why MSG is ok

Jack McGary
3 min readSep 10, 2020

The joke that cost MSG its reputation

MSG, Is widely recognized as bad for you. Do you know why? The idea of MSG being bad for the body came from anti-Asian xenophobia. There is no real reason that Somebody should be scared of MSG over other additives that are commonly found in processed foods. Still, a very small amount of people have found mild side effects when consuming a large amount of MSG. The fast-food industry Paints a picture that MSG is bad, so when they don't use it The company seems more healthy when in fact the MSG is not why people gain weight from Fast food. MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. Glutamate got its name from gluten which makes bread stretchy. Glutamic acid is found In many foods like tomatoes and Mushrooms. Our bodies also make Glutemic acids from some of the foods that we eat.

When tasting MSG, I find that it tastes like processed chips. Mostly because MSG is what covers most chips and crackers. A drawback for MSG is that it is not natural it is made in a factory in big barrels with bacteria that extracts The glutamate, But this not unheard of, Vitamin C tablets Use the same process. MSG’s reputation Would not be so cloudy and controversial If an article in the 1960s called Chinese-restaurant syndrome was not Published. In the article, the author Robert Ho Man Kwok Described his time eating at an American Chinese restaurant as an unpleasant experience. He went on to say that he felt a numbness in his head that radiated down to his arms. This paper had no backup research and no pier review. This part of the newspaper where people could write their opinions, Like Reddit. Furthermore, the New-England journal was famously known for doctors to make jokes about fake syndromes. This article caught on mostly because of the time and place. In the 1960’s the idea of finding out that there was something Mysterious in some foods, fit the narrative that large corporations are trying to take advantage of the commoners.

Now That more and more people are looking back at our past and realizing that MSG was part of discrimination towards Chinese food, health experts are worried that the correction will go too far. MSG is still not good for you And real science has proved it, Like the FDA They have found that large amounts of MSG being injected into somebody's body can cause harm, But of course, we are not injecting it into our selves. The FDA also found that people can feel nauseous after consuming three grams of msg or two tablespoons of it on an empty stomach.

MSG does not Really enhance the food that already tastes good like a hamburger, But it does make bland food taste better. for example a plain piece of fish. it is a form of seasoning Like Old Bay or Tajin, which is similar to msg in terms of its ingredients. If you worry about the side effects you can stay clear of it.

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Jack McGary

My name is Jack I write about my experiences, thoughts, and ideas as a 15-year-old.