Monosodium Glutamate

The Differences Between Monosodium Glutamate and Gluten

Although they have similar-sounding names, monosodium glutamate, or MSG, and gluten are different substances. Many people have sensitivities to MSG, and many others are sensitive to gluten. Some people are sensitive to both, and others have no sensitivity to either. Understanding the differences between these two substances is vital to avoiding foods that could trigger a reaction.

All About Monosodium Glutamate

Disodium Guanylate vs. Monosodium Glutamate

As all-natural and organic foods gain popularity, flavor enhancers and other food additives are under greater scrutiny and people want to learn more about them. Monosodium glutamate and disodium guanylate are two substances com...

Monosodium Glutamate Alternatives

Monosodium glutamate, also called MSG, is the amino acid glutamic acid converted into a sodium salt. It is used as a food additive usually found in processed meats, Chinese cuisine, canned vegetables and soups. MSG enhances the...

Monosodium Glutamate Properties

You may know monosodium glutamate -- MSG -- as an additive found in many Asian cooking dishes, such as noodles and rice. This compound also is associated with causing negative symptoms when you eat foods that contain MSG, rangi...

An MSG Allergy and a Flushed Face

Monosodium glutamate occurs naturally in some cheeses, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce and tomatoes, reports the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. It was first extracted from seaweed in 1908 and is a common f...

Monosodium Glutamate and Cancer

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavoring used in foods, including Chinese food, processed meats, soups and canned vegetables. It is a combination of sodium and the amino acid glutamate. Although MSG is "generally recognized...

Monosodium Glutamate & Headaches

Monosodium glutamate is a non-essential amino acid. In its salt form, it is commonly used as a flavor-enhancing food additive. Before the proliferation of Chinese restaurants in the late 1960s, MSG was not widely used in the Un...

Role of Monosodium Glutamate in Epileptic Attacks

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is a food additive that enhances flavor. It's used in Chinese food, but it's a common ingredient in many foods on grocery store shelves. Over the years people have blamed MSG for a host ...

Can Monosodium Glutamate Cause Seizures?

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, provides a savory flavor profile in a variety of common foods, including processed meats, canned soups and vegetables, Chinese food and spice mixes. Some people who eat MSG-containing foods report ...

What Are the Dangers of MSG Overload?

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a flavor enhancer responsible for the umami taste and is commonly added in some restaurants and processed foods. Dietitian Katherine Zeratsky explains that although MSG is recognized as safe by ...

The Significance of Monosodium Glutamate

You may have noticed the "No MSG" statement on your Chinese takeout menu -- it looks important and sounds better for you, even if you're not sure what MSG is. MSG stands for monosodium glutamate, a flavoring, and it's not just ...

Monosodium Glutamate Ingredients

Monosodium glutamate, commonly abbreviated as MSG, is a substance commonly used as an ingredient in certain kinds of food, including canned vegetables and soups, dips, spice mixes, Chinese food and processed meats. It provides ...

The Toxicity of Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate is a naturally occurring compound found in seaweed that has been used for thousands of years in Asian cooking. It is a popular ingredient in many restaurants and packaged foods to boost flavor and to serve...

Is Monosodium Glutamate Unhealthy?

Monosodium glutamate -- also known as MSG -- is a food additive and flavor enhancer for many types of foods in the American diet. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved it for the foods you eat, its use has be...

Monosodium Glutamate Benefits

Monosodium glutamate is an additive used to enhance the flavor of your food. This white substance is the sodium salt of L-glutamic acid, an amino acid that occurs naturally in food. Monosodium glutamate resembles salt or sugar ...

Monosodium Glutamate Hazards

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is an additive that is used to make foods taste better, but is also linked to serious health hazards. You can find monosodium glutamate in cheese powders, broths, soups, meats, soy sauce, soy prote...

The Effects of Monosodium Glutamate Foods

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is an additive used to give processed foods and restaurant fare a rich, savory taste. "Chinese restaurant syndrome" refers to a variety of symptoms purportedly related to MSG that first arose in th...

Monosodium Glutamate Problems

If you avoid eating Chinese food, canned soups and certain processed meats because of adverse reactions, you may have an allergy or sensitivity to a food additive called MSG, or monosodium glutamate. MSG has received a lot of c...

Does Monosodium Glutamate Cause Cancer?

The foods that are most likely to contain monosodium glutamate, or MSG, are canned goods, store-bought soups, processed meats and Chinese dishes. The Food and Drug Administration classifies MSG as a "Group II" food additive. Th...

Studies on the Effects of Glutamate

Glutamate refers to the salt of glutamic acid, which works in the body as a neurotransmitter. Unless you're a biomedical scientist odds are when you think of glutamate you're actually thinking of monosodium glutamate -- an addi...

