How/why does MSG work?

[MichaelD]

I've heard for years that "MSG is bad for you." I also know that most Chinese food places use a lot of it. I've also seen it listed as an ingredient on many of the prepackaged "Amercian" foods I buy.

What the hell is MSG and how/why does it make food taste better? Is it like makeup and women, except MSG is for food? 😕

 

[dug777]

http://www.msgfacts.com/facts/msgfacts.html

 

[iamwiz82]

Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

 

[intogamer]

😕

 

[Lola]

as a food enhancer, its in everything... i mean almost EVERYTHING...from chips to crackers to chicken to cheese.... 🙁

 

[MichaelD]

Holy crap, it's got it's own website? :Q

/reading

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
Holy crap, it's got it's own website? :Q

/reading

on second thoughts it's probably worth googling yourself- i had a read of that site and it's blatantly pro-MSG 🙁

I know at least two people personally who are affected badly by it, so it isn't as safe/wonderful as the site makes out.

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

MSG is an amino acid, an allergy to it would be rapidly and uniformly fatal. It's a component of viritually every protein in your body. It's a central part of the pathway for making some other amino acids as well. You're about as likely to be allergic to water.

It does cause reactions in many people when ingested, but that's not an allergy.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

It occurs naturally in some foods, but it gets put in everything now. Part of the addictive quality may have to do with the fact that glutamate is also a chemical in the brain. I forget it's exact designation and purpose, and I don't know where my Psychology notes are right now.

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven
It occurs naturally in some foods, but it gets put in everything now. Part of the addictive quality may have to do with the fact that glutamate is also a chemical in the brain. I forget it's exact designation and purpose, and I don't know where my Psychology notes are right now.

It's a neurotransmitter. Many of its metabolites are neurotransmitters also. Probably the cause of the headaches and other reactions people can suffer.

link

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven
It occurs naturally in some foods, but it gets put in everything now. Part of the addictive quality may have to do with the fact that glutamate is also a chemical in the brain. I forget it's exact designation and purpose, and I don't know where my Psychology notes are right now.

It's a neurotransmitter. Many of its metabolites are neurotransmitters also. Probably the cause of the headaches and other reactions people can suffer.

link

OK, that's what I thought, but I didn't want to say it without being positive. Amazing the things you learn in Psychology, definitely a fun class.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

MSG is an amino acid, an allergy to it would be rapidly and uniformly fatal. It's a component of viritually every protein in your body. It's a central part of the pathway for making some other amino acids as well. You're about as likely to be allergic to water.

It does cause reactions in many people when ingested, but that's not an allergy.

An allergy is defined as an abnormal reaction to a substance, whether it be big or small. Considering that her doctor called it such, and some person on the Internet disagrees, I'll side with the doctor.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

MSG is an amino acid, an allergy to it would be rapidly and uniformly fatal. It's a component of viritually every protein in your body. It's a central part of the pathway for making some other amino acids as well. You're about as likely to be allergic to water.

It does cause reactions in many people when ingested, but that's not an allergy.

An allergy is defined as an abnormal reaction to a substance, whether it be big or small. Considering that her doctor called it such, and some person on the Internet disagrees, I'll side with the doctor.

Um, no. Learn what an allergy REALLY is, OK?

An allergy is your body's immune system over-reacting to something.

What does an allergy mean?
An allergy refers to a misguided reaction by our immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. It is misguided because these foreign substances are usually harmless and remain so to non- allergic people. Allergy-producing substances are called "allergens." Examples of allergens include pollens, dust mite, molds, danders, and foods. To understand the language of allergy it is important to remember that allergens are substances that are foreign to the body and can cause an allergic reaction in certain people.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

MSG is an amino acid, an allergy to it would be rapidly and uniformly fatal. It's a component of viritually every protein in your body. It's a central part of the pathway for making some other amino acids as well. You're about as likely to be allergic to water.

It does cause reactions in many people when ingested, but that's not an allergy.

An allergy is defined as an abnormal reaction to a substance, whether it be big or small. Considering that her doctor called it such, and some person on the Internet disagrees, I'll side with the doctor.

Um, no. Learn what an allergy REALLY is, OK?

An allergy is your body's immune system over-reacting to something.

an abnormal responses would be over-reaction, no? I'm struggling to figure out what you are arguing about? I didn't say immune?

 

[rh71]

i've developed migraines from too much MSG as I got older. I'm asian so I've been eating MSG foods all my life with no problems... until about 4 years ago. I had the hardest time figuring out what it was for a whole year. Now that I've stayed away or consume MUCH less in short periods of time, I don't get migraines much at all.

