5.12.2010

The Many Names for MSG


Yesterday, I talked about MSG: what it is, what types of foods it’s found in, and what it does inside the body. It’s something we want to keep out of our diet as much as possible, but in order to do that we need to know what to look for on food labels.


Some labels will shamelessly say “monosodium glutamate”. Fine – those ones are easy to pick out. You’ll find this on things like Doritos, Cheetos, and many soy sauces. However, MSG can be very slightly chemically altered, which then allows food manufacturers to call it something else on the label. And these forms of MSG still contain glutamic acid and carry the same health risks, so we need to look out for them.


Remember, MSG affects us all in different ways – some may react immediately to it and for others, it may take years of MSG ingestion before they start noticing symptoms. People especially sensitive to MSG include children with autism; people with allergies; those with an unhealthy liver; someone with a CoQ10 deficiency; people who suffer from epilepsy, fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, or Parkinson’s disease; someone with a magnesium deficiency or a B-vitamin deficiency; and people with Type I diabetes.


Alternative names for MSG:


Autolyzed plant protein

Calcium caseinate

Gelatin

Glutamate

Glutamic acid

Hydrolyzed plant protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Monopotassium glutamate

Sodium caseinate

Textured protein

Yeast extract

Vegetable protein extract


Some alternative names substances that contain varying amounts of MSG are listed below. These may be okay in small amounts depending on how sensitive one is, but often a food item contains three or more of these ingredients, which is something to watch for.


Barley malt

Bouillon

Brown rice syrup

Citric acid

Malt extract or flavoring

Modified food starch

Natural flavors or flavorings (this one is very common)

Natural meat flavorings (beef, pork, etc.)

Natural seasonings

Rice syrup

Soy extract or sauce

Soy protein isolate

Ultra-pasteurized

Some of these ingredients are fairly common, which is disappointing. Yet another reason to focus on fresh, whole foods! Just read labels carefully, though, and if you or one of your kids has some type of strange reaction after eating something, be aware that it could be from the MSG. To see a more complete list of foods containing MSG, go here.


What about soy sauce?






One PWN reader e-mailed me yesterday to ask if Kikkoman Soy Sauce contains MSG. The answer is yes, unfortunately. Soy sauce is one of the biggest offenders! We use Ohsawa organic Nama Shoyu at our house. It’s an unpasteurized soy sauce, and it’s only ingredients are organically grown whole soybeans, mountain spring water, organically grown whole wheat, and sea salt. Pretty safe, and it tastes just as good as regular soy sauce to me! You can find this product at most natural food stores. We often bring sushi or Japanese food home and eat it with this soy sauce, to avoid having to use the restaurant types that typically are high in MSG.



23 comments:

  1. Ann, thank you so much for posting these articles about MSG. I actually sent it to a friend who has a child with autism and epilepsy with the hope that she can better identify MSG on food labels.
    This is extremely useful information and great for everyone to know!

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  2. Kikkoman soy sauce contains: soybeans, wheat, salt and water - pretty much the same as the ingredients in the brand you advertise. I understand that the fermentation process creates free-glutamic acid, but in that case, how do the 2 brands differ?

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    1. I agree. I don't see any MSG on the Kikkoman Soy sauce label

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    2. Many foods that contain MSG do not list them on the label because the MSG was not added as an ingredient; rather, it either is created naturally during a fermentation process (as is the case with the soy sauce), or is listed on the label under a name other than MSG (See the "alternate names" list above, as well as other names you can find online).

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  3. Hi, I'm curious to know the answer to the comment posted by Anonymous above.

    Our Kikkoman soy sauce does not list MSG as an ingredient either. We eat a fair amount of sushi in our house, so I would really like to know if Kikkoman does have MSG or not?

    Thanks for a very informed post!

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  4. Referring to the two posts above. I am currently doing research over Kikkoman and MSG. I have been doing this for sometime now and I would like to just say. Yes it does contain MSG. Sorry. But they do not label it as such but a "secret ingredient" or a "Natural Flavor". As to not shoot down their production or have a decrease in sales. MSG awareness is an ever spreading event and many big corporations are not wanting to lose their business because of it so are trying to cover it up. Different names, different ways to put it in, etc. As for the two brands differing. The one mentioned does not go through fermentation thus does not bring about free glutamic acid which can have a chemical process bringing about MSG. Fermentation is in itself can produce the harmful flavoring.

