One of the first things I learned on my natural health journey was monosodium glutamate (MSG). I remember seeing a post on social media stating how bad MSG was and not to consume it. I was still brand new to the world of toxins, and that’s all it took for me to jump on the no-MSG train.

Fast forward a few years: there was a lot of controversy surrounding MSG. I remember scrolling TikTok and a dietician claiming that MSG is safe and that “no MSG” labels are a scam to mark up prices. I vividly remember wanting to educate the content creator, but I didn’t have much data on the topic. That’s when I realized I had never actually researched MSG for myself.

With such a shocking realization, it didn’t take long for me to start researching MSG, which led to the making of this post. When I started down the rabbit hole of MSG, I began to understand why there was so much controversy. Little did I know there is naturally occurring, and man-made MSG, and I was, in fact, consuming it (and chances are you are, too). Did you know that?

Natural Vs. Manufactured Monosodium Glutamate

As I said, there are two types of monosodium glutamate – naturally occurring and man-made. Both types come from the sodium salt of the most common nonessential amino acid, glutamic acid (1). For educational purposes, in biochemistry, nonessential means the body doesn’t need to get it from food because it produces its own (2). In other words, foods with L-glutamic acid have naturally occurring MSG.

Some foods with naturally occurring MSG include (3,4,5,6,7):

• Cheese (Parmesan and Roquefort)
• Dairy – check out my post, The Truth About Conventional Milk
• Eggs
• Gelatin and other slow-simmered stocks
• Grapes/grape juice
• Meat (beef, fish, pork, poultry, etc.)
• Mushrooms
• Nutritional yeast (nooch)
• Protein isolates
• Soy – check out my post, Should You Consume Soy Products?
• Tomatoes/tomato juice
• Walnuts
• Yeast extract

Then there’s manufactured MSG, made by fermenting starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses (8). Three of these are refined sugars. If you’ve been following my refined sugar-free journey on Facebook, you may have seen my post about how the average American consumes 500 calories or 34 teaspoons of sugar daily (9). Although sugar isn’t the cause of diabetes (as most think), it is the cause of genetic damage (0,11). After all, our DNA is made from sugar, so it makes sense that too much can lead to genotoxicity. If you missed the post, check it out here. 

Even if you’re not too concerned about sugar, all four manufacturing methods are refined, meaning they are processed to remove impurities, leading to the stripping of their nutrients (12). Some sources are quick to say that because our bodies cannot distinguish between man-made and naturally occurring MSG, they’re both completely safe (13). However, that doesn’t change the fact that MSG is a highly refined and ultra-processed food. In other words, they do, in fact, pose health concerns.

If you read my post, Foods to Improve Mental Health, you already know the risks of ultra-processed foods. Just a quick recap: they’re made primarily from extracted food substances, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. Ultra-processed foods may contain additives like artificial colors, flavors, or stabilizers (14). Other artificial ingredients in processed foods may include sodium, phosphorus, nitrates, and trans and saturated fats, all brimming with health concerns (15). I’ll discuss the health concerns in the next section.

Risks of Monosodium Glutamate

This is where it gets controversial. An article run by CNN states, “MSG is the most misunderstood ingredient of the century.” The article claims that MSG is harmless because it’s plant-derived. The article has a quote from Tia Rains, a Chicago-based nutrition scientist and the vice president of customer engagement and strategic development at the MSG company Ajinomoto, stating:

“When people tell me that they ate at a Chinese food restaurant and they had trouble breathing and tightness in their chest, I get worried – and I’d say, ‘you need to follow up on that because MSG is not an allergen. It’s not going to cause an allergic response. Our bodies make glutamate, so it would not be possible to have an allergy to glutamate (16).”

First and foremost, talk about a conflict of interest. Second, the claim is absolutely false. In my post, The Truth About Formaldehyde, I discussed natural vs. synthetic exposure, which also happens to be naturally occurring in the body. Interestingly, synthetic formaldehyde is one of my confirmed allergens (by an allergist)! With that said, just because our bodies make something naturally, it doesn’t mean we can’t be allergic. Our bodies also make cholesterol, yet too much can be detrimental to our health.

Nonetheless, it seems the scientist and MSG worker/advocate missed a crucial piece of data – MSG symptom complex.

Some people have reactions to monosodium glutamate, known as MSG symptom complex. MSG symptom complex is referred to as a group of symptoms some individuals may experience after eating food containing MSG; symptoms commonly include (7):

• Headache
• Skin flushing
• Sweating
• Numbness or burning in the mouth
• Numbness or burning in the throat
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Rapid heartbeat
• Abnormal heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling in the face
• Swelling in the throat

MSG symptom complex was first discussed in the late 1960s. Back then, it was known as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. The name came from people who experienced symptoms shortly after eating Chinese food seasoned with monosodium glutamate. Understandably, the term was criticized for being offensive and has since been renamed MSG symptom complex in medical literature (18).

