Ramen noodles are one of college students’ favorite snacks, packed with MSG. Photo courtesy of asianfoodgrocer.com.
Monosodium glutamate. It’s in your Chinese take-out. It’s in your finger-licking delicious Nacho Cheese Doritos. And it’s definitely in your late-night bowl of Ramen noodles. Used for decades as a food additive and flavor-enhancer, monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been called many things, from a merely unhealthy additive to an addictive neurotoxin. But is the hype really to be believed?
According to the Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, MSG is a safe food ingredient. The controversy about MSG, however, arises from a number of anecdotal complaints since the 1960s about adverse reactions when consuming foods with MSG. The “MSG Symptom Complex” or the “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” includes symptoms such as headaches, flushing, sweating, numbness, chest pain, nausea, heart palpitations, and weakness. Still, researchers have not found any conclusive evidence that links MSG to any of these symptoms, though it is acknowledged that a small minority of people may have mild, short-term reactions to MSG. In addition, scientists cannot explain why natural glutamate, which is present in cheeses and hams, has not been associated with any symptoms, when the natural compound shares the same chemical properties as MSG. Although the stigma of this additive may still persist, the use of MSG and other related glutamates are generally perceived by the scientific community to be harmless.
Wow.. talk about your BS medical expert crap. Do your own study and see that MSG is the slow poisoning of America. It is and has been studied conclusively and proven to cause obesity. In fact it is used to create obese Mice to study by medical professionals. Sites like this that promote “Expert” (paid by lobbyist of the food industry) are absolutely disgraceful and should be sued for false testimony. Only then will they stop propegating the lies and deception to continue the decline of American health.
Thanks for your comment Brian. You mention studies that conclusively prove MSG causes obesity, but you don’t cite any references. I’m curious and would like to know where you are getting this information. Would you please append a web link or name and author of the books or articles you are referring to?
dr. ted boer is just one of many …are you a doctor?
the “obesity in mice” was caused by adding 20 mg to every 100mg of food that the mice ate. Not really a 1-for-1 comparison with the use in human food, unless you place a heaping mound on everything you eat.
most labrat studies completely overdose the rats with insane amounts of the chemical in question.
It’s absurd to think that MSG is more harmful than, say, table salt. Let’s examine what MSG is: monosodium glutamate, meaning one sodium ion bonded to a glutamate molecule. Sodium, as we all know, is a common mineral that our bodies need to function, as well as one that most of us consume too much of, in the form of table salt (sodium chloride). Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that our bodies produce every day. Clearly, the sodium ion is no more harmful in MSG than it is in table salt (and indeed is less harmful by volume, as glutamate is much larger than a chlorine ion and therefore MSG contains less sodium by volume than table salt). If glutamate is as harmful as some claim it is, then we’re in pretty big trouble given that it’s coursing through our bodies daily. (Maybe it would be an issue if it were entering our brains in larger-than-normal amounts, but MSG acts on the neurons in our taste buds, not in our brains. I’d expect the amount that actually enters the brain to be negligible.) I admit I’m not a biochemist, but healthy skepticism dictates that the claim that MSG is deadly or otherwise harmful, in the absence of any substantiating evidence, is foolish. (Granted, MSG, like any other ingestible substance, probably WILL make you sick or kill you if you consume massive amounts of it–say, if you ate a kilogram of MSG in one day. The same is true of water–ever hear of water toxicity?)
That’s my two cents. Let’s stop the insanity of MSG hatred and actually promote it so that people will be more inclined to use it to help themselves lower their sodium intake, which would be an ideal outcome.
Brian, I see you read a lot of chain emails? This “slow poisoning of America” is far from conclusive. In fact there is lots of debate over whether it is a hoax. Do yourself a favor and do your own research to back your claims.
You people are so ignorant…can’t you see that George W. Bush is trying to slowly poison you with MSG and 2 dozen other chemicals that he produces in his secret chemical plant in Texas? The only hope we have as a nation is to allow President Obama another chance to clean up GWB’s mess and to destroy everything GWB is trying to do to America with his poisonous MSG plant. Dick Cheney and Haliburton are in on this conspiricy too. Please save us Obama.