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  5. What rubbish: MSG stands for Mono-Sodium Glutamate which as a chemical compound, so the list of 'alternative names' is wrong - all the items in this list are substances of different nature, purpose, chemical properties or structure. Do some googling before you post, will you?

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    1. you need to do your research - read truth in labeling, msg myths, Dr. Russell Blaylock, "Excitotoxins the Taste that Kills - msg is guilty. Naturally fermented foods create it as well but are actually healthy for most people. It is the manufactured msg that is toxic. And it is hidden in many, many foods. See Jon Erb's 2006 presentation to the WHO.

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  6. The above poster should really do some research before vomiting text about a topic he/she obviously knows nothing about. For the benefit of the others, here is an informative presentation that was made to the WHO (World Health Organization) pertaining to the effects of MSG on the broad public... http://healthwyze.org/archive/msg_report.pdf

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  7. MSG is perfectly safe, I add it to loads of stuff to add flavour.

    All this is just a bunch of paranoia

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  8. MSG or mono-sodium glutamate is a natural occurring chemical compound in multiple fruits and meats and is used intentionally(as a powder added to food items) or unintentional(fermented sauces that naturally develop glutamates have dated back to ancient Rome) for the chemical reaction of glutamate salts with the nucleotides present in every single natural food(most so in meats due to its presence in DNA) for its resulting strong umami taste that makes broths, fermented sauces, and even regular ketchup pair well with meats and makes food taste more rich.

    While there are culinary benefits of using umami rich broths and sauces; the main issue with MSG consumption is fears over health downsides to the consumption of the glutimates for allergic reactions and interference with neurological transmitters, However; due to a more passing understanding of MSG by most consumers these health concerns have become overblown.

    First, it feels important to address MSG acting as an exiteotoxins as mentioned above in the comment section. While there are studies showing that high levels of MSG intake in baby mice has resulted in neurological defects(studies cited in 'Excitotoxins, the Taste That Kills'); The experiments procedure is unrealistic to a dietary standpoint. The experiments procedure was to inject large doses of MSG directly into the mice' blood stream; however, dietary mechanics are rather different than injection when it comes to nutrient intake. To reach the amount of sustained MSG blood level in the experiment by eating it rather than injecting it, you would need to ingest a truly ridiculous amount of MSG on a continuous basis; much more than the American's average daily MSG intake of .5g. So while yes, MSG has been shown to have these effects in laboratory experiments, it is nearly impossible to match these conditions in a real life setting.

    Then there is the so called "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" or people having allergic reactions to MSG. To make a long story short, there has been very little proof showing consistent reactions to high levels of MSG; any reactions are short term and purely superficial and does not happen recurrently in subjects. The reason I am not considering this as a serious concern to be addressed is it is more of a personal choice. I don't think there is something wrong with not eating high MSG food to avoid the discomfort, just as I don't think there is something wrong with avoiding spicy foot to prevent some "digestional distress". However; that does not mean that MSG is harmful to you.

    Basically; while it is not perfectly safe to gobble down of a big ol' tub of the stuff with a spoon, in the amounts commonly found in food MSG(along with other glutimates) will cause you no harm and amp up the flavors of many dishes that you may prepare. There is no reason to be afraid of that umami goodness that is found in fish, shellfish, eggs, chicken, cheese, mushrooms, nuts, grapes, tomato, kimchi, and fermented sauces.

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    1. It is well known among cardiologists that msg can trigger episodes of atrial fibrillation in susceptible patients

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  9. the msg be giving me the headache

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    1. Realy bad headache and very agresive mood after MSG in food

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  12. I have to be so careful reading labels vas within a few minutes of ingesting MSG by accident i immediately go into afib which can last several days. I know others who have to go to the hospital because of accidental ingestion.
    This is a real danger to a lot of us folks.

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