By: Katherine Lee, CSUN Dietetic Intern Cohort 2021-2023

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is something we have all heard of and have probably consumed in a soup or snack. Unfortunately, more often than not, the mention of this mysterious additive elicits fear and health concerns. But do we even know why? Do we even know where MSG comes from? We’re here to debunk a couple of common myths surrounding MSG and to solve this mystery about what MSG really is. 

Myth #1: “MSG can cause ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome’ (CRS) allergic reactions, such as numbness, swelling, headaches, and flushing.” 

This is a misnomer and has created a stigma with Asian food. This term was first coined in 1960s by a Chinese American doctor who wrote a letter to The New England Journal of Medicine describing how he experienced symptoms of headache, nausea, and flushing after eating Chinese food.^1,2 Once the blame was placed on MSG for potentially causing these symptoms, this sparked the negative association between the two and led to the spread of misinformation regarding Chinese food. Based on research, there are no studies that show a strong association with MSG causing these side effects. Some studies have shown a weak association, but the study designs are not reliable. These studies use MSG dosages ranging from 1.25 g to 10 g, which is unrealistic since the average intake of added MSG is about 0.3-2.4g daily.² Studies have also used MSG in capsule or liquid form and had it ingested on an empty stomach, which is also unrealistic since MSG is usually eaten with food.² The FDA has identified MSG to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) so people should not be concerned with MSG consumption causing these negative side effects.³ 

Myth #2: “MSG contains too much sodium.” 

In actuality, MSG can help decrease sodium content in foods. When taking a closer look at MSG, it contains 12% sodium, 78% glutamate and 10% water.⁴ On the other hand, table salt, or sodium chloride, contains about two thirds more sodium than MSG⁵. Studies show that when MSG is used to substitute some of the salt content of a soup, it can result in a 15-22% salt reduction.⁵ Using small amounts of MSG in recipes not only decreases the sodium content, but also improves the taste. 

Myth #3: “MSG is hard to find and use.” 

In the early 20^th century, a Japanese scientist named Kikunae Ikeda was trying to identify what made his Japanese kelp and dried bonito flake soup so savory.⁴ Through his research, he identified the amino acid glutamate and called it “umai” to describe this unique taste.⁴ It was during our lifetime in the year 2000 that scientists discovered our fifth taste receptor for savory foods, or what we call umami.⁴ Umami is what builds the savory taste profile to so many delicious recipes. Glutamate can be found in foods in different forms and binds to its specific taste receptors to influence that umami flavor. MSG is one form of glutamate that is added to foods to boost the flavor, but it can also be found naturally in foods.⁶ A few common foods that contain glutamate include tomatoes, soy sauce, Parmesan cheese, broccoli and dried shiitake mushrooms.⁶ It’s even found in breast milk!² When it comes to distinguishing between MSG and glutamate, our body cannot tell the difference between glutamate in Parmesan cheese and added MSG in soups.⁶ 

Now that we’ve debunked these myths about MSG, pick up a bottle at your local supermarket, Asian grocery store or online. It can be used as a salt replacement or as a spice to add a bit of flavor. Next time you’re cooking eggs, don’t be afraid to sprinkle a dash of MSG to give it a boost of umami flavor.  

Here’s a chicken corn soup recipe you can try at home using MSG:⁷ https://www.knowmsg.com/recipes/chicken-corn-soup/ 

Enjoy!

References: 

1. Fetter D. MSG: A brief history. Food Insight. Published June 7, 2022. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://foodinsight.org/msg-a-brief-history/#:~:text=By%201908%2C%20Professor%20Ikeda%20had,patent%20to%20produce%20MSG%20commercially. 
2. Sasaki A. Umami: The Science and Lore of Healthy Eating. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; 2017. 
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Questions and answers on monosodium glutamate (MSG). Food Additives & Petitions. Published November 19, 2012. Updated January 4, 2018. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/questions-and-answers-monosodium-glutamate-msg 
4. Crowe K. Umami in Foods: What is Umami and How Do I Explain It? Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Evidence Based Library; 2014. 
5. International Glutamate Information Service. 10 things to know about MSG. Glutamate.org. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://glutamate.org/benefits/10-things-to-know-about-msg/  
6. Ajinomoto. Glutamate in the Kitchen. Know MSG. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.knowmsg.com/wp-content/themes/whyusemsg/assets/pdfs/Glutamate-in-the-Kitchen.pdf 
7. Ko, J, Huang E. Chicken Corn Soup. Know MSG. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.knowmsg.com/recipes/chicken-corn-soup/