This one place put so much MSG in their take-out that I had symptoms (the aura) as I was finishing my meal. It kind of dawned on me... especially after so many others were complaining of headaches from MSG.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: rh71
i've developed migraines from too much MSG as I got older. I'm asian so I've been eating MSG foods all my life with no problems... until about 4 years ago. I had the hardest time figuring out what it was for a whole year. Now that I've stayed away or consume MUCH less in short periods of time, I don't get migraines much at all.

How sensitive are you to it? We have found that the best place to get stuff is the natural foods section of the grocery store.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

An allergic reaction is the body's way of responding to an "invader." When the body senses a foreign substance, called an antigen, the immune system is triggered. The immune system normally protects the body from harmful agents such as bacteria and toxins. Its overreaction to a harmless substance (an allergen) is called a hypersensitivity, or allergic, reaction.

You can still have a reaction, but not an allergic one.

- M4H

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: rh71
i've developed migraines from too much MSG as I got older. I'm asian so I've been eating MSG foods all my life with no problems... until about 4 years ago. I had the hardest time figuring out what it was for a whole year. Now that I've stayed away or consume MUCH less in short periods of time, I don't get migraines much at all.

How sensitive are you to it? We have found that the best place to get stuff is the natural foods section of the grocery store.

not as bad as that... I still eat cheese as if there were no MSG in it (and I know there's at least a little bit - maybe natural is better)... I simply stay away from most chinese foods made at restaurants (or go to a local one here who says they don't use it - I've never had problems with them). Also I buy the dumplings which indicate "NO MSG" instead of the ones that do. Nothing too much more than that. BTW, there's a way to tell if you've consumed MSG... you're likely very thirsty afterward.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

MSG is an amino acid, an allergy to it would be rapidly and uniformly fatal. It's a component of viritually every protein in your body. It's a central part of the pathway for making some other amino acids as well. You're about as likely to be allergic to water.

It does cause reactions in many people when ingested, but that's not an allergy.

An allergy is defined as an abnormal reaction to a substance, whether it be big or small. Considering that her doctor called it such, and some person on the Internet disagrees, I'll side with the doctor.

Um, no. Learn what an allergy REALLY is, OK?

An allergy is your body's immune system over-reacting to something.

an abnormal responses would be over-reaction, no? I'm struggling to figure out what you are arguing about? I didn't say immune?

A migrane headache is a reaction, but not an ALLEGERIC reaction.

As was stated, if one had an immune response to this they would be dead in seconds. A migrane is NOT an immune response and therefore not an "allergic" response.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Having too much MSG in your body is bad. The dissolved sodium content of your cells rises, and to try and compensate the cell take in more water, which in extreme cases will cause it to lyse(burst). This is bad.

That's what my pre-med brother tells me.

 

[Whitecloak]

I get severe migraines when I eat anything containing MSG.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

MSG is an amino acid, an allergy to it would be rapidly and uniformly fatal. It's a component of viritually every protein in your body. It's a central part of the pathway for making some other amino acids as well. You're about as likely to be allergic to water.

It does cause reactions in many people when ingested, but that's not an allergy.

An allergy is defined as an abnormal reaction to a substance, whether it be big or small. Considering that her doctor called it such, and some person on the Internet disagrees, I'll side with the doctor.

Um, no. Learn what an allergy REALLY is, OK?

An allergy is your body's immune system over-reacting to something.

an abnormal responses would be over-reaction, no? I'm struggling to figure out what you are arguing about? I didn't say immune?

A migrane headache is a reaction, but not an ALLEGERIC reaction.

As was stated, if one had an immune response to this they would be dead in seconds. A migrane is NOT an immune response and therefore not an "allergic" response.

Again, what is the point in arguing the symantics of one word? Whe cares?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

The headache is an adverse reaction. It is NOT an allergy. People toss that word around too much.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Lola is allergic to it. It causes her migraines. You never realize how much food has it until you have to avoid it.

MSG is an amino acid, an allergy to it would be rapidly and uniformly fatal. It's a component of viritually every protein in your body. It's a central part of the pathway for making some other amino acids as well. You're about as likely to be allergic to water.

It does cause reactions in many people when ingested, but that's not an allergy.

An allergy is defined as an abnormal reaction to a substance, whether it be big or small. Considering that her doctor called it such, and some person on the Internet disagrees, I'll side with the doctor.

Um, no. Learn what an allergy REALLY is, OK?

An allergy is your body's immune system over-reacting to something.

an abnormal responses would be over-reaction, no? I'm struggling to figure out what you are arguing about? I didn't say immune?

A migrane headache is a reaction, but not an ALLEGERIC reaction.

As was stated, if one had an immune response to this they would be dead in seconds. A migrane is NOT an immune response and therefore not an "allergic" response.

Again, what is the point in arguing the symantics of one word? Whe cares?

Because it is not an allergy. Obviously, WE care.

 

[Eli]

^^

What Amused said.

Your doctor was probably just using layman speak, but he shouldn't have included "allergic" in there.

It's just "a reaction".