Hahahahaha! Brian I hope you are kidding… I have a cousin just like you, he also cracks me up.
Did you smoke some MSG before you wrote that post?
Ok guys its ok hes just a troll
Beer has MSG!!!!!!
uhoh.. someone needs to put the tin foil hat back on
Cup noodles are slowly destroying America…
Surely there are bigger problems to worry about.
Brian, you are off your rocker about GWB trying to poison America. I will tell you the truth. There is not a man that can save this country, not Obama, not Romney. Read the Bible. It will tell you the entire TRUTH!
Hi, this weekend is nice for me, since this occasion i am reading this wonderful educational article here
at my residence.
People are so fricken ignorant. Why do you think America
Is the fattest Country in the god damn World?!? Continue to tell yourself these lies that the corrupted Government is feeding you. FDA is a fraud corp. The medicine they approve actually does more damage than good. People are so close minded and ignorant they can’t open their eyes wide enough to see how the Gov’t is screwing them so hard up the ass! Wake the eff up stupid America
What’s your evidence for your claim? I’m pretty certain the FDA does a pretty good job of requiring and managing extensive clinical trials for new products. We’re talking years of scientific testing; it sounds to me like you question the scientific community’s judgment in general, which is a ridiculous thing to do if you actually understand how the scientific method and peer reviewed research works. You’re being irrational and paranoid. If anything, the problem the FDA creates is that it slows scientific and medicinal progress, by requiring more testing than is at all necessary for many of the products it oversees.
Okay, now is your turn to either accuse me of being a “sheep” or of being part of the conspiracy. Because it simply wouldn’t make sense to provide an argument beyond baseless accusations.
Oh, come on! We’re the fattest country in the world because we want everything and we don’t want to DO anything. We’re lazy, gluttonous pigs. The only contribution msg may have to this is that it makes us wanna eat even more. We still have self control, we just refuse to exercise it- or anything else, for that matter. Stop blaming everything else for the reason behind your diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, etc. Our problems exist because it’s not worth it to us to live healthier lifestyles.
Brian,
If anything, MSG causes your food to taste so damn good that you’re more than willing to polish off those last few bites in the take out box even though you already had to undo the button on your trousers a couple of bites ago…
Its probably that last little bit of calories & fat ingested on a regular basis causing your liver to work overtime which is a function of obesity… Just control your portions and enjoy life- moderation dude. Make sure you eat a healthy meal prior to smoking the cronic and you will have zero defects my friend.
Peace!
there is nothing wrong with MSG!!
MSG for everyone! Yay!
The issue with MSG is that it DOES cause a reaction in people. It’s not some urban myth. Glutamates cause some seriously horrific problems for people like me who are sensitive to them. I had migraines for the past 2-3 years until a new neurologist suggested the link between glutmates and my debilitating headaches!! What a RELIEF to be symptom free the FIRST WEEK without glutamates!! Every dinner date that my husband and I had ended in the same crappy migraine!! Why? Because restaurants LOAD their food with MSG to make it palatable and keep you coming back for more. It’s in nearly EVERYTHING now, not just Chinese food. Ham? No way. Sausages? Never. Caned SOUP? NOT! Read the labels on most processed foods and see what you’re eating! Even touting “all natural” or “No MSG” on a label doesn’t mean you won’t be eating gluamates. Hydrolyzed protein contains glutmates. Soy protein or milk protein additives contain glutamates. So, when you read those ingredient labels that say “no added MSG” you are getting FOOLED into paying more for something that the manufacturer knows you’ll buy because you’re trying to avoid EXACTLY what they’re hiding in their product!! I’m not wearing some tinfoil hat – educate yourself instead of believing your deceiving tastebuds!!
So I’m curious Dee, did you ever try that experiment that Denver Doubter suggested? I think it’s ingenious and it would be a shame if you didn’t.
Dee,
Please forgive my doubts about your condition. but my degree is in psychology, and what I understand is that many people who think they have food allergies often prove to be mistaken.
If you are as sensitive to MSG as you say, you may be a very rare individual, judging by the current studies. (OK, so maybe they are faked, funded by the “food industry“). Suppose we ignore them for the moment.
