The Truth About MSG

For many of us, the "miracle" food enhancer is nothing but a headache
By Kathy Evans Wisner

My first reaction to monosodium glutamate (MSG) came when I was in my 20s after eating a take-out Chinese meal. I felt as if I had just rapidly consumed eight cups of coffee. My face was flushed, and my heart was pounding rapidly. Years later, after eating a meal at a restaurant, I had a similar reaction, and my chest tightened to the point where I had difficulty breathing. After that, my reactions to MSG became more frequent -- and more debilitating.

When MSG was introduced in this country more than 50 years ago, it was heralded as a miracle food enhancer. It suppressed bitterness, improved flavor, made food smell better, and removed the tinny taste from canned products. There was even talk that it could improve a person's IQ.

American food manufacturers embraced MSG immediately and began adding it to all kinds of food, from salad dressings to sausages, tuna fish to frozen dinners. Before long, restaurants used it regularly, as did meal programs at airlines, schools, and military bases. Even consumers got into the act, sprinkling MSG, under the brand name Accent, on dishes needing a little zip.

As MSG became more widely used in the United States, reports began to surface about people's adverse reactions to it. In 1968, the New England Journal of Medicine printed a letter from a doctor who experienced numbness at the back of his neck, general weakness, and heart palpitations after eating foods containing MSG. Others complained about headaches, nausea, dizziness, disorientation, and depression.

These first reports of MSG sensitivity weren't taken seriously. Some thought they were psychological. Others concluded that it must be something other than MSG that was making people sick.

Despite piles of evidence, MSG sensitivity remains unacknowledged by many in the food industry and government. To make matters worse, some labels are being altered to hide the fact that the products contain MSG. A few companies have gone so far as to advertise "no MSG" when their products actually contain the substance. And the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has listed MSG as one of the safest food additives, along with vinegar and salt.
Experts estimate that tens of millions of Americans -- or as much as 50 percent of the population -- may be sensitive to MSG. But relatively few suspect that MSG may be causing their headaches and other symptoms. Fewer still know just how prevalent MSG is.

What Is MSG?
More than just a seasoning, MSG is a flavor enhancer. It intensifies the existing taste of something, rather than altering it. When we taste something, our taste buds transmit electrical signals to the brain. When we taste something with MSG, these electrical signals become more intense.

The principal component of MSG is processed free glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is one of the amino acids that make up proteins. It occurs naturally in our bodies and in many foods like tomatoes, milk, and mushrooms. Some proponents of MSG imply that it's a naturally occurring glutamic acid -- but it isn't. MSG is made in a factory from foods like corn, molasses, and wheat, where it is hydrolyzed, autolyzed, modified, or fermented using chemicals, bacteria, or enzymes. These processes "free" the glutamic acid in the food. In its free form, processed glutamic acid lacks the links that natural glutamic acid has to other amino acids. Because of this, it is broken down more quickly by the body. The sudden increase in glutamic acid can raise the glutamate level in the blood to 20 times the usual amount.

Research shows that MSG acts as a drug, inducing nerve-cell discharges to create a heightened taste sensation. For this reason, it has been classified as an excitatory neurotoxin (excitotoxin, for short), similar to aspartame (Nutrasweet). Many people who react negatively to MSG are also intolerant of aspartame.

The most typical reaction to MSG is a migraine headache. Other symptoms include cramps, diarrhea, nausea, bloating, tightness or burning in the face or chest, weakness, dizziness, blurred vision, depression, insomnia, muscle aches, slurred speech, rapid heartbeat, and excessive perspiration. A person may experience just one of these symptoms or several at the same time.

When I ingest a fair amount of MSG, I immediately have nausea, stomach cramps, "spaciness," heart palpitations, and a "pins-and-needles" headache, followed the next day by lethargy and overall weakness. MSG sensitivity tends to run in families. My mother, like me, reacts to MSG, almost always in the form of a migraine.

MSG can have both short- and long-term health effects, ranging from mild to life-threatening. These symptoms can occur immediately after ingesting MSG or up to 48 hours later. A person's reaction may vary greatly from incident to incident, though the reaction time usually remains the same. Dose plays a big role in determining the reaction's severity. Also, alcohol and exercise before or immediately after exposure to MSG can increase one's sensitivity. As time goes on, an increase in the frequency and severity of MSG reactions is common.

More serious conditions have been linked to MSG. These include Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's disease (also called ALS), Parkinson's disease, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). MSG also has been proven to provoke asthma attacks and lead to obesity.

In addition to affecting the brain, MSG has been shown to decrease the strength of the esophageal-stomach sphincter, causing acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The heart can also be affected by MSG, leading to irregular heartbeats and chest pain. A catch phrase in some hospital emergency rooms is "MI or MSG?" because the symptoms of a heart attack (myocardial infarction) and MSG reaction can be the same.

