Every now and again, I crave Chinese food – cashew chicken, fried rice, and moo goo gai pan. So my husband and I will splurge on takeout and eat with chopsticks out of the cardboard containers. It’s absolutely delicious! And I fully understand why. Most Chinese restaurants cook with monosodium glutamate – commonly known as MSG. The additive has long gotten a bad rap for being unhealthy, but is it really bad for us?
A new post on the Smithsonian blog about the history of MSG got me thinking about the health implications of this delicious additive – discovered years ago when a Japanese scientist analyzed seaweed soup his wife served. So I did some research on the topic.
A systematic review published in 2000 in the Journal of Nutrition evaluated the safety of MSG for consumption in both animals and humans. Toxicity studies in several species of animals did not reveal any adverse effects. And in human studies, the additive was also found safe, except for a small group of the population who show a sensitivity to MSG.
A more recent statement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found MSG to be a safe additive. FDA reports have found that MSG can cause headaches and nausea when consumed on an empty stomach at high levels – 3 grams or more at a time. But prepared dishes and food products typically include a half gram or less.
And a review last year looked at whether MSG contributed to chronic asthma among children and adults, and found no evidence that it contributed to the condition.
The take-home message seems to be that MSG is not really unhealthy after all. . As with most foods, the evidence shows that moderation is the key.
And it certainly is delicious. In fact, culinary experts have recently discovered that MSG activates a fifth taste sense called umami – the food trend popular in restaurants across the nation. As for me, I plan to continue my occasional Chinese take-out splurges, MSG and all!
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