By Cynthia Demos
CBS 4 | Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavor enhancer in a variety of foods prepared at home, in restaurants, and by food processors. Its use has become controversial in the past 30 years because of reports of adverse reactions in people who've eaten foods that contain MSG.
A nice hot bowl of soup, cheesy-flavored tortilla chips and frozen pizza and thousands of other foods often have one ingredient in common that makes them taste so good, MSG, Monosodium Glutamate.
Nutritionist Melanie Pearsall explained to CBS4, "You're eating a lot of MSG and you probably don't even realize it. It's just a baseline across a lot of foods."
Some consumers wary of MSG avoid foods containing it. Some claim side effects. Moreover, a new study now suggests MSG might contribute to weight gain.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina followed people in rural China. All of them ate healthy foods, and while some used MSG, others did not.
University researchers analyzed the data and found that those who used MSG were more likely to be overweight than non-users.
For years, animal studies suggested a possible link between MSG and obesity, but this study is the first to make the connection in humans.
The use of MSG has recently become an issue for food companies on whether to use it or not as an additive.
To avoid MSG, a consumer should read the label of foods they eat.
However, a reminder that the Food and Drug Administration reports on its website: "Ingredients that contain glutamate as an inherent component are not required to list glutamate on the label."
That includes such things like hydrolyzed protein in certain rice, beef stew and onion dip to name just a few; also found in autolyzed yeast extract in such items like veggie burgers.
Pearsall adds, "A little MSG won't hurt but if you're concerned you need to pay attention."
In 1959, the Food and Drug Administration classified MSG as a "generally recognized safe" food ingredient under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
But the use of MSG in food has remained controversial. In the 1980s, research showed that glutamate played an important role in the normal functioning of the nervous system, raising questions about whether glutamate in food could affect the nervous system.
The FDA also received numerous reports of MSG-related adverse events, including headaches, palpitations, vomiting, and nausea. While these voluntary reports were useful for drawing attention to potential problems, they were unconfirmed by controlled testing.
Because of concerns about the adverse event reports, the FDA sponsored several safety assessments which all concluded that MSG is safe when consumed at levels typically used in cooking and food manufacturing.
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