent. It gives me gastointestinal problems as well as headaches.

Answer 5

It's a flavor enhancer and tenderizer for food that isn't necessarily going to harm you, but does produce allergies and wicked headaches in some people.

Answer 6

i heard frm my mummy frm young....
eat too much will make your hair drop off easily!
haha...