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MSG stands for “monosodium glutamate”, and is the sodium salt of glutamic acid.1 This means MSG is made of sodium and glutamic acid (and water).2 Glutamic acid is a non-essential amino acid that is found naturally in foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms, meat, and cheese, and is also made by our bodies.1 Our bodies metabolize the glutamic acid from MSG and food the exact same way.1
MSG, originally isolated from seaweed in 1908,3 doesn’t have much flavour on its own, but is used as a flavour enhancer to intensify the umami (savoury) taste of food.1 It has long been used in Asian cuisines and is sold in grocery stores as a white crystal (it has a similar appearance to table salt).1 It can be used to season foods throughout the cooking process, similar to table salt (sodium chloride), and is often used alongside table salt to enhance the flavour of salt.
1. MSG and table salt are both sodium salts, but they have different components. MSG (monosodium glutamate) contains sodium, glutamate, and water.2 Table salt (sodium chloride) contains sodium and chloride.
2. MSG and table salt both contain sodium. However, MSG has much less sodium than table salt. MSG is 12% sodium, whereas table salt is 39% sodium, meaning MSG has 1/3 the sodium of table salt (when comparing them on a gram basis).1 This means MSG can be used to enhance the flavour of salt while maintaining lower salt levels.
The recommended daily sodium intake for Canadian adults age 19-50 is no more than 2300 milligrams (mg), which is around 1 teaspoon of table salt.1 However, some public health experts recommend no more than 1500 mg of sodium per day, which is around 1/2 teaspoon of table salt.1
In Canada, MSG is not regulated as a food additive (rather, it is considered a flavour enhancer), meaning there is no regulatory limit to the amount that can be added to food.1,4 However, amounts added to food should be consistent with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) levels, meaning only the smallest amounts necessary should be used.4
MSG is generally safe to consume, in moderation.1,4 Regulatory authorities and scientists worldwide have extensively reviewed the safety of MSG, and it is not considered a health hazard when eaten in small amounts as a flavour enhancer.1,2,4 Some individuals may experience symptoms after consuming >3 grams of MSG (a high dose) all at once and without food, but this is not typical consumption.1,5,6 In America, the average daily intake of added MSG is around 0.55 grams per day.1,6 In Japan and Korea, the average daily intake of MSG is 1.2-1.7 grams per day.1
Some people may experience an allergic-type reaction or hypersensitivity from consuming MSG, with symptoms such as burning sensation, facial pressure, headache, nausea and chest pains appearing around 20 minutes after consumption and lasting around two hours.4 These symptoms are generally temporary and not associated with severe adverse health effects.4 Health Canada advises sensitive individuals to avoid MSG and glutamate (see note below).4
Note: If you experience any of these symptoms, check with your doctor before assuming you have a sensitivity to MSG.
The idea of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” was first presented in a 1968 letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, which described symptoms such as general weakness, heart palpitations, numbness following the consumption of Chinese food.3,5,7 This idea was later confirmed by animal studies that often involved injecting highly concentrated doses of MSG into animals’ abdomens.3 However, this approach is not comparable to typical human consumption of MSG, and therefore not very relevant.3 “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” is where MSG’s bad reputation comes from, and is often believed to be fuelled by xenophobia and racism.3
Decades of research since then has busted the myth of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome“, and has not shown a direct relationship between MSG consumption and this condition.7
Food Haven Podcast: MSG is Kind of Awesome (and here’s why)