How Does It Affect You?
It isn't easy figuring out if MSG is the cause of a person's suffering. Many symptoms can be caused by some other substance or condition. In my case, it took years to identify an MSG sensitivity.

Testing for an MSG sensitivity starts with identifying all the MSG-containing foods that a person eats, and then cutting them out of the diet for awhile. A noticeable improvement indicates there is likely an MSG sensitivity. Of course, there may be something else in those foods causing symptoms, so it's wise to check with your doctor.
It's important to remember that most people who react to MSG have a drug reaction. Unlike most allergic reactions, a drug reaction is dose-related. For this reason, you might knowingly consume a food with MSG, not react, and conclude that you have no problem. It may take several MSG-laden foods, consumed over a day or two, to cause symptoms.

MSG reactions are widespread and can be serious. Yet the food industry, the FDA, and other groups continue to find new uses for MSG, insisting that it's safe and refusing to acknowledge people's sensitivities to it. One food association stated on its Web site, "There are some reports that mild, temporary reactions to MSG may occur in a small portion of the population..." Another claimed, "...MSG may play a role in the overall health and nutrition of people who need it most."

Meanwhile, MSG is being added to food at an alarming rate. It is also being used in soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics, as well as medications, supplements, and some intravenous fluids in hospitals.
Within the last few years, MSG has even been sprayed on crops. AuxiGro, which contains MSG, has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as a "growth enhancer" spray for virtually all crops. It is already being used on lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and California wine grapes.

Where Is It Hiding?
Years ago, food manufacturers openly listed MSG on their labels. But now, manufacturers are combining MSG with other substances and giving it names like hydrolyzed protein, yeast extract, natural flavoring, and even just "spices."
The general rule of thumb is that the more a food is processed, the more likely it is to contain MSG. Many frozen foods, for instance, have MSG added to maintain taste during freezing. If you're sensitive to MSG, you'll need to carefully check the labels of canned foods, prepared dinners, flavored side dishes, dry soup mixes, cured meats, freeze-dried foods, cookies, crackers, deli foods, gravy and seasoning mixes, salad dressing, croutons, dips, sauces, candy, and chewing gum.

The organic section of a supermarket can be a good source of MSG-free food, but you'll still want to look at the labels. Foods marked "no MSG" aren't necessarily free of the chemical. Some food manufacturers use this label but still add one of the combined forms of MSG, such as yeast extract. They can legally say "no MSG," because they have not added pure, 100-percent MSG to their products.

Identifying sources of MSG is trickiest when dining out. Numerous times, I have asked specifically if a dish is prepared with MSG, been told "no," and then had an MSG reaction. Generally, the more individually prepared a dish is, the less likely it is to have MSG added to it. Restaurants and cafeterias that prepare food in bulk will often add MSG to the large trays of food to keep them from tasting old or stale.

To avoid MSG when dining out, request that food be prepared without seasoning salts, and avoid foods with gravies and sauces or those that are breaded or fried. Ask for oil and vinegar instead of dressing, and steer clear of croutons or bacon bits. Also, be sure that the cheese being used is real and not imitation. And stay away from foods prepared with cream or sour cream, as well as soy or oyster sauce.

Whether you're eating at home or on the road, the fresher and simpler the food, the better. Simple doesn't have to mean bland. There are many wonderful, natural herbs and spices that can add flavor to a dish -- basil, garlic, cumin, curry powder, and cilantro, to name but a few. With all these great flavors, who needs MSG?

Read Between the Lines
MSG can hide in many ingredients, and can even be contained in products labeled "no MSG." In addition, MSG is often combined with other substances and renamed. If you suspect that you're sensitive to MSG, cut out this list, take it with you to the grocery store, and check the labels as you shop.

These items always contain MSG

Autolyzed yeast
Calcium caseinate
Gelatin
Glutamate
Glutamic acid
Hydrolyzed protein (also listed as corn or pea protein)
Monopotassium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Sodium caseinate
Textured protein
Yeast extract
Yeast food

These items often contain MSG

Barley malt
Bouillon
Broth
Carrageenan
Enzyme-modified substances
Flavoring
Flavors
Malt extract
Malt flavoring
Maltodextrin
Natural flavor/flavorings
Natural pork/beef/chicken flavoring
Pectin
Protein-fortified substances
Seasonings
Soy protein
Soy protein isolate or concentrate
Soy sauce
Soy sauce extract
Stock
Vegetable gum
Whey protein
Whey protein isolate or concentrate
Yeast nutrient

Source: Truth in Labeling Campaign (TLC)

Resources
For more information on MSG and the issues surrounding it, consult the following books and organizations:

• Battling the MSG Myth:A Survival Guide and Cookbook (Front Porch Productions) by Debby Anglesey. www.msgmyth.com
• In Bad Taste: The MSG Symptom Complex (Health Press)by George Schwartz, M.D.
  Truth in Labeling Campaign, 312-642-9333, www.truthinlabeling.com

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2000 issue of Living Without.
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