MSG: Could it be that much of a health-risker??

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) powder: Ready to season our food!

In the late 1970s and in the beginning of 1980s.... there was a hypothesis (a hearsay to be more exact) stating that MSG, the flavour enhancer, is responsible for a syndrome called 'Chinese restaurant syndrome'. The symptoms of this syndrome are various including headache, palpitation, shortness of breath, chestpain, and many others including restlessness. But about 20 years later, studies show that there is no clear evidence that MSG is directly responsible for the syndrome. So the 'theory' of Chinese restaurant syndrome remains a controversy up to now. But does really MSG give rise to such syndrome? is MSG the culprit for such symptoms above? What is it exactly MSG? etc.... Well again, I searched for articles on MSG online, from the various articles I read, here in this post I would like to excerpt it below:

What is MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)? MSG is a very common thing in Southeast Asia. It is a flavour enhancer. Here in Indonesia, MSG is sold in the market under various brand names i.e. Ajinomoto, Miwon, Sasa, etc. It is widely used in seasoning oriental food. But do you know that glutamate is naturally present in our body?? Yes, glutamate is an amino acid that makes up proteins. It is a very abundant and important amino acid. Not only glutamate is naturally present in our body, without consuming it, the body itself produces this amino acid that is vital for our metabolism and brain function. And how is this MSG manufactured? In the past MSG was produced from protein-rich food like seaweeds, today MSG is produced from starch, corn sugar or sugar beet with the aid of natural enzymes. The next question is: does body treat glutamate from MSG similarly with the one naturally produced in our body? The latest studies show that our body cannot distinguish glutamate produced in our body from glutamate contained in MSG! So it means that glutamate contained in MSG will be treated and synthesized similarly with the one naturally produced in our body! Glutamate is not merely produced in our body, it is also widely present in our natural food we consume every day. Tomatoes, cheese, corn and milk are the rich sources of glutamate. Again, the glutamate consumed from these kinds of food is handled similarly with the one consumed from MSG in our body!

Now, the important question arrives: IS MSG SAFE? According to US FDA and other bodies worldwide responsible for the safety of food support the fact that MSG is SAFE. The oriental food seasoned with MSG is actually much much and much safer than American fast (junk) food! The 'theory' from the late 1970s about Chinese Restaurant Syndrome was apparently sparked by ignorant theorists and low-grade scientists to disserve oriental/Asian food! Now for those who follow blindly those low-grade scientists by avoiding MSG but being addicted to American fastfood, I dare to say that you are risking your health more! Now for those who enjoy MSG in their food, it is safe to take it moderately. Of course, excessive consumption of anything (including MSG) is never advised!

Ok. All for now and enjoy back your MSG. LOL.

(Written by: Yari NK)