If you really want to find out, then you are in a perfect position to DO YOUR OWN STUDY. Have a friend prepare 12 doses of powder, 3 to 7 of which have 2 gram doses of pure MSG. The friend will number them, noting the numbers of the MSG dosed powders. They may be disguised with other spices or other powders. He or She will give them to your Husband, who will prepare meals for you 12 times. Neither your husband nor you will know which contain MSG. All you have to do is note your headaches and numbered meals. See if they match.
The Downside: You may have to endure 3 to 7 migraine headaches.
The Upside : If this tiny double blind experiment succeeds in proving an MSG to Migraine link, it may be the first to do so. You will be famous. Your YouTube video will go viral..
If it fails to show a link, you and your husband no longer have to warp your lives around a lie,
You can eat whatever you like, and start searching for the REAL cause of your migraines.
However, my experience has shown that what you will probably do is get outraged, (that I could ever doubt you?) refuse my advice, and continue to blame (a probably innocent) MSG for your problems. After all, you are sure you KNOW already, so you don’t need any silly scientific evidence, even your own.
Dee: Your argument is that you can’t be bothered to cook good wholesome fresh food in your own home each night? Do you have weight issues? Eat fresh fruit and vegetables. cook your own steak. Don’t blame your laziness on MSG…..
I have grown up eating family meals with Goya Sazon ingredients. My mom’s Spanish cooking is so delicious. I do notice that after using Sazon or other seasonings with MSG, my tongue tends to tingle. I now make my own Sazon and Adobo seasonings without use of MSG. My concern is long term damage to nerves. Since there is no definitive proof that MSG causes long term damage to nerves, I will occasionally use those tiny but yummy packets.
(Part I)
First of all, you are talking about the L-isomer. All manufactured MSG contains
the D-isomer which is a neurotoxin. Yes, glutamate is a neurotransmitter but the brain only uses very small concentrations – no greater than 8 to 12µg. Above 12µg glutamate becomes toxic because neurons will begin to fire abnormally and the stress causes cells undergo a high level of apoptosis. One mechanism of the blood-brain barrier(BBB) is to prevent accumulation of glutamate in the brain, however it is only designed to protect against levels found in unprocessed foods(including breast milk). Once the toxic level is reached the BBB becomes incompetent and more porous with a high dose or even prolonged exposure. After passing the BBB the glutamate binds to the glutamate transporter and it is instantly transported into an astrocyte for storage. There are a limited number of glutamate transporters and if they are overwhelmed by a high concentration they are considered to be hyperstimulated. “Glutamate binds to the receptor causing a channel to open and sodium and calcium to enter the cell. At very high concentrations of glutamate, this receptor is hyperstimulated and allows an excess of calcium to cross the cell membrane. This increase in intracellular calcium is thought to trigger a series of events including the activation of the enzyme Nitric Oxide Synthase (which creates the free radical form of nitric oxide) and the generation of reactive oxygen species (for review see reference (2)). Ultimately, these toxic substances do enough damage to the cell to bring about its demise.
Retinal ganglion cells are exquisitely sensitive to the excitotoxic effects of glutamate (Figure 3). Recently, elevated levels of glutamate were detected in the vitreous of both human glaucoma patients and monkeys with experimental glaucoma (7). Although the actual levels found in humans were small, similar concentrations were enough to cause the progressive death of ganglion cells in a rat model of chronic glutamate exposure (8).” http://www.glaucoma.net/nygri/glaucoma/topics/neuroprotection.asp
(Part II) Lipid peroxidation generates tons of free radicals producing 4-hydroxynonenal which inhibits the glutamate transporter which allows glutamate to accumulate in the brain. Excitotoxins = Free radicals. Now these radicals are off to the red blood cells and then the liver. Yay for the progression of degenerative diseases. One of the many examples I’ve ran across, “Recently, several studies have been done in which it was found that all Alzheimer’s patients examined had elevated levels of homocysteine. Recent studies have shown that persons affected by Alzheimer’s disease also have widespread destruction of their retinal ganglion cells.”
And here is a journal from the American Physiological Society on Endocrinology and Metabolism.
