Msg why so bad

Fear of MSG dates as far back as , when a study found that injecting large doses of MSG into newborn mice caused harmful neurological effects 4. However, dietary glutamate should have little to no effect on your brain, as it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier in large amounts 6.

Overall, there is no compelling evidence that MSG acts as an excitotoxin when consumed in normal amounts. While some people assert that the glutamate from MSG can act as an excitotoxin, leading to the destruction of nerve cells, no human studies support this.

Symptoms included headache , muscle tightness, numbness, tingling, weakness and flushing. The threshold dose that causes symptoms seems to be around 3 grams per meal. However, keep in mind that 3 grams is a very high dose — about six times the average daily intake in the US 1 , 3. It is unclear why this happens, but some researchers speculate that such large doses of MSG enable trace amounts of glutamic acid to cross the blood-brain barrier and interact with neurons, leading to brain swelling and injury 8.

However, other similar studies did not find any relationship between MSG intake and asthma 10 , 11 , 12 , While MSG can cause adverse symptoms in some people, doses used in studies were much higher than the average daily intake. Eating filling foods should reduce your calorie intake , which may aid weight loss. 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 , One explanation is that MSG makes food taste better—so you may eat more of it. Another is that the additive may disrupt hunger-fullness hormones. In one study of more than 10, Chinese adults published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , those who ate the most MSG were 33 percent more likely to be overweight after five years compared to those who ate the least amount.

If you believe you have a sensitivity to MSG, by all means continue to avoid it. You may find added MSG in foods like:.

Any food that contains MSG either as monosodium glutamate or via one of the ingredients listed above cannot make those claims. MSG increases flavor and adds depth—but it has two-thirds less sodium that regular table salt. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Share this —. Follow today. More Brands. 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.