Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is the Sodium Salt of Glutamic Acid or Glutamate. The Sodium salt of glutamic Acid enhances the flavor but in large amounts, may cause chest pain, sensation of facial pressure, headaches, burning sensation, excessive fluid retention, and sweating. Medical Doctors call these specific MSG-induced symptoms "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome." Ingestion of MSG raises plasma glutamate concentrations 11- fold; whereas a wholesome protein meal balanced with other amino acids does not raise plasma glutamate. Research reports that the body uses glutamate, an amino acid, as a nerve impulse transmitter and that there are glutamate-responsive tissues all over the body. Abnormal function of glutamate receptors has been linked with certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's chorea. Injections of glutamate in laboratory animals have resulted in damage to nerve cells in the brain. Consumption of glutamate as from protein foods, however, does not appear to cause this effect.
Most people can consume dietary glutamate in large amounts or their body can metabolize glutamate efficiently. In humans, the probable causes of MSG-induced symptoms are hypothesized related to the sodium-potassium imbalance or the absence of enzymes necessary to metabolize the sodium-rich anion form of Glutamic Acid through normal channels. When too much sodium-rich Glutamate results, dehydration from electrolyte imbalances may result. Any stress to the sensitive systemic electrolyte balance during hyperthermic endurance result in performance-limiting experience and premature fatigue.
Animal studies conducted in the 1980s however raised a significant question: Can MSGinduced glutamates harm the nervous system? The 1995 report from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) identifies two groups of people who may develop a condition the report refers to as "MSG symptom complex." One group is those who may be intolerant consuming in a large amounts of MSG. The second is a group of people with severe, poorly controlled asthma. These people, in addition to being prone to MSG symptom complex, may suffer a reaction resulting in asthmatic symptoms after consuming MSG. The MSG dosage that produced reactions in these people ranged from 0.5 grams to 2.5 grams. In otherwise healthy MSG-intolerant people, the MSG symptom complex tends to occur within one hour after eating 3 grams or more of MSG on an empty stomach or without other food. A typical serving of glutamatetreated food contains less than 0.5 grams of MSG. A reaction is most likely if the MSG is eaten in a large quantity or in a liquid, such as a clear soup. The FDA has proposed that foods containing significant amounts of free glutamate (not bound in protein along with other amino acids) declare glutamate on the label. This would allow consumers to distinguish between foods with insignificant free glutamate levels and those that might contribute to a reaction. While scientists debate the issue, consumption of too much MSG prior to an event may create excessive extracellular fluid stores raising body weight significantly. Allergenic reaction may also be exaggerated.
Most people can consume dietary glutamate in large amounts or their body can metabolize glutamate efficiently. In humans, the probable causes of MSG-induced symptoms are hypothesized related to the sodium-potassium imbalance or the absence of enzymes necessary to metabolize the sodium-rich anion form of Glutamic Acid through normal channels. When too much sodium-rich Glutamate results, dehydration from electrolyte imbalances may result. Any stress to the sensitive systemic electrolyte balance during hyperthermic endurance result in performance-limiting experience and premature fatigue.
Animal studies conducted in the 1980s however raised a significant question: Can MSGinduced glutamates harm the nervous system? The 1995 report from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) identifies two groups of people who may develop a condition the report refers to as "MSG symptom complex." One group is those who may be intolerant consuming in a large amounts of MSG. The second is a group of people with severe, poorly controlled asthma. These people, in addition to being prone to MSG symptom complex, may suffer a reaction resulting in asthmatic symptoms after consuming MSG. The MSG dosage that produced reactions in these people ranged from 0.5 grams to 2.5 grams. In otherwise healthy MSG-intolerant people, the MSG symptom complex tends to occur within one hour after eating 3 grams or more of MSG on an empty stomach or without other food. A typical serving of glutamatetreated food contains less than 0.5 grams of MSG. A reaction is most likely if the MSG is eaten in a large quantity or in a liquid, such as a clear soup. The FDA has proposed that foods containing significant amounts of free glutamate (not bound in protein along with other amino acids) declare glutamate on the label. This would allow consumers to distinguish between foods with insignificant free glutamate levels and those that might contribute to a reaction. While scientists debate the issue, consumption of too much MSG prior to an event may create excessive extracellular fluid stores raising body weight significantly. Allergenic reaction may also be exaggerated.
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