Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive commonly used in Asian cuisine that has had a bad reputation over the past 60 years. Some food experts say that's unfair.
“To talk about MSG is to talk about the history of the fifth basic taste, umami,” Christopher Kettke, corporate executive chef at Chicago-based Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, told Fox. He told News Digital.
According to Koetke, umami was “first discovered in 1908 by Tokyo scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda while enjoying a traditional Japanese seaweed soup called konbu dashi.”
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According to Koetke, this soup had a unique taste other than sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, which is why he named it “umami.'' In Japanese, umami means “the essence of deliciousness,” Koetke said.
“After spending many days studying different seaweeds, we discovered that umami is caused by a naturally occurring amino acid called glutamate, which is also present in the human body and in many foods,” he said.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) was first identified over a century ago. (Oka Budi/AFP via Getty Images)
Ikeda then combined one part glutamate and one part sodium and invented what is now called MSG, Kottke said.
“By 1909, MSG was patented and commercialized as AJI-NO-MOTO®, making it the world's first umami seasoning,” he said.
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MSG is added to foods in recipes like salt and other spices, and MSG is found naturally in many foods, such as tomatoes and mushrooms.
But by the 1960s, Kottke said, opinions on MSG began to change.
“Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in relation to understanding more clearly the relationship between food additives and their effects,” the experts said. (St. Petersburg)
In April 1968, someone wrote a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) alleging “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.”
“The author of the letter describes symptoms such as weakness and facial flushing that he experienced after eating at a Chinese restaurant, and speculates that these symptoms may be caused by some ingredient in the meal, including MSG. “We're doing it,” Kottke said.
The letter author described symptoms such as weakness and facial flushing that he experienced after eating at a Chinese restaurant.
Koetke said the letter sparked fears about MSG, coupled with “anti-Asian xenophobia that was at its height in the 1960s,” and that many Chinese restaurants “have to use MSG” in their products in order to stay open. He said that the result was that he advertised that he had not done so.
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“Since then, extensive research has demonstrated the safety of MSG, and sensitivity to this ingredient has never been consistently replicated in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the New England Journal of Medicine for comment on “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” and MSG.
After reports of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” were published in medical journals, Chinese restaurants began advertising that their food was MSG-free. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Linda Van Horn, RDN, Ph.D., RDN, professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said the changing perspective on MSG is changing “our world of nutritional research and how our diet affects our health.” “It's typical of our world trying to figure out exactly what to give.” (See the video at the top of this article.)
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“Over the past 20 years, great progress has been made in relation to understanding more clearly the relationship between food additives and their effects, not just how we feel, but also more objective data about our microbiome. '' she told FOX News Digital. In a Zoom interview.
“In other words, [there is] “With more objective information, we can better understand the relationship between dietary nutrients and their effects on our health,” she said.
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Van Horn points out that MSG is significantly lower in sodium than table salt, and said the food industry is “very interested” as the movement “looks for ways to reduce the amount of sodium in our diets and increase flavor.” I have it,” he said.
One expert says MSG is lower in sodium than regular table salt, so it may be helpful for people looking to reduce their salt intake. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images)
“We consume too much sodium in our diets, which is associated with the greatest burden of disease: high blood pressure,” she says.
Van Horn stopped short of giving MSG a green light, saying it's “not really clear at this point” whether the additive is safe for humans to consume in an unlimited amount.
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“When it comes to the question, 'Is it something that should be regulated, reduced and otherwise prevented in terms of our overall diet, or is it not something that should be regulated, reduced, and otherwise prevented?' “No,” she says.
“So, as always, I hope you understand that this is a research work in progress.”
“Generally limit your sodium intake.”
Consuming MSG is “probably not that harmful,” she says.
“But I'm going to continue to track my MSG intake,” she said.
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“The bottom line is to enjoy Asian food,” Van Horn said.
“In general, limit your sodium intake and be careful with personal use of MSG outside of some herbs and spices.”
