What is the ingredient MSG, and why is it's use always surrounded by controversy?

Question

Okay, I know it stands for Monosodium Glutomate or something similar, but what exactly is it?
Why is it's use so controversial?
What does it do to you?
Is it harmfull?

Answer 1

It's added to food as a flavour enhancer - it works like salt, but without giving things as salty a taste.

Many people belive it is harmful because it contains sodium, as salt does, and that is implicated in high blood pressure: but actually the main problem is the glutamate ion, which interacts with the body's nervous system and can cause headaches and palpitations.

But then again, many authorities disagree, and would say that only certain members of the population with "glutamate intolerance" suffer any symptoms. My wife does, for sure.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

MSG is a preservative used in many foods. It's also frequently found in chinese food as a seasoning, I think. There was some controversy a few years back about it causing cancer or something, I'm not sure what. I never had a problem with it.

Answer 4

Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid or glutamate (an essential amino acid), which has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and has been associated with certain types of brain disorders or damage in large amounts, long use or for sensitive individuals. Aspartame, the artificial sweetener, has a glutamate component and also causes the same concerns. MSG is often used to flavor Asian cuisine and is found naturally in some foods.

Answer 5

MSG has a lot of sodium and contributes to high blood pressure covertly

There have been numerous studies of allergies and/or sensitivities to MSG, attributed to the free glutamic acid component, which has been blamed for causing a wide variety of physical symptoms such as migraines, nausea, digestive upsets, bad dreams, disturbed sleep, drowsiness, heart palpitations, hair loss, asthma, anaphylactic shock, rapidly increasing diabetes, and many other complaints. "Chinese restaurant syndrome" is often used as an example of the symptoms purported to be caused by MSG.

FASEB held a two-day meeting and convened an expert panel that thoroughly reviewed all the available scientific literature on this issue. FASEB completed the final report, over 350 pages long, and delivered it to FDA on July 31, 1995. While not a new study, the report offers a new safety assessment based on the most comprehensive existing evaluation to date of glutamate safety. Among the report's key findings:

An unknown percentage of the population may react to MSG and develop MSG symptom complex, a condition characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:
burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest
numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back
tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms
facial pressure or tightness
chest pain
headache
nausea
rapid heartbeat
weak pulse
violent dreams
bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) in MSG-intolerant people with asthma
drowsiness
weakness.
In otherwise healthy MSG-intolerant people, the MSG symptom complex tends to occur within one hour after eating 3 grams or more of MSG on an empty stomach or without other food. A typical serving of glutamate-treated food contains less than 0.5 grams of MSG. A reaction is most likely if the MSG is eaten in a large quantity or in a liquid, such as a clear soup.
Severe, poorly controlled asthma may be a predisposing medical condition for MSG symptom complex.
No evidence suggests that dietary MSG or glutamate contributes to Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, AIDS dementia complex, or any other long-term or chronic diseases.

Answer 6

MSG or Monosodium Glutamate causes a very severe allergic reaction in a lot of people. MSG is used as a flavor enhancer especially in Chinese restaurants and it is also high in sodium which is bad for blood pressure.

Answer 7

It's said to be to be carcinogenic. Ajinomoto is the Japanese variety. It's a totally superfluous flavour enhancer found in many pre-prepared foods like packet soups. Sometimes recommended for adding to milder Chinese (Cantonese) dishes it can be replaced by a pinch of sugar.

Answer 8

it is monosodium glutimate.
Many people developed an allergy/intolerance (gave a lot of people diarrhea) to this substance which is used primarily as a flavor enhancer. Some kitchens did not want to reveal their secret ingredient, until people were getting sick from it. You can still buy it - some places still use it.

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
See this article. Scroll down to MSG intolerance to see its untoward effects.

In this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamate_receptor
you can see that glutamate has a role in brain physiology. I'm not sure, but I think this may be the connection between MSG and its neurologic effects (numbness, tingling, headaches, etc.)

Answer 10

MSG is a byproduct of the beet-sugar refining process.

It makes things more tasty. Asian cooks have been using it for centuries.

There is disagreement in the scientific community on what it does physiologically.