Sensitive to MSG? Guess What… You’re Not!

MSG. Let's talk about it.

I can’t keep count of how many people have casually told me “I’m actually sensitive to monosodium glutamate (MSG)”. News breaker: you’re not. I know you think you are, and you really want to tell me about your symptoms, and that you’re a special one. But I promise you’re not. And that’s actually a good thing.

That being said you probably could cut back on General Tso’s chicken and maybe replace that with a healthier way to eat chicken. Just saying.

Anyways, let’s walk through the science.

What is MSG?

For nearly a century, MSG is a flavor enhancer that brings out the best in foods. It's used in many savory dishes including meat, fish, and many vegetables. You can also find it in sauces, soups, and marinades. It harmonizes well with salty and sour tastes but contributes little or nothing too sweet or bitter foods.

MSG is the sodium salt of the common amino acid glutamic acid (or glutamate). Naturally found in most foods and in your body, its amino acids are the building blocks for protein. It occurs naturally at high levels in many foods such as tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, and the glutamate in commercially produced MSG is chemically indistinguishable from the glutamate naturally present in food. Our bodies handle both sources of glutamate in the exact same way. Breast milk actually contains high levels of glutamate naturally produced by the human body.

The average adult consumes about 13 grams of glutamate each day from the protein in food, while the intake of added MSG is around 0.5 grams. Want to taste the best-scrambled egg on earth? Add a pinch of it. Try it, you won’t regret it.

How to Create MSG

In 1908 a Japanese scientist, Kikunae Ikeda, was able to extract glutamate from seaweed broth and show that it provided a savory taste to the soup.

Today, instead of extracting MSG from seaweed broth, it is created by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses. This process is the same used to make other common food products such as soy sauce, vinegar, and yogurt.

Is Monosodium Glutamate Safe?

Absolutely. Scientists have not been able to confirm MSG causes any of the reported effects (e.g., headache, nausea). There is no limitation for use of it in foods because international scientific and regulatory bodies have failed again and again to identify any harm from the consumption of MSG.

In 1968, an American doctor wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine claiming to have experienced symptoms of numbness in the back of the neck and a feeling of pressure in the face and upper chest muscles, which he coined as “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.”

MSG is very popular among Chinese restaurants. That's why he suggested that without any study, data, or proof. While the term Chinese Restaurant Syndrome caught on in the U.S., study after study has failed to show any consistent effects among individuals who claim to be “MSG-sensitive” when blindly exposed to fairly high levels of it

How much sodium is in MSG?

MSG has a low sodium content. It contains about 12% sodium while salt contains 39%. People use salt at much higher levels than it. Using low levels of monosodium glutamate allows food scientists to effectively reduce the sodium content of foods, like ready-to-eat soups by up to 40%, without sacrificing flavor. Take out salt, add a pinch of it, and cheers to your health.

Don’t get me wrong, you are a very special person. Just not one that’s sensitive to MSG.

For additional information, see the US Food and Drug Administration’s questions and answers on monosodium glutamate (MSG). You can also head over to my Amazon page and check my personal list of recommended magnesium supplements.