Is MSG safe?

MSG is used in the food industry as a flavor enhancer with an umami taste that intensifies the meaty, savory flavor of food, as naturally occurring glutamate does in foods such as stews and meat soups. MSG has been used for over a hundred years and today is commonly found in soups, ramen, gravy, stews, condiments, savory snacks etc. It was first prepared in 1908 by Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda. He was trying to isolate and duplicate the savory taste of kombu, an edible seaweed used as a base for many Japanese soups. MSG as a flavor enhancer balances, blends, and rounds the perception of other tastes. There has been a lot of controversy about safety of MSG. (reference: https://m.post.naver.com/viewer/postView.nhn?volumeNo=7553331&memberNo=36237592&vType=VERTICAL)

Click on the link below for a better introduction of MSG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

let’s see perspective seeing MSG as harmful. First, the controversy surrounding the safety of MSG arose starting in April 1968, when Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, coining the term “Chinese restaurant syndrome (CRS)”. He said the most prominent symptoms are numbness at the back of the neck, gradually radiating to both arms and the back, general weakness and palpitations. People who see MSG as harmful claim that Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (CRS) originates from MSG. (reference: https://cafe.naver.com/windstopper/40529)

Second, there was an experiment to test the side effects of MSG. It was an experiment to inject excessive MSG into mice. Then researchers found something wrong with the tissue of the mouse’s brain. This experiment result is one of the reasons why people are opposed to using MSG.

Lastly, People claim that MSG has the risk of abuse and addiction because it can easily flavor food. They consider MSG to be dangerous because it is not only harmful to the human body but addictive.

However, there are also perspective seeing MSG as safe. First, People who see MSG as safe said MSG is not a cause of CRS. In the case of CRS, subsequent repeated experiments show no link between the symptoms and MSG. And it can occur even if other foods are ingested. As a result, CRS is recognized as just a kind of allergic reaction not caused by MSG. (reference: https://ryungrae.blog.me/220979841073)

Watch a video below for explanation about CRS.

Second, Side effect tests were also problematic. Side effect test was wrong to give a hypodermic injection, not an intake. Excessive injections are not a suitable experimental method for MSG’s harmfulness. Also, excessive injections are toxic to rodents, but not to humans or primates. (reference: https://ryungrae.blog.me/220979841073)

Lastly, MSG was already proven its safety. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly evaluated toxicity of MSG and said, “Sodium L-glutamate (MSG) is not likely to cause health risks.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also found that there was no evidence of MSG harming the human body.         (reference: https://blog.naver.com/jjy0501/100169117380)

There is still controversy over the safety of MSG and there are still more people who believe it is dangerous. However, MSG is definitely safe in scientific view.

There is no evidence for perspective seeing MSG as harmful.

As I mentioned above, tests and hypotheses on the dangers of MSG have already been proven in scientific ways. In fact, there is no basis for all claims that MSG is unhealthy. They just say that MSG is harmful.

MSG already exists in the natural world.

In fact, MSG is also found in milk, tomatoes, soy sauce, cheese, beans, meat, and so on. In addition, the first discovery of MSG is also the ingredient of dried kelp, which is often used in Japanese food. There is no difference between natural MSG and artificial MSG. Our bodies don’t even distinguish the same material by source. (reference: https://blog.naver.com/moeblog/221251303649)

MSG can reduce sodium intake.

Rather, the use of MSG can reduce the amount of salt that goes into food. A study found that sodium intake can be reduced by 24% when using small amounts of MSG. It has been proven that ingestion of sodium is harmful to the body if it is high. Therefore, the use of MSG may be beneficial for your health beyond being safe.

Watch a video below for explanation about this.

Anything too much is bad. Moderate MSG use can reduce sodium intake and is not harmful to health. Don’t worry and eat.