While science and medical professionals try to gaslight these symptoms, claiming there is minimal scientific evidence showing a link between the above symptoms and MSG, others are speaking about the risks. For instance, Dr. Russell L. Blaylock wrote a book in 1994 called Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, citing over five hundred scientific studies as he explores the dangers of aspartame, MSG, and other substances added to our food.

It isn’t just Dr. Blaylock, either. Scientific studies have raised concerns surrounding MSG. For instance, a 2018 study’s final words were:

“In conclusion we would like to state that although MSG has proven its value as an enhancer of flavour, different studies have hinted at possible toxic effects related to this popular food-additive. These toxic effects include CNS disorder, obesity, disruptions in adipose tissue physiology, hepatic damage, CRS and reproductive malfunctions. These threats might have hitherto been underestimated. In the meantime, people keep using ever larger amounts of MSG unaware of the possible consequences. Further studies need to be undertaken in order to assess the connection between MSG and cardiovascular disorders, headache, and hypertension in human models. MSG is a controversial food-additive used in canned food, crackers, meat, salad dressings, frozen dinners and a myriad of other products. It is found in local supermarkets, restaurants and school cafeterias alike. While MSG probably has huge benefits to the food industry, the ubiquitous use of this food-additive could have negative consequences for public health. If more substantive evidence of MSG-toxicity would be provided, a total ban on the use of MSG as a flavour enhancer would not be unwise to consider19).”

The above study is just one. Of course, some studies have conflicting information, while others say better assessment studies are needed. Some studies to look over to get a full picture of MSG’s risks include:

• A review of the alleged health hazards of monosodium glutamate
• Association of monosodium glutamate intake with overweight in Chinese adults: the INTERMAP Study
• Consumption of monosodium glutamate in relation to incidence of overweight in Chinese adults: China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS)
• Differential effects of repetitive oral administration of monosodium glutamate on interstitial glutamate concentration and muscle pain sensitivity
• Does monosodium glutamate really cause headache? : a systematic review of human studies
• Effect of monosodium glutamate on lipid peroxidation and certain antioxidant enzymes in cardiac tissue of alcoholic adult male mice
• How Glutamate Is Managed by the Blood-Brain Barrier
• MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE: HEALTH RISKS, CONTROVERSIES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake is associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in a rural Thai population
• Monosodium L-glutamate-induced asthma
• Natural products as safeguards against monosodium glutamate-induced toxicity
• The interplay between monosodium glutamate (MSG) consumption and metabolic disorders

It’s difficult to make an informed decision with so much contradicting information. In the end, added MSG is highly refined and ultra-processed. MSG is most commonly found in ultra-processed foods, so let’s discuss the risks based on that evidence alone.

One study found evidence associating ultra-processed food consumption with adverse mental health outcomes (20). Research suggests that eating a diet high in processed foods increases the risk of depression (21). Another study demonstrated ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes, including health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes (22). Not to mention, excessive consumption of processed foods may damage the kidneys (23).

Additionally, added MSG increases the food’s sodium content, creating new potential health risks, such as bone loss, high blood pressure, and kidney problems (24,25,26,27).

How to Avoid Synthetic Monosodium Glutamate

It’s important to note that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) only mandates that added MSG be labeled on foods (28). If you suspect or are diagnosed with MSG symptom complex, you may be sensitive to foods naturally high in glutamate (29). Monosodium glutamate isn’t always easy to spot on the ingredients list of your food. Aside from the previously mentioned naturally occurring sources like (3,4,5,6,7):

• Cheese (Parmesan and Roquefort)
• Dairy – check out my post, The Truth About Conventional Milk
• Eggs
• Gelatin and other slow-simmered stocks
• Grapes/grape juice
• Meat (beef, fish, pork, poultry, etc.)
• Mushrooms
• Nutritional yeast (nooch)
• Protein isolates
• Soy – check out my post, The Truth About Soy Products
• Tomatoes/tomato juice
• Walnuts
• Yeast extract

Other names for MSG may include (30,31):

• Monopotassium glutamate
• Glutamate
• Glutamic acid
• Calcium caseinate
• Sodium caseinate
• Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
• Autolyzed plant protein
• Autolyzed yeast
• Yeast food or nutrient

Not only is it hard to identify MSG on labels, but it seems to be everywhere, including grab-and-go foods. Chinese food is probably the most common food with MSG (32). Of course, it doesn’t end there. Some fast-food chains use added MSG, too, like Chick-fil-A, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and Taco Bell (33,34,35).

All in all, I do not mind naturally occurring MSG. However, I do mind it when it comes from ultra-processed food sources. I recommend avoiding or limiting manufactured MSG. We should consider being mindful of what we put in our bodies because what we eat can either feed disease or encourage healing.

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