Why is msg unhealthy

Learn more about how diet affects cancer risk here. One older study appeared to confirm this. However, more recent studies — such as one study into the link between MSG, diet, and asthma in adults and one study into MSG and asthma in adults and children — have found no correlation between asthma and MSG consumption. It is also worth mentioning that studies involving high doses of MSG may not be reliable in a real-life setting. According to the FDA , it is unlikely that a person will consume enough MSG from food to experience any adverse reactions.

Learn more about asthma triggers here. One review mentions that some people have reported being hypersensitive to MSG. The New York Allergy and Sinus Centers have stated that this is a sensitivity rather than an allergy. Symptoms of this may include:. According to the review above, there is not enough solid evidence to confirm that a hypersensitivity to MSG exists.

Despite this, if a person feels that they may have an MSG sensitivity or notices symptoms after eating food containing MSG, they should stop eating it. Keeping a food diary may also help. Learn about MSG symptom complex here.

MSG occurs naturally in food and in the body. Some manufacturers add it to food, such as fast food, to improve flavor. Historically, there have been reports of various adverse reactions to MSG.

However, there is not enough evidence to support this. Studies that have found links between MSG and certain health concerns have used amounts of MSG that a person is unlikely to consume as part of a meal. Maltodextrin is a powder that manufacturers add to many foods to improve their texture, taste, or shelf-life. The FDA consider it safe, but it can…. Monoglycerides are types of fatty acids made from glycerol and one fatty acid chain.

Human studies also fell short of coming up with a smoking gun. In one study , 71 healthy individuals were treated with increasing doses of MSG or placebo in capsule form. Researchers found the so-called Chinese Restaurant Syndrome symptoms occurred at roughly the same rate, regardless of whether subjects were given the MSG or the placebo, and even after the participants were swapped over to the alternative option.

But they did conclude there was enough scientific evidence to suggest the existence of a subgroup of healthy individuals in the general population who may respond badly to large doses of MSG, usually within an hour of exposure. But these reactions were observed in studies where they were given three grams or more of MSG delivered in water, without food; a scenario unlikely to occur in the real world where, according to the FDA , most people will get around 0. A study in tried to explore this further with people who described themselves as being reactive to MSG.

These otherwise healthy people were first given a dose of MSG without food, or given a placebo. If anyone scored above a certain level on a list of 10 symptoms, they were tested again with the same dose or placebo to see if their response was consistent. They were also tested with higher doses to see if this increased their symptoms. After another round of retests, only two of the original had shown consistent reactions to MSG and not the placebo.

Studies note that people who consume soups flavored with MSG eat fewer calories at subsequent meals 14 , That said, other studies indicate that MSG increases — rather than decreases — calorie intake While some studies suggest that MSG may reduce your calorie intake, others claim that it boosts intake.

Some people associate MSG with weight gain. In animal studies, injecting high doses of MSG into the brains of rats and mice caused them to become obese 20 , In China, increased MSG intake has been linked to weight gain — with average intake ranging from 0. However, in Vietnamese adults, an average intake of 2. Another study tied increased MSG intake to weight gain and metabolic syndrome in Thailand — but it has been criticized for methodological flaws 24 , In a controlled trial in humans, MSG raised blood pressure and increased the frequency of headaches and nausea.

However, this study used unrealistically high doses Though some studies link MSG intake to weight gain, the results are weak and inconsistent. More studies are necessary.

Keep in mind that MSG is generally found in processed, low-quality foods — which you should avoid or limit anyway. Learn more about MSG allergies, including symptoms and….

Soy sauce is one of the most popular soy products in the world. This article explains how soy sauce is produced, as well as its potential health risks…. I originally published a shorter version of this post on WebMD. Glutamate was discovered as a flavor enhancer in by a Japanese professor, who pinpointed glutamate as the substance that gave his favorite seaweed broth its rich, savory taste.

The professor filed for a patent to produce MSG, and it became widely used to season food. In , a letter appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine from a doctor claiming he experienced heart palpitations and flushing after eating in Chinese restaurants. Anecdotal reports started swirling about MSG and the symptoms it supposedly triggered, from headaches and nausea to tightness in the chest.

Though there were plenty of anecdotal reports about MSG, scientific evidence was thin. So in the s, the FDA asked an independent scientific group to investigate.