MSG seems to be having a moment. Unfairly reviled in the United States for decades, the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate is experiencing a resurgence of popularity, with recipes using MSG popping up all over social media.
Health experts have also weighed in, with the vast majority stating that MSG is safe to use in moderation. When added to food in small quantities, MSG can help give dishes a savory, enjoyable “umami” taste.
So what is MSG, anyway? Produced via fermentation, monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, an amino acid that naturally occurs in our bodies and is found in numerous plant- and animal-based foods, such as meat, seafood, nuts, tomatoes, cheese, and mushrooms.
In 1907, the Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered that glutamic acid was the source of a savory taste that he called “umami,” identifying the flavor in a particularly flavorful broth made with kelp. Within two years, he had developed a method to mass produce MSG and founded the Ajinomoto Co., a multibillion-dollar corporation that still manufactures MSG.
The damaging perception that MSG is unhealthy or unsafe is linked to a (possibly satirical) letter from a biomedical researcher published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 1968. The author described a series of symptoms (palpitations, weakness, numbness in the arms, neck, and back) that he experienced after eating in Chinese restaurants and suggested that these effects were due to the MSG that had been added to the food—or possibly the high sodium content. (Notably, MSG has around one-third of the sodium of table salt, and the symptoms identified in the letter also resemble excessive salt intake.)
Due to the vilification of MSG, especially in the context of Asian cuisine, and the so-called “Chinese restaurant syndrome,” countless Chinese restaurants were pressured to add “No MSG” to their menus. Yet it now appears that the controversy over added MSG had far more to do with xenophobia and prejudice than any legitimate health concerns.
Pass the MSG, please:
- Some research suggests that certain individuals appear to be sensitive to MSG and may experience temporary symptoms like heart palpitations, headaches, drowsiness, tingling, muscle aches, or numbness. However, this is far more likely to occur when the ingredient is consumed in very high amounts without food.
- When it does occur, “MSG symptom complex” is typically mild, with the short-term symptoms going away on their own. These symptoms are best described as a “sensitivity” and are comparable to adverse reactions to alcohol or caffeine.
- It’s worth noting that in research studies involving MSG sensitivity, the participants typically consumed excessively large amounts of the ingredients. While a normal serving of added MSG in food is just 0.5 grams, these studies involved doses of 3 grams or more, often without food.
