Hello All-

This week, I want to take a look at MSG, and the issues that come with it.  It is often used in restaurants, canned vegetables, soups, deli meats, and other various foods as a flavor enhancer, and in some cases in replacement of things like salt.   Some examples are –

• Fast Food (specifically chicken places, like KFC)
• Chips and snack foods (includes pretzels)
• Frozen Meals
• Soup
• Processed Meats (including hot dogs and lunch meats)
• Condiments
• Instant Noodles
• Other Seasonings used to avoid salt
• Soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce
• Fish
• Parmesan Cheese
• Tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Canned Foods
• Brown Rice

It is recognized by the FDA as SAFE, however it is still a required to be listed on the food label, and can be hidden with these words

• Monosodium glutamate
• Monopotassium glutamate
• Glutamic acid
• Vegetable protein extract
• Whey protein concentrate
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Hydrolyzed plant protein,
• Hydrolyzed soy protein
• Sodium caseinate
• Calcium caseinate
• Textured protein
• Yeast extract
• Autolyzed yeast
• Senomyx

and eating a high MSG diet can lead to other issues, such as –

• Headache
• Flushing
• Sweating
• Face pressure or tightness
• Lack of feeling (numbness), tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
• Quick, fluttering heartbeats
• Chest pain
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Weakness

Most people will only have mild symptoms and never need to be treated by a doctor, but if a doctor suspects something, usually a dietary change is highly recommended.  However, have no fear, you don’t need to completely give up everything on the prior list, places like Panera and the Frito-Lay company list MSG on their naughty list so they do not include it in a lot of their foods/products.  And places like Five Guys, make things to order, so it is a great alternative option, going more sustainable and made to order when you think about dietary changes with limiting MSG.