“Nine postprandial adults ingested MSG (150 mg/kg) and rested for 105 min. Venous blood was sampled preingestion and then every 15 min; vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were taken preingestion and at 45, 75, and 105 min postingestion. Venous plasma glutamate and aspartate concentrations increased (P ≤ 0.05) ∼700–800 and 300–400%, respectively, after 30–45 min. Although several other plasma amino acids increased modestly, the rise in glutamate accounted for ∼80% of the increase in total plasma amino acids. In addition, plasma insulin increased threefold after 15 min; this occurred before a significant increase in plasma glutamate…In summary, when resting humans ingest a large dose of MSG there is a rise in plasma glutamate that is large, peaks within 30–45 min, and is accompanied by a similar relative rise in plasma aspartate. This is accompanied and preceded by a rise in plasma insulin. The peak insulin concentration occurs within 15 min postingestion and before a significant increase in glutamate and aspartate, suggesting that insulin secretion is stimulated, in part, by a feed-forward mechanism from the gastrointestinal tract.”
http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/278/1/E83.full
There is so many scientists studies out there it is ridiculous on MSG. On one called Understanding Brain Damage and Endocrine disorders caused by MSG is one of thousands. MSG is potentially toxic to everyone. Adverse reactions, in a 1980 study, glutamic acid causes brain lesions in laboratory animals is undeniable. If MSG is good why is so hidden from us as for as studies are concern? Anyhow MSG induced brain lesions in the area of the hypothalamus and/or accumulations of glutamic have been shown to cause the following: Retinal degeneration –
Neuro endocrine disorders-
Obesity
Reproduction Disorders
Stunted Growth
Behavioral disorders
Learning and Memory disorders
Hyperglycemia
Being a recent Yale alum, I am quite astonished to come across this post. And not in a good way. This brief, biased article does not even attempt to look into the science or even the public debate surrounding MSG citing only the status quo approval of the FDA, WHO and other political agencies. A myriad of published, peer reviewed articles exist illuminating some negative impacts of MSG consumption. I am quite startled that several readers, namely “Morgan” and “Dee” note such sources and explain the science of MSG far better than the Yale Scientific author. Come on Yale. Let’s try to explore both sides of an issue a little more thoroughly before falling into supporting the popular default opinion.
You know, if America would stop eating processed crap and ate real food and exercised, we wouldn’t need to worry about this nonsense. Glutamine/Glutamate is an amino acid found in every single protein you eat. I really don’t think this is the problem. America’s addiction to sugar and processed food is the problem. I do scientific research for a living, and you know how we get mice fat for obesity and diabetes models? We feed them the “American Diet,” which consists of 30% sugars and they blow up like balloons. Put down the soda, hit the gym and eat a salad.
maybe yale gets a grant ..or they just like those nasty noodles so much. msg is bad for you.
I love you guys! How awesome!! The best thing about America, is the right to express one’s opinion without being gunned down in the street, or hauled off to jail!! Yeah!!! freedom of expression!! THANK YOU GOD that I live in such a rich country where people have such abundance, they can get fat if they want to, and express themselves!!! Focus on what’s good and what’s right!! You get what you focus on!! All of you are awesome!! THank you! I love a good debate and what could be more scholarly than that!!!
Bernadette, I agree with you. I think you can go crazy trying to figure out is it good for you, is it bad for you. I think all we eat in moderation and staying in your correct weight range and living a moderately stress free life, this will keep you healthy.
Bottom line people is stay away from msg as much as you can because it is scientifically proven to be unhealthy for you. It is also scientifically proven to not cause death but it certainly is proven to be unhealthy. So if you want to eat healthy you Want to stay away from msg. You dont have to have a college degree to know these facts, nor do you have to be a s,ientist that wrote an article on it.
MSG is bad when you consume a large amount. As goes with everything you eat, consuming alot of one thing food would result in some negative impact to your body in some way. all you need to do is have a healthy diet and eat alot of variety of food. American foods contains MSG apart from the asian food such as fast food. chips and burgers from fast food shop may contain just as much as MSG in Chinese restaurant.
As a result MSG isnt bad when you consume the right amount