msg

Do you cringe when someone mentions MSG (monosodium glutamate)? While it gets a bad rap as causing Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, most scientific studies prove that moderate amounts of this flavor enhancer have no adverse effects on healthy people. The studies don't seem to really matter though, since MSG has the reputation of causing headaches, nausea, dizziness, numbing of the lips (weird), and heart palpitations, so most people try to avoid it.

It's hard though, since MSG can be found in many food products, and the list of ingredients won't necessarily say "monosodium glutamate." Other food additives contain MSG too such as hydrolyzed soy protein, glutamic acid, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, and autolyzed yeast. That means many common products have hidden MSG in them. Want to know which ones? Then read more

You might have seen the sign at a Chinese restaurant declaring "No MSG." There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding the white crystalline powder known as MSG, the initials stand for Monosodium Glutamate. Since that is a quite a mouthful we shall stick to calling it MSG.

MSG has been used in Asian cooking for centuries to enhance the flavor of food. Originally made by brewing a broth from seaweed, the chemical properties were isolated in the early 1900s. Today MSG is made from fermented sugar beet or sugar cane molasses, in a process quite similar to the way soy sauce is made. Found predominantly in Asian cooking, MSG has wheedled its way into the North American food industry where it is used to add flavor to packaged foods such as soups, sauces, seasonings, and instant snacks. It is also sold in the U.S. under the brand name Accent (Ajinomoto in Japan).

While the FDA has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial. "Generally safe" in this case means asthmatics should avoid food containing MSG, since it might cause MSG syndrome. Once known as "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," the symptoms of the syndrome include: headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations and bronchospasm (this is the side effect worse for asthmatics). There is serious debate in the scientific community if MSG is the culprit. On the other end of the spectrum some folks of the alternative medicine community believe that MSG contributes to Alzheimer's and other long term health problems, but there is no evidence to support these claims.

If you are trying to avoid MSG, it is important to know it has many aliases and here are a few: glutamic acid, hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed protein, textured protein, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, calcium caseinate, and sodium caseinate.

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Ever had a migraine? If you answered "no" - well then you are lucky. If you answered "yes" you don't need me to tell you that migraine headaches are both unbearable and disabling. You feel severe pain on one or both sides of your head, or behind your eyes. You develop an extreme sensitivity to light and sound, and may even become nauseous from the pain. All you want to do is crawl into a dark, soundless cave, and wrap yourself in a blanket and wait until the awful nauseating pain passes.

The thing with migraines is that they can be really inconsistent, showing up with no obvious cause. Many people's migraines may be triggered by environment, sickness, or diet. Some women experience hormonal triggers, like mestruation. Stress, too much or too little sleep, alcohol, and weather changes can also cause a migraine.

Certain foods or smells can also trigger a migraine. Eating foods with MSG (monosodium glutamate) or strong smells from perfumes or chemicals like in paint can also cause a migraine.

How can you get relief? To find out, read more