Monosodium Glutamate Syndrome

Monosodium glutamate syndrome came to light in 1968 when individuals first began complaining of certain symptoms after eating Chinese food. Because such food often contains monosodium glutamate, or MSG, the condition has become...

Safety of Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is a flavor enhancer that is made by fermenting a substance such as corn, molasses, sugar cane, sugar beets or starch, according to Health Services at Columbia University. MSG is commonl...

The Harmful Effects of Monosodium Glutamate

Typically associated with Chinese food, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a common food additive used in some restaurants and processed foods. MSG is used to improve flavor as well as tenderize meat. MSG first came under criticism ...

What Are the Myths of Monosodium Glutamate?

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, enhances the flavor of food -- particularly in meat dishes. Chinese cuisine makes heavy use of MSG for taste and texture. However, since the 1960s, many anecdotal reports have linked sickness and f...

Is Monosodium Glutamate a Gluten?

Monosodium glutamate is a controversial additive to many processed foods. It is an amino acid that enhances foods' flavor, but may cause adverse reactions in sensitive people. Monosodium glutamate may sound like gluten, and is ...

Monosodium Glutamate Poisoning

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a food additive used to enhance flavor. Manufacturers add MSG to canned foods, processed meats and other foods. Monosodium glutamate is a common ingredient in Chinese food. The U.S. Food and Dru...

Monosodium Glutamate Toxicity in the Kidneys

Your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood and controlling the levels of different minerals and other substances that are excreted in your urine. Food additives such as monosodium glutamate may be dangerous for the ...

Reaction of the Body to Monosodium Glutamate

The correlation between ingesting monosodium glutamate, or MSG, and adverse reactions that could occur in the body is inconclusive. According to MedlinePlus, reports in 1968 that claimed serous reactions occurred after eating C...

Monosodium Glutamate Reactions

Monosodium glutamate, or also known as MSG, is a chemical food additive that has been connected to various reactions. The most common reactions from MSG fall into two main categories; food intolerance and an allergic reaction. ...

What is Monosodium Glutamate Good for?

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a food additive present in hundreds of processed and restaurant foods. It is an amino acid that enhances the flavor of food. While the additive is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administr...

How to Detect Monosodium Glutamate

Restaurants and food manufacturers use monosodium glutamate, or MSG, as a flavor enhancer. It's made from an amino acid, glutamate, but it's not an amino acid. Because it's a component of a substance your body needs, the food i...

Allergic Reaction to Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, is a food additive that is used to enhance the flavor in certain foods. It is a controversial ingredient that has been blamed for various reactions. Although you can develop an aller...

How to Remove Monosodium Glutamate From Body

Monosodium glutamate is often used to preserve food and enhance flavor. MSG is frequently found in a wide variety of foods, including restaurant food, canned soups and processed meats. Some people experience negative side effec...

Neurological Effect of Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate is a common food additive and flavor enhancer used commercially for about a century. Like many food additives, it has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, food addiction, migraine...

Monosodium Glutamate & Celiac Disease

A gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment for celiac disease. Some parents believe these forms of gluten also cause symptoms in their children with autism, so they use a gluten-free diet. While many preservatives, stab...

Monosodium Glutamate During Pregnancy

Monosodium glutamate is a controversial food additive "generally recognized as safe" by the Food and Drug Administration, according to MayoClinic.com. It does have the potential of causing allergic reactions and sensitivities i...

Monosodium Glutamate & MSG Substitutes

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid and a flavor enhancer discovered by Kikunae Ikeda at the University of Tokyo in 1907 while attempting to identify the taste component in the dried kelp konbu. He...

Substitutes for Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive used to enhance flavor. It is common in Chinese food, processed meat, canned soups and canned vegetables. The FDA classes MSG as "generally recognized as safe," but over the past de...

The Side Effects of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Called at times the Chinese restaurant syndrome, the side effects of eating foods containing monosodium glutamate, or MSG, are similar to those of an allergic reaction. Although less than 15 percent of Americans are sensitive t...

Other Names for MSG or Monosodium Glutamate

Canned vegetables, soups and processed meats commonly contain monosodium glutamate to enhance their flavor. The Food and Drug Administration classifies MSG as generally safe although people sensitive to MSG may suffer from adve...

Why Is Monosodium Glutamate Bad for You?

You may be familiar with the controversy surrounding monosodium glutamate, also notoriously known as MSG. MSG is a food additive that enhances flavors already present in food and is "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, by t...

The Truth About Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the sodium salt of the naturally occurring amino acid glutamate, or glutamic acid. Used as a flavor enhancer since its discovery in 1908 by chemist Kikunae Ikeda of Japan, MSG brings out the sav...

