How many times have you freaked out about MSG being added to your food as one of the ingredients? How many times were you told to avoid Chinese food in restaurants? Well, you can relax as MSG myths have finally been busted.
What Is MSG?
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MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. It is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. A common amino acid, glutamic acid is naturally found in different foods like parmesan, dried mushrooms, tomatoes, soy sauce and even walnuts. It was a Japanese scientist who found out a way to isolate the glutamic acid from the different food containing it, and stabilized it with salt, which helped the acid to turn into fine crystals. While MSG has no distinctive taste of its own, when added to a dish it can enhance the flavour of the dish.
Myths About MSG
“I’m allergic to MSG”: No one can be allergic to MSG, as it is not an allergen. A person can only be allergic to allergens. The Food and Drug Administration or the FDA have researched over the years and have only enlisted 8 commonly known allergens: wheat, peanuts, soy, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, eggs, and milk. MSG is not an allergen, and years of research never found MSG guilty of any allergic reaction.
“I get headaches and nausea from MSG”: Although, there have been many such complaints over the years, there stands no medical evidence to validate the claims. The FDA found no proofs of MSG causing evils like headaches and nausea in anyone. The FDA also commissioned a group of independent scientists in 1990s. They were from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology to examine the safety of MSG. Their research also gave a clean chit to MSG.
If MSG were responsible for the health problems people claim to get consuming it, then the same people would also get similar problems from foods that have glutamic acid. MSG continues to be a kitchen staple for many famous chefs of Asian cuisine, and it has only proved to be a taste enhancer without causing any proven health problems. Enjoy your Chinese dishes without any inhibitions. Fried rice and chilly chicken, anyone?
