Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
The food industry often prioritizes profit over health. This means that many companies and restaurants may cut corners and disregard health concerns to make their food more appealing and profitable by using controversial food additives such as MSG.
What is MSG?:
MSG stands for Monosodium Glutamate, a salt form of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is an amino acid that is nonessential to humans, meaning it is naturally produced in our bodies and there is no need to get it from food. It is used as a food additive to create a savory “umami” flavor that can enhance a food’s taste. MSG usually comes as a white crystalline powder similar to salt.
MSG is used in many Asian dishes and many Western processed foods. In the United States, fast food items like chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and mac and cheese typically contain MSG. Canned foods, potato chip seasonings, and sauces also use MSG. It is common in savory food items due to its umami flavor and lower sodium content than salt (about 1/3 the sodium content of salt).
Side Effects of Consuming MSG:
If MSG is a natural amino acid in our bodies, why does it have a bad reputation? This widespread fear can be traced back to xenophobia towards Asian immigrants in the 1960s. The food additive was blamed in the news for being the cause of “Chinese Restaurant Sickness.” Symptoms were attributed to MSG without major research at the time to back these claims.
Commonly reported symptoms of MSG consumption include headaches, feeling pressure, numbness, tingling, or burning tightness in the face, sweating, quick, irregular heartbeats, and chest pains.
To this day, there still haven’t been many major studies on MSG to confirm or disprove the claims of MSG being unsafe for consumption. The studies generally don’t have a significant sample size and therefore aren’t able to produce statistically significant data. Many studies are also using high doses of MSG (3 to 5 grams) while the average consumer only intakes less than 0.5 grams per day. Although the studies aren’t conclusive, they do point in the direction of MSG being possibly harmful. MSG at low doses of 0.3-1g can disrupt your nervous system’s neurons and even lead to irregular behavior. Long-term animal studies have shown that the additive can increase the chance of developing obesity because it increases the palatability of food and also increases the body’s resistance to insulin, which is a hormone that causes the body’s cells to absorb sugar from the bloodstream. Thus, high insulin resistance leads to higher blood sugar levels, causing diseases such as diabetes.
Should Athletes be Consuming it?:
The FDA currently lists MSG as “generally recognized as safe” for consumption. Since there isn’t a definitive answer as to whether MSG is safe, a general rule of thumb is to consume it in moderation. MSG is present in many “unhealthy” commercial products like chips and fast food, so it is best to eat it in moderation or simply not eat it at all. An athlete should already be aware of the effects of overconsumption of such food on physical performance. If you want to avoid MSG, check for monosodium glutamate in the ingredients section of the nutrition fact labels.
Conclusion:
MSG often receives a bad reputation even though none of the reported symptoms have yet to be proven. Until further studies confirm or deny the claims of MSG being unhealthy, it is best to stay away or consume it in moderation.
Sources:
“Is MSG Truly Unhealthy? All You Need to Know.” Healthline Media, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/msg-good-or-bad. Accessed 8 Mar. 2024.
Geha, R. “Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multiple-Challenge Evaluation of Reported Reactions to Monosodium Glutamate - PubMed.” PubMed, 1 Nov. 2000, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11080723/.
“Questions and Answers on Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 20 Feb. 2020, https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/questions-and-answers-monosodium-glutamate-msg.
Gatta, Written. “Foods High in MSG.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-msg. Accessed 8 Mar. 2024.
“What Is Insulin?” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22601-insulin. Accessed 8 Mar. 2024.
Lin, Su-Jit. “MSG: From Cancelled to Trending, How to Use It (And Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of It).” The Spruce Eats, 20 June 2023, https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-use-msg-7547396.
Yeung, Jessie. “MSG in Chinese Food Isn’t Unhealthy – You’re Just Racist, Activists Say | CNN.” CNN, 19 Jan. 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/18/asia/chinese-restaurant-syndrome-msg-intl-hnk-scli/
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Niaz, Kamal, et al. “Extensive Use of Monosodium Glutamate: A Threat to Public Health?”
PubMed, vol. 17, Jan. 2018, pp. 273–78. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2018-1092.