What’s so evil about MSG?

Everyone knows MSG is bad for us, right?

Not so fast. MSG, monosodium glutamate, is a naturally occurring phenomenon in foods such as meat, milk, fish and cheese that enhances flavor and makes stuff more delicious. So why the bad rap? Back in the 60’s, a doctor wrote an article blaming MSG for some strange symptoms he experienced after eating in a Chinese restaurant. Before long, people started talking about “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,” accusing MSG of making them sick. Since then, countless studies have been done on MSG, finding no regular pattern of symptoms which could be attributed to a reaction.

Most experts agree, some people may be sensitive or allergic to MSG, but those cases are rare. Like a lot of stuff, too much MSG could pose a problem by overworking your neurons. In regular amounts, MSG is considered perfectly fine and not dangerous. If you’re eating stuff with hydrolyzed soy protein or autolyzed yeast in the ingredients, you’re probably fine with MSG. It’s the same thing without the bad rap.