MSG
Have you ever passed by or eaten at a Chinese restaurant and saw a sign stating, “NO MSG” and wondered what that means? Well, I am going to explain what it is, the debate about it, and if MSG is really as bad for you as some “experts” say.
MSG is short for Monosodium Glutamate and it is added to food as a flavor enhancer. It can also be found naturally in some foods. We are taught about the 4 tastes at a young age, sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. There are actually 5 with umami holding the fifth spot. Umami comes from MSG as well as other a couple other compounds and has a meaty flavor. In this case, I am only covering MSG.
So why the bad rap? Can you believe it all originated in the 60s because a doctor wrote to the Journal of Medicine and said he got sick after consuming Chinese Food accused MSG of being a possible culprit! The negativity snowballed from there. There was already a biased towards Chinese immigrants, at that time, so it was easy to pass the blame to them.
Fast forward to today. The accusations are coming into question as new research is done and old research is examined. Because of this, many health organizations are claiming MSG is actually safe to use, but like everything else, should be consumed in moderation. One positive of using MSG is the lack of need to add salt to dishes. This can help lower sodium intake.
So flavor your food with MSG or not…The choice is yours, but I hoped this helps ease any fears you might have had!
(I do use MSG to flavor some foods)