Is msg bad for you and if so, why

What’s so bad about MSG?

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MSG is not bad for you. Certain people are sensitve to it, or allergic. But for those of us that do not have any such sensitivites, MSG has it’s advantages. Not only does MSG make good food taste better for consumers, new studies show that …

What is MSG? and why is it so bad for you?

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monosodium glutamate; MSG [ mon-uh-SOH-dee-uhm GLOO- tuh-mayt ] Commonly known as MSG, this white crystalline powder is derived from glutamic acid, one of the 22 amino acids. This natural amino acid is found in seaweed, vegetables, cereal…

Did you know MSG (monosodium glutamate ) is so bad for you??

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It’s not good for you, but it’s not that bad for you either. The MSG thing is totally overblown. It’s bad for you mainly because it contributes a LOT of sodium to the food it is in and that’s not good. But overall it’s in foods that aren’t …

Related Questions Answered on Y!Answers

Why is MSG bad when the Chinese have been using it for thousands of years?

Q: Is it THAT bad for you?

A: It is not bad, it is simply a salt (mono-sodium glutamate). It is a naturally occurring substance, it is not some kind of terrible chemical. Some people are allergic to it and it will cause a violent reaction in these people. The reason that it has a bad rep is because back in 80’s some news tv show did an “expose” and claimed that people were dieing from it and it was this terrible substance that chinese restaurant owners were trying to kill us with. Well, that was pretty much a bunch of lies but, hell, what would you expect from the media and the alarmist food-nazis?

What is MSG and why is it so bad for you?

Q: I have been eating a lot of asian food lately and saw some signs that say “no msg”. Why is it so bad for you and what is it used for? To make the food taste better or to keep it fresh longer?

A: MSG is technically, a “flavor enhancer”. It activates the tastebuds, making them more receptive to flavor. It makes things taste better by making your taste buds better at tasting.If that was the only thing it did, there would be no problem. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Equally unfortunate is that our FDA has not caught on to the problem and MSG maintains its status, “generally regarded as safe”. It should be banned, especially since it is abused by the food industry so much. Here is a summary of the problems:1. Some people are sensitive to it. They east a small amount of it and they get an anaphylactic reaction to it. Like other allergies….peanut, wheat, citrus, shellfish etc. the reaction runs the gambit from causing discomfort to life threatening. Because MSG is so widely abused, it actually should be banned. The reason is simple. If someone has a deadly allergy to peanuts, they don’t eat peanuts or products that have peanuts in them. The few products that have peanuts in them but are not obvious, mark this on the package. Contrast that with MSG where most packaged foods have MSG in them but, because of a loophole in labeling laws, it’s not on the ingredients list, and you have a bad situation that requires government intervention. At least force them to label the foods correctly.2. MSG does more than enhance flavor. It dramatically stimulates appetite and causes binging. If you ever wondered why you can’t eat only one potato chip…..MSG is the reason. You eat. You are full. But, MSG is activating the part of your brain telling you to eat some more. Food manufacturers use MSG to make their foods addicting. This causes obesity. It takes away a person’s choice in what they eat by turning food into something crack cocaine. That is immoral and should be illegal. MSG is a major contributor to the incredible increase in diabetes in our society. It’s also a major factor in bulemia. MSG causes people to binge. That’s why it is put into food. More and more,people are figuring this out and choosing not to eat food with MSG. However, food manufacturers are not content to allow even this personal choice for people. Because of the GRAS designation, they are allowed to include MSG as an ingredient in a list of so-called “secret ingredients”….those that you can’t put on a food label because competitors will figure out your recipe, copy you and then use this knowledge to take your business. Further, there are products that have MSG in them. Put the fact that you include the product on your ingredient list and you don’t have to label the individual ingredients. The names of the most common products? Things like Natural Flavorings….Naturally Flavored….Artificial and Natural Flavors. THESE ARE PRODUCT NAMES, not FDA designations. They are intentionally given deceitful names like these in order to trick you into thinking that those products weren’t added. Since those products are mostly MSG, anytime you see them in the ingredients list, just replace the word MSG…because that is basically what it means.3. The most controversial problem with MSG is what it does to stimulate your appetite. It is what is known as an “excitotoxin”. This is a chemical that stimulates your nervous system using the mechanism that is used for fighting off infections or removing damaged tissue. Your brain is normally sterile and it doesn’t have the normal type of immune system the rest of your body has. The rest of your body, the immune system is based off an inflammatory mechanism. Inflammation in your brain will kill you pretty damn quick, so that mechanism is the technique of last resort for you body fighting off such things. Instead, it has a glial system. The glial system secretes various chemicals that rip things apart. The chemicals also, stimulate the brain. Guess what the mechanism of action for MSG is? Guess what the side effect is? The long term effect of this is a slow degradation of the surrounding tissue. MSG has been implicated in Alzheimer’s. The mechanism for this is obvious for those who understand the science.MSG is bad news and to be avoided. Most chinese restaurants understand this and have removed this ingredient from their cooking.The problem is packaged and processed foods, especially the food you buy at fast food restaurants. The bottom line is this. The only way to avoid MSG in rather large amounts is to not eat those foods.

Why do thye say MSG (monosodium glutamate) is bad for you and is MSG worse than salt (sodium chloride)?

Q: Do you know any health risks associated with MSG?

A: MSG Is a flavor enhancer, used in Asia as a salt substitute. It has been documented as an allergen, and a large group of people do have a sensitivity to it. MSG exacerbates migraines, high blood pressure, and panic attacks. It is commonly used in Asian cooking, hence the ailment ” Chinese food syndrome”, when one gets a headchey, bloated feeling after eating Chinese food that was cooked with MSG. Many processed foods also contain MSG, either listed AS MSG, or under the heading “natural flavoring”.