MSG?

[debbiedreamer]

I've seen some conflicting reports. My boyfriend claims he is slightly "allergic" to MSG and have always wondered if it was a myth. As far as I can tell, it is. This website cites 3 different published scientific journals/studies which say that MSG allergies are a myth. My question is, are there any recent scientific studies that claim it isn't a myth?

I guess I could do my own study, and use a slight amount in some in his food and see if he complains, but that'd be evil.

Anyone have any more info on this?

 

[msmofet]

MSG is basically salt.

 

[Andy M.]

A small percentage of the world's population is allergic to MSG. The symptoms can range from mild to debilitating. For the vast majority of people it has no side effects.

If he has difficulties after eating it, he should try to avoid it. It's sometimes difficult to do as it's not always listed as MSG on a ingredient list.

A little history. Back about 30-40 years ago, reports of widespread reactions to MSG created a wave of panic. As a result, most Chinese restaurants stopped using it and often printed on their menus that they did not use MSG to keep customers.

Scientists have since determined that the majority of the issues back then were the result of the power of suggestion fueled by a few real cases.

But, to repeat, some folks are really allergic the the stuff and should avoid it.

 

[joesfolk]

Alton Brown did a segment where half of the guests were served msg and the other half of the diners were not. Then after they had eaten he told them they had had the msg. He asked them who felt effects. Many people complained of feeling poorly due to the msg. The funny thing was that a lot of those people were the ones who were not served msg. It was all in their heads.
Having said that I still would not serve msg to someone who claims to be allergic. Reactions to allergies can be erratic and just because a person is only mildly reactive once does not mean that he/she won't have a serious reaction the next time. It's probably better to be safe than sorry.

 

[taxlady]

The common reaction to MSG, by those of us who are sensitive to it, is not an allergy. There is no histamine reaction. It's a sensitivity. It is real. If there is over some amount of MSG in food, I will get the reaction. It's a weird pulling in opposite directions of all the muscles around my face and a bit into my scalp. I get that reaction even when I didn't expect there to be any MSG in the food.

 

[Zhizara]

Alton Brown did a segment where half of the guests were served msg and the other half of the diners were not. Then after they had eaten he told them they had had the msg. He asked them who felt effects. Many people complained of feeling poorly due to the msg. The funny thing was that a lot of those people were the ones who were not served msg. It was all in their heads.
Having said that I still would not serve msg to someone who claims to be allergic. Reactions to allergies can be erratic and just because a person is only mildly reactive once does not mean that he/she won't have a serious reaction the next time. It's probably better to be safe than sorry.

I remember that show. The results were considered inconclusive.

I'm not affected by it and even have some now. I sprinkled some on some cottage cheese recently and the flavors were intense.

I wouldn't serve to anybody without being sure they aren't affected by it.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Alton Brown did a segment where half of the guests were served msg and the other half of the diners were not. Then after they had eaten he told them they had had the msg. He asked them who felt effects. Many people complained of feeling poorly due to the msg. The funny thing was that a lot of those people were the ones who were not served msg. It was all in their heads.
Having said that I still would not serve msg to someone who claims to be allergic. Reactions to allergies can be erratic and just because a person is only mildly reactive once does not mean that he/she won't have a serious reaction the next time. It's probably better to be safe than sorry.[/QUOTE]

What Joesfolk said.

If someone says they have an allergy or a sensitivity to any food, etc. it's best NOT to try to call them on it. Just take it in stride. The last thing you want to have to do is call 911 because someone is turning blue and can't breathe.

That being said...I have a severe allergy to brussels sprouts

 

[FrankZ]

That being said...I have a severe allergy to brussels sprouts

Is the gag reflex part of the allergy for you too?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Is the gag reflex part of the allergy for you too?

Oh yes, my throat closes up just seeing them in the store!

 

[Claire]

Sensitivities to foods or anything else is just that. Every human body is different. We cannot all eliminate ingredients from our diet because maybe someone might be allergic to it. Taxlady, thank you for differentiating between a true allergy and a sensitivity. I happen to love to use Maggi seasoning on pork and/or beef when I'm stir frying. The people who I cook for know to tell me if they have allergies. But so many people hear the news reports that we're talking about, and decide they're allergic.

Nuts of all kinds constipate me. This isn't an allergy. Some things upset my tummy when I eat them. Not an allergy. When my husband gets stung by a bee, immediately hives come out, and he falls down because he cannot breathe. Allergy. I love, absolutely LOVE linguini with white clam sauce. But it goes through me in about 20 minutes, so when I can get the ingredients I make it at home, because in a restaurant I can't get home before needing to stop somewhere. Not an allergy.

