FAQ

What is MSG?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. It is commonly added to foods as a “flavor enhancer.” Unlike salt or other seasonings, MSG does not alter the actual taste of food; instead it “enhances” taste by exciting and increasing the sensitivity of taste buds.

It has a drug-like effect upon the flavor perception of the person who has ingested food or drink that contains MSG.

MSG has no nutritional value, nor is it a preservative, as many people frequently claim.

Why do food companies use MSG?

MSG does not affect food, instead it “tricks” your brain into thinking the food you are eating tastes good. Manufacturers can use inferior ingredients, and by adding MSG, mask the inferior quality and freshness of foods.

It is used to disguise the tinny taste of canned products and to give a fresh taste to frozen or freeze-dried foods. Food companies are able to make their ingredients go much further with the help of this flavor enhancer, thus cutting their production costs. Inferior products and higher profits prevail at the expense of consumer health. MSG is not a preservative and does not protect food from contamination or spoilage.

Is it true that MSG has been in use for thousands of years?

In a sense, yes. Oriental cultures have used a seaweed extract as a flavor enhancer for thousands of years, but the essential component responsible for the flavor phenomenon itself was not identified until 1909. For the next half century, extensive research resulted in industrial production of manufactured MSG, and it has become a major additive in our food supply.

The use of MSG is very widespread, so widespread that it is almost impossible to find a food on the shelves that doesn’t contain it in some form or another. It is found not only in Oriental foods, but in virtually every processed food available on the market today. Worse still, the EPA has approved growth enhancer for crops whose active ingredient is processed free glutamic acid (which is metabolized to MSG in the body), but the regulatory agency does not require labeling of such produce.

What kinds of reactions can MSG cause in people?

Reported reactions to MSG include: headaches, migraines, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, anxiety or panic attacks, heart palpitations, partial paralysis, “heart-attack like symptoms,” balance difficulties, mental confusion, mood swings, behavioral disorders (especially in children and teens), allergy-type symptoms, skin rashes, runny nose, bags under the eyes, flushing, mouth lesions, depression, and more. In addition, medical research has demonstrated glutamate relationships in Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS (Lour Gehrig’s Disease), diabetes, Huntington’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease.

Why do some people experience a reaction after ingesting MSG?

MSG works like a drug, altering taste buds’ sensitivity. While all people do not seem to react to the current dose levels found in our food supply, about 30 percent of the population does respond adversely. As higher and higher doses of MSG are added to foods, more and more people are experiencing reactions. Also, it is important to remember that a high enough dose is toxic to everyone! MSG intolerance is not usually an allergic reaction, but a true drug reaction.

Why is MSG still on the market if it causes such debilitating reactions?

MSG production and consumption are multi-billion dollar industries. The passivity of government regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, coupled with established relationships with food-industry-sponsored lobby groups, have allowed a dramatic increase in MSG-use by manufacturers. Current levels added to food are fifty times higher than amounts used forty years ago—and the quantity continues to grow every year.

 

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FAQ

What is MSG?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. It is commonly added to foods as a “flavor enhancer.” Unlike salt or other seasonings, MSG does not alter the actual taste of food; instead it “enhances” taste by exciting and increasing the sensitivity of taste buds.

It has a drug-like effect upon the flavor perception of the person who has ingested food or drink that contains MSG.

MSG has no nutritional value, nor is it a preservative, as many people frequently claim.

Why do food companies use MSG?

MSG does not affect food, instead it “tricks” your brain into thinking the food you are eating tastes good. Manufacturers can use inferior ingredients, and by adding MSG, mask the inferior quality and freshness of foods.

It is used to disguise the tinny taste of canned products and to give a fresh taste to frozen or freeze-dried foods. Food companies are able to make their ingredients go much further with the help of this flavor enhancer, thus cutting their production costs. Inferior products and higher profits prevail at the expense of consumer health. MSG is not a preservative and does not protect food from contamination or spoilage.

Is it true that MSG has been in use for thousands of years?

In a sense, yes. Oriental cultures have used a seaweed extract as a flavor enhancer for thousands of years, but the essential component responsible for the flavor phenomenon itself was not identified until 1909. For the next half century, extensive research resulted in industrial production of manufactured MSG, and it has become a major additive in our food supply.

The use of MSG is very widespread, so widespread that it is almost impossible to find a food on the shelves that doesn’t contain it in some form or another. It is found not only in Oriental foods, but in virtually every processed food available on the market today. Worse still, the EPA has approved growth enhancer for crops whose active ingredient is processed free glutamic acid (which is metabolized to MSG in the body), but the regulatory agency does not require labeling of such produce.

What kinds of reactions can MSG cause in people?

Reported reactions to MSG include: headaches, migraines, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, anxiety or panic attacks, heart palpitations, partial paralysis, “heart-attack like symptoms,” balance difficulties, mental confusion, mood swings, behavioral disorders (especially in children and teens), allergy-type symptoms, skin rashes, runny nose, bags under the eyes, flushing, mouth lesions, depression, and more. In addition, medical research has demonstrated glutamate relationships in Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS (Lour Gehrig’s Disease), diabetes, Huntington’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease.

Why do some people experience a reaction after ingesting MSG?

MSG works like a drug, altering taste buds’ sensitivity. While all people do not seem to react to the current dose levels found in our food supply, about 30 percent of the population does respond adversely. As higher and higher doses of MSG are added to foods, more and more people are experiencing reactions. Also, it is important to remember that a high enough dose is toxic to everyone! MSG intolerance is not usually an allergic reaction, but a true drug reaction.

Why is MSG still on the market if it causes such debilitating reactions?

MSG production and consumption are multi-billion dollar industries. The passivity of government regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, coupled with established relationships with food-industry-sponsored lobby groups, have allowed a dramatic increase in MSG-use by manufacturers. Current levels added to food are fifty times higher than amounts used forty years ago—and the quantity continues to grow every year.