What Is the Function of Monosodium Glutamate?

Many foods contain additives that are designed to enhance their flavors. One such chemical additive is known as monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Monosodium glutamate is commonly added to Chinese food, and despite concerns over its...

Monosodium Glutamate Information

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a combination of water, sodium and the amino acid glutamate, used as a flavor-enhancing additive in food preparation. Glutamate is present naturally in nearly all protein-containing foods and is...

Lists of Foods Containing Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is a food additive that is classified by the FDA as a food ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," reports MayoClinic.com. However, many people are sensitive to its effects an...

Foods to Avoid That Contain Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate or MSG is a common food additive found in a variety of different foods. Some adverse effects associated with MSG consumption include headache, flushing, chest pain, nausea and weakness, according to the May...

Monosodium Glutamate Diet Plan

Monosodium glutamate is a food additive that may cause reactions ranging from mild to severe in some individuals. The food additive can make foods tastier and more appealing and is commonly used in commercially prepared foods. ...

Monosodium Glutamate Health Effects

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a common food additive that has been used as both a flavor enhancer and preservative. MSG has been associated with the so-called "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," which describes adverse reactions ...

Monosodium Glutamate and Obesity

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes monosodium glutamate, a popular food additive known better as MSG, as safe. However, news reports and scientific research question whether MSG is healthy and whether it's part of...

Health Concerns With Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a common food additive used in Chinese foods, canned foods and processed meat. MSG is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but there are health concerns that surround this additive...

Monosodium Glutamate Facts

Monosodium glutamate is a food additive with a decades-old history of controversy. MSG is often blamed for unpleasant symptoms that follow its consumption -- namely after eating Asian food, giving rise to a curious phenomenon c...

Bad Effects of Monosodium Glutamate

Consuming foods that contain monosodium glutamate, or MSG, often causes a wide range of side effects. Many different types of foods contain MSG. If you are sensitive to this chemical, check food labels to ensure products do not...

Monosodium Glutamate Allergy

Monosodium glutamate, commonly found in Chinese food, canned foods and processed meats, is a food additive that enhances the flavor of the food. As with any food additive, you may develop an allergy to the ingredient. In some p...

Monosodium Glutamate Foods

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, soups and processed meats. MayoClinic.com reports that although the Food and Drug Administration has recognized MSG as a food ingredient that is...

Adverse Effects of Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, also called MSG, is a type of food additive used to flavor and preserve certain types of food such as Chinese food, processed meat and soup. Although the FDA has declared MSG "safe," using this ingredient ...

Monosodium Glutamate Risks

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is a food additive used to enhance flavor in soups, gravies, Chinese foods, canned vegetables, processed meat and other packaged foods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, sta...

What Are the Dangers of Monosodium Glutamate?

Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, is a food additive often added to Chinese food, but also used in processed foods like canned soups or meats, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is meant to enhance flavor but some peop...

Health Risks of Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, also called MSG, is used as a flavor enhancer in many food products. It is often found in Chinese food, canned soups and vegetables and processed meats. According to the Mayo Clinic, MSG has been classifie...

Monosodium Glutamate Symptoms

Monosodium glutamate is a common food additive, particularly in Chinese cuisine found in the Western world. It also typically appears in processed meat products, canned soups and vegetables, according to MayoClinic.com. This ch...

What Is Wrong With Monosodium Glutamate?

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is often thought of as a health hazard. This reputation may be at unfounded, however. Most major health organizations, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Healt...

Examples of Food With Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, may cause adverse reactions in some people. This food additive acts as a flavor enhancer and is commonly found in canned vegetables, soups, processed meats and Chinese food, according to the Mayo Clinic. D...

Monosodium Glutamate Issues

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, a natural amino acid. MSG is commonly used as a food additive, both as a preservative and flavor enhancer. It is predominantly identified by its excessive use i...

How Does Monosodium Glutamate Work?

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a food additive used to enhance flavor. People often equate MSG with Chinese food; however, it is found in a number of different foods, both as an additive and naturally occurring, according to ...

Effects of Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate is considered safe for most people by the Federal Drug Administration as well as major health groups such as the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association, though these organizations do...

About Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is a chemical substance that is widely used in prepared foods to enhance flavor. It is derived from glutamate, a naturally occurring substance found in foods like meats and dairy product...

What Is Monosodium Glutamate?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) gained notoriety when it was first associated with "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome": a combination of headache, dizziness and other symptoms that some people experience after eating at a Chinese restaura...

What Is Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG?

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a commonly used food additive. It is made from sodium and an amino acid (protein) known as glutamic acid, and used as a flavor enhancer. Although it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis...