Dangers of MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate)

I wasn't living in Thailand long before finding out that the local food more often than not contains MSG (mono-sodium glutamate). In fact it is widely used all over Asia. There are many bad reports about this food additive available on the internet and while I am not claiming to be an expert it does worry me somewhat to think that this additive could be causing me harm. Some people claim that MSG is the worst food additive there is. The dangers of MSG seem to cause a lot of concern so it seems sensible to try and find out what all the fuss is about.

Why does a lot of food use MSG?

MSG is viewed as a flavor enhancer. It was first used in either China or Japan; there is debate as to which country discovered it first. The first form of MSG was derived from seaweed after it was found to make soup taste good. Although MSG does not have a taste of its own it does stimulates receptors in the tongue, and it is this that adds flavor to food.

What are the dangers of MSG?

Any internet search will bring up plenty of negative consequences associated with MSG. It is hard to judge the value of some of these claims. The problem is that there just is not enough good research into the dangers of MSG. It is probably advisable to not dismiss these reports, but realize that there is often not enough evidence to prove these claims completely. Here are some of the possible dangers of MSG;

- Causes ringing in the ear

- Cause headaches because of the vasodilatation effect it has on the blood vessels.

- Interferes with antihypertensive (high blood pressure) medication.

- Causes severe allergic responses in some people

- Interferes with the brain's ability to defend itself.

- Causes irregular heartbeats.

- Causes infertility

- Overexcites cells and causes them to die

- Causes low blood sugar to occur more frequently for those with diabetes

- Causes asthma

- May cause type 2 diabetes

- Damages the retina in the eye

There are actually far more claims against MSG than the above.

There are also many claims that MSG is harmless so long as people don't overdo it, and considering the lack of any real evidence this seems like an understandable approach. Personally, I will try and to avoid it as much as possible, but this is not always easy here in Thailand. Even back home in the west there are many products containing this additive. Hopefully there will be a lot more research conducted into the possible dangers of MSG.

Sources

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3

http://www.helpsavetheworld.net/2009/07/the-dangers-of-msg-in-your-food/

http://www.natural-health-restored.com/dangers-of-msg.html