Myth: MSG is high in salt, or sodium Unlike regular table salt, which is 40% sodium, MSG contains only 12% sodium, which is one-third the amount in table salt. Researchers have also explored MSG as a viable alternative to salt to reduce sodium intake and improve public health through a reduced risk of hypertension.
Beside its flavour enhancing effects, MSG has been associated with various forms of toxicity (Figure 1(Fig. 1)). MSG has been linked with obesity, metabolic disorders, Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, neurotoxic effects and detrimental effects on the reproductive organs.
"MSG can be used to reduce sodium in these foods without a taste trade-off. MSG contains about 12 percent sodium, which is two-thirds less than that contained in table salt, and data shows a 25 to 40 percent reduction in sodium is possible in specific product categories when MSG is substituted for some salt.
MSG Helps Decrease Salt, Increase Flavor
MSG is not a salt substitute per se, but it is a substitute for salt when you want less salt. Since MSG still contains some sodium, think of it as an ingredient to lower sodium/salt, but not as a salt substitute necessarily.
On the whole, MSG does seem better than salt itself, considering that excessive salt consumption poses so many chronic health risks. A relatively small amount of MSG could be used to rescue flavor in reduced-salt products without endangering health.
Government organizations around the world have listed MSG as safe to eat. This includes the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which lists MSG as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).
“Chefs commonly like to use it at the end of the cooking process, whether they're finishing a stir fry or rounding out a slow cooked braise or sauce,” Liu Spellman says. “A pinch of MSG goes a long way.
Several studies have shown that using an ingredient like MSG can help to boost the flavor, improving food palatability, increasing salivary flow, and food intake. In particular, the US Institute of Medicine suggests using MSG as a lower-sodium alternative to salt and as a way to help food taste good.
You'll find it in chips and crackers, fast foods, soups, canned foods, processed meats, gravies, and more. It's likely in more foods than you even realize, as it often hides under disguised names on ingredients labels. The glutamate in MSG activates pleasure centers in the brain and actually has addictive properties.
More recently, a 2017 report from the European Food Safety Authority said that symptoms from MSG are rarely seen at intake levels below 3,000 mg and that an acceptable daily intake is 14.5 mg per pound of body weight.
All food additives, including MSG, are only permitted after a safety evaluation and the legislation sets out the foods in which it can be used and the conditions of use. MSG has been reviewed by a number of independent expert committees at United Kingdom, European and international level.
What are the potential benefits of MSG? MSG has been largely researched for its potential use in low-sodium foods. Whereas NaCl, also known as table salt, directly adds sodium to your diet, adding MSG largely enhances the flavor of the food without as much additional sodium.
Several blinded studies show no such effects when MSG is combined with food in normal concentrations, and are inconclusive when MSG is added to broth in large concentrations. The European Union classifies it as a food additive permitted in certain foods and subject to quantitative limits.
In addition, Pakistan's Supreme Court imposed a nationwide ban on the sale, import, and export of MSG in March 2018 on the grounds that it was hazardous to human health.
MSG (monosodium glutamate) is found in all types of food, from Asian cuisine to packaged chips. There's a popular misconception that MSG is particularly bad for health. The FDA and other expert organizations generally regard MSG as safe in moderation.
Hence, almost no ingested glutamate/MSG passes from gut into blood, and essentially none transits placenta from maternal to fetal circulation, or crosses the blood-brain barrier. Dietary MSG, therefore, does not gain access to brain.
Research by neurologist and author of the book Excitotoxins: the Taste that Kills, Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD, shows that MSG slowly enters the brain, bypasses the blood-brain barrier and reaches peak concentrations in the brain three hours after ingesting it.
Thus, it was concluded that MSG acts as a potent neurotoxin by affecting the chemical composition of hippocampus which activates neurodegenerative pathways. Likewise, toxic effects of MSG were monitored in cerebellar cortex of male albino rats.
What is MSG made of? Today, the MSG (monosodium glutamate) produced by the Ajinomoto Group is produced through fermentation of plant-based ingredients such as sugar cane, sugar beets, cassava or corn. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most common naturally occurring amino acids.
The addition of MSG in foods is “generally recognized as safe,” says the FDA site. MSG is found in Chinese cuisine -- but also in tomatoes, cheese, canned soup, and a range of foods.
McDonald's doesn't use MSG in its food that is on the national menu, and there are no updates from the company yet on whether the Crispy Chicken Sandwiches will be added to the menu permanently. McDonald's has been making strides to use purer ingredients in its food.
Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as glutamate or MSG, is used in MAGGI as a flavor enhancer. MSG is produced by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses. MSG is present naturally in many foods like tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and meat. Our bodies also produce glutamate naturally.