Is MSG really that bad for your health?

Today’s Video of the Day comes from the American Chemical Society’s Reactions series and answers the question: is MSG really that bad for your health?

MSG certainly has a bad reputation, and consumers seem to stay away from it when they can. MSG stands for monosodium glutamate and serves as a flavor enhancer that jacks up the taste of umami flavors. Umami flavors are very savory and get their name from the Japanese word “umai,” which means delicious.

Decades ago, MSG gained a bad reputation for having a negative effect on the body that triggered fatigue and numbness when consumed in large quantities. Still, scientists concluded that in normal amounts, MSG poses very little threat. But as a result of the public’s persistent weariness, restaurants and food manufacturers, specifically of Chinese food, began stamping “NO MSG added” onto their menus. The irony is that once you cover your food with soy sauce, you’re adding a whole bunch of glutamate, the main molecule in MSG.

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By Rory Arnold, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: American Chemical Society