Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, also known as
sodium glutamate and
MSG, is a
sodium salt of the naturally occurring
non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. It is used as a
food additive and is commonly marketed as a
flavour enhancer.
It is used in Chinese food a lot but it can be a SALT OVERDOSE for some people and have harmful affect.
MSG as a food ingredient has been the subject of health studies. A report from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) compiled in 1995 on behalf of the
United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that MSG was safe for most people when "eaten at customary levels". However, it also said that, based on
anecdotal reports, some people may have an MSG intolerance which causes "MSG symptom complex" and/or a worsening of
asthmatic symptoms.
[12] Subsequent research found that while large doses of MSG given without food may elicit more symptoms than a placebo in individuals who believe that they react adversely to MSG, the frequency of the responses was low and the responses reported were inconsistent, not reproducible, and were not observed when MSG was given with food.
[13] While many people believe that MSG is the cause of these symptoms, a
statistical association has not been demonstrated under controlled conditions, even in studies with people who were convinced that they were sensitive to it.
[13][14][15][16] Adequately controlling for experimental bias includes a
placebo-controlled double-blinded experimental design and the application in capsules because of the strong and unique after-taste of glutamates.
[14]