 

[debbiedreamer]

Thanks everyone

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Sensitivities to foods or anything else is just that. Every human body is different. We cannot all eliminate ingredients from our diet because maybe someone might be allergic to it. Taxlady, thank you for differentiating between a true allergy and a sensitivity. I happen to love to use Maggi seasoning on pork and/or beef when I'm stir frying. The people who I cook for know to tell me if they have allergies. But so many people hear the news reports that we're talking about, and decide they're allergic.

Nuts of all kinds constipate me. This isn't an allergy. Some things upset my tummy when I eat them. Not an allergy. When my husband gets stung by a bee, immediately hives come out, and he falls down because he cannot breathe. Allergy. I love, absolutely LOVE linguini with white clam sauce. But it goes through me in about 20 minutes, so when I can get the ingredients I make it at home, because in a restaurant I can't get home before needing to stop somewhere. Not an allergy.

I don't eliminate anything, but I do make concessions. So, if I have my nephews for the weekend, I order alfredo sauce instead of marinara on the pizza...one of the boys is allergic to tomatoes and assorted other things that make his eczema worse.

Sensitivities can be miserable for some, too, depending on the effect it has.

 

[suzyQ3]

Sensitivities to foods or anything else is just that. Every human body is different. We cannot all eliminate ingredients from our diet because maybe someone might be allergic to it. Taxlady, thank you for differentiating between a true allergy and a sensitivity. I happen to love to use Maggi seasoning on pork and/or beef when I'm stir frying. The people who I cook for know to tell me if they have allergies. But so many people hear the news reports that we're talking about, and decide they're allergic.

Nuts of all kinds constipate me. This isn't an allergy. Some things upset my tummy when I eat them. Not an allergy. When my husband gets stung by a bee, immediately hives come out, and he falls down because he cannot breathe. Allergy. I love, absolutely LOVE linguini with white clam sauce. But it goes through me in about 20 minutes, so when I can get the ingredients I make it at home, because in a restaurant I can't get home before needing to stop somewhere. Not an allergy.

I agree that people misuse the word "allergy." But just to be clear, there are less severe allergic reactions than the life-threatening anaphylactic shock that your husband experiences if stung by a bee.

 

[Andy M.]

There are different types of allergies that have different symptoms. A reaction does not have to effect breathing to be an allergy.

Allergy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[GB]

I think Andy said it perfectly. MSG reactions are real, but they are present in much fewer people than are actually claimed. The power of the mind in amazing. if you think you are going to have a reaction then you probably will, even if there is no real reason for it to be happening. For a small percentage of people MSG will cause issues. For a larger percentage, it will only cause issues if they think it will cause issues. If they were fed MSG (I am not advocating this) unknowingly then they would have no reaction at all.

MSG is in a lot of processed foods that people eat all the time without even realizing it. Things like fast food, Doritos, canned soups, and things like that almost always have MSG in them.

 

[Kayelle]

Very interesting thread. It always amazes me how much knowledge is here at DC. I remember that period Andy, when everyone was in such a frenzy over MSG, that you'd think it was synonymous with arsenic.
My family has never had issues with it, and I use it regularly. I don't think it's in my mind about how it truly enhances the flavor of many foods, especially vegetables. However, nothing but nothing can make brussel sprouts anything but pure evil.

 

[pengyou]

I have lived in China for the past 12 years, the supposed land of msg. MSG is used here as we use table salt in the U.S. There have been documented issues with MSG. I wish I had bookmarked the sources - there was research done in some villages in the west part of China (villages here often have more than 100K people!) and the researchers found that there was a significant relationship between msg consumed in those villages and the number of some cataract-like eye disease. This area is apparently known for a high consumption of msg. If I eat too much in one meal, I will get a headache, with the pain point right between my eyes. I also feel very restless if I eat a meal with msg, even if not enough is used to cause a headache. MSG is used by cooks because it "opens the taste buds in people" and will "let more taste" get in, so to speak, so common foods seem to have a better taste than when served without. There have been numerous studies done on this topic. I have heard of studies that say it has little/no effect on people but the studies that I have read that say that it does usually have researched people over long periods of time. Google can be your best friend here

That much said...there is another side of MSG. I have talked to cooks in Chinese restaurants here and they say that one of the benefits of using MSG in foods - especially meats - is that they can often use much less expensive cuts of meat and poorer quality of meat and vegetables, marinate it in a sauce with a lot of MSG, and can produce a meal that tastes good to the customer. The same can be said for foods cooked with curries. The spice is so strong that it often overpowers the taste of the meat used, so the restaurants can use a much lower grade of meat in the dish. This, to me, is a more immediate concern about the use of MSG in foods. One other thing to remember is that, aside from arsenic and a few other toxic substances, there are few foods and additives that will produce the same results in 100% of all people.

 

[jennyema]

I regularly serve MSG to those I cook for and they ask for more ... And dont complain...

 

[GB]

I regularly serve MSG to those I cook for and they ask for more ... And dont complain...

Likewise

 

[Debraj]

Note to claire.

Nice point, counter point. I love your honesty.