Do you know how much MSG you consume?

[mtnhomechick]

I don't know. All I can add is that almost every time I eat OUT anymore......I feel sick, big time thirsty......for hours.....and get a headache. I love Chinese but just can't handle it anymore. I ate a Gyro last week and same thing. I KNOW it's the msg. The other day dh came home with fresh fish he caught. It tasted wonderful and when I finished I had a headache. Looked on the label of the fish batter and sure enough.....Zataran's has MSG.

I know I'm not imagining it. I like to eat out.......really.

 

[agnes_day]

that last link was someone selling a book, hardly reliable.

 

[hennypenny9]

I'm just going to quote from a link that was posted.

Among the report's key findings:

* An unknown percentage of the population may react to MSG and develop MSG symptom complex, a condition characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:
* burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest
* numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back
* tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms
* facial pressure or tightness
* chest pain
* headache
* nausea
* rapid heartbeat
* bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) in MSG-intolerant people with asthma
* drowsiness
* weakness.

http://www.foodsafety.gov/~lrd/msg.htmlThat's from the US Food and Drug Administration, not a conspiracy theorists site.

I must admit that I probably eat lots of MSG, and don't notice effects. BUT, I believe that for some people, it can cause problems.

An "unknown percentage" is real, it's not made up.

 

[agnes_day]

1995 FASEB Report

Prompted by continuing public interest and a flurry of glutamate-related studies in the late 1980s, FDA contracted with FASEB in 1992 to review the available scientific data. The agency asked FASEB to address 18 questions dealing with:

* the possible role of MSG in eliciting MSG symptom complex
* the possible role of dietary glutamates in forming brain lesions and damaging nerve cells in humans
* underlying conditions that may predispose a person to adverse effects from MSG
* the amount consumed and other factors that may affect a person's response to MSG
* the quality of scientific data and previous safety reviews.

FASEB held a two-day meeting and convened an expert panel that thoroughly reviewed all the available scientific literature on this issue.

FASEB completed the final report, over 350 pages long, and delivered it to FDA on July 31, 1995. While not a new study, the report offers a new safety assessment based on the most comprehensive existing evaluation to date of glutamate safety.

Among the report's key findings:

* An unknown percentage of the population may react to MSG and develop MSG symptom complex, a condition characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:
* burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest
* numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back
* tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms
* facial pressure or tightness
* chest pain
* headache
* nausea
* rapid heartbeat
* bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) in MSG-intolerant people with asthma
* drowsiness
* weakness.

* In otherwise healthy MSG-intolerant people, the MSG symptom complex tends to occur within one hour after eating 3 grams or more of MSG on an empty stomach or without other food. A typical serving of glutamate-treated food contains less than 0.5 grams of MSG. A reaction is most likely if the MSG is eaten in a large quantity or in a liquid, such as a clear soup.

* Severe, poorly controlled asthma may be a predisposing medical condition for MSG symptom complex.

 

[agnes_day]

i guess we posted the same thing at the same time!

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

As a researcher, you can find studies to support or debunk almost anything.
MSG probably effects different people in different whys, much like other foods. Some people have reactions to peanuts ect. doesn't mean they should be avoided by everyone.
To each their own, I try to eat healthy, and not dwell on any one thing, as with everything....moderation!

 

[lisahaschickens]

thirsty and a headache sound like dehydration from sodium intake... most Chinese and other take out food contains a lot of salt... which is not bad for you, but when you have a lot in one sitting, it can dehydrate you and give you a big headache. I'm not trying to be antagonistic here. I just feel like people get very worked up about things like this and the anger and worry is misplaced. Do all of you eat 100% organic? Because pesticide and antibiotic residues are actually, truly harmful. Many harmful pesticide residues build up in our fatty tissue over time and can cause a whole array of terrible problems like infertility, birth defects, and cancers. My degree is in biogeochemistry (the study of the cycle of elements and checmicals through life and the earth) and I spent my last two years of college studying a group of chemicals called dioxins, which are the products of various pesticides and other chemicals, including Triclosan, which is in everything from toothpaste and handsoap to baby toys. Dioxins are lipophyllic, which means they are stored in fats and we carry a larger and larger load throughout our lives and cause the aforementioned health problems. People don't even know to be concerned about this because there is no immediate effect - you don't wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap and then get cancer the same day. But, these are real, serious concerns and these substances are in many, many things we eat and use on a daily basis. People also are now starting to have adverse reactions to pesticide residues in foods... perhaps that is the cause of some assumed MSG-related symptoms. I agree more than anyone that we should be very aware of what we put into our bodies... but MSG is a naturally-occurring substance that has been tested exhaustively and it is quite safe. Other chemicals are much more cause for concern.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:

agreed!

 

[lisahaschickens]

for the two people who posted about the 1995 study... the bottom half of that study (in the second post it is shown), it says that these symptoms only occurred when people were given a large dose with no food... and even then, it occurred in only a small percentage of the people. In that same study it says that when given with food, those same "intolerant" people had no reactions whatsoever. So, unless you are eating MSG by the cupfull with no food, the danger is just not there.

 

[lisahaschickens]

and for the record, I agree wholeheartedly with HardlansHollowAussies. That is a very reasonable take on the topic.