Monosodium Glutamate's side effects

[alexjlight]

MSG.

anyone know what (if any) negative health aspects there are to it?

[woofgang]

http://allergies.about.com/cs/msg/a/aa022100a.htm

here's some info to start you off. Google on "monosodium Glutamate allergy" for more

[mfewell]

Good article that. I find that the day after I get what I call an 'MSG headache', and a general sense of feeling 'hyper'. It's very reproducible to MSG, but I do like Chinese food !

[qapmoc]

This is also quite usefull information on the subject.

[greeneyes]

ive heard in large quantaties it can cause brain damage in rats....i didnt know rats liked sweet and sour...

[soozmac]

If I eat something with too much MSG, I get a terrible throbbing headache - it feels like my temples are being crushed in a vice. The skin on my arms and the tops of my legs goes all tingly, as if I am being pricked by thousands of tiny needles. It's horrible, but only lasts for about half an hour. Hot & sour soup seems to be the worst for it.

Incidentally, I don't know if this has any relevance, but when I lived in Oz, I did notice that lots of Asian food places, be it a cheap takeaway or a stall in a shopping centre, advertised the fact that their food was MSG-free. Something must have caused this, but I don't know what.

[kleedham]

I think it depends on whether you are sensitive to it or not. If you are the kind of person that gets crazy thirst and headaches after eating raw onion then you probably are sensitive. Some people have severe allergic reactions, but I just feel dreadful and can't concentrate for the rest of the day. AKA flavour enhancer 621. AKA dried onion powder. Funnily enough I have absolutely no problem with well cooked onion/garlic - I think MSG must be just in the raw stuff.

[alexjlight]

thanks fellow ab'ers.

I've done a bit of research since posting this q', and with your answers i'm a lot more informed on this now.

My main problem with MSG is that it masks any real flavours in whatever it's added to, i find it quite unpleasant. Having given up buying crisps, snacks etc containing it and instead opting for kettle chips, burts or nuts etc, I find that I enjoy eating a lot more. everything tastes real, if you know what I mean. Also i can justify crisps as real food now, not junk!

In regard to your comment, soozgar, those symptoms sound nasty! I can relate to a certain extent, though it doesn't sound like it affects me quite as badly as you. I think for the people who are more informed on what MSG is and it's negative side, it would advantage companies who don't use it (where others do) to advertise this on their packaging as well as stating what is in their products. It certainly sways my attention when I see this.

Having mostly focused on the negative aspects though, i've found that some people enjoy the rush it gives and don't seem to suffer any ill effects from consuming it in large quantities. perhaps these people have high tolerance to it, maybe they just don't know much about what they're eating.

I guess my conclusion is that it is for some, but not for others. I am one of the others.

[lizziehing]

i suffer from a sensitivity to msg which means that i am more suseptable to it than others, i find it incredibly addictive and difficult to not eat. it makes me = dizzy, paranoid, anxious, i am scared to show my views on things, confused, it makes my pulse faster, and if i eat it before bed i find it impossible to go to sleep.

it is also naturally found in many natural vegatables such as mushrooms and tomatoes.

it is incredibly diffucult to exclude it from my diet and i am woried about the long term effects.

any help?