Monosodium Glutamate: MSG
To Eat or Not to Eat?By: Hyun Chung
Monosodium Glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
• Neutralization• Acid + Base H2O (l) + salt• Na+ C5H8NO4
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Chemistry professor Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University
patented MSG in 1908.
“umami”
glutamate
glutamic acid
MSG: monosodium glutamate
Does MSG cause brain damage?
Barinaga, Marcia. “MSG: a 20-year debate continues.” Science 247.4938(1990): 21. Science in Context. Web. 11 Mar. 2014
excitotoxicity: ability to excite nerve cells to death
Hirosaki University (Japan): rats given 20% MSG diets showed eye damage
Graham-Rowe, Duncan. “Keep an eye on the MSG. (This Week.”” New Scientist 176.2366 (2002): 11. Science in Context. Web. 10. Mar. 2014.
In foods, only 0.5% of MSG is added.
In 2000, researchers from UCLA, Harvard, and Northwestern studied 130 subjects who all claimed that they were sensitive to MSG. The study was double-blind. Only 2 subjects showed consistent MSG sensitivity.
Freeman, Matthew. “Reconsidering the effects of monosodium glutamate: a literature review.” Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 18(2006): 482-486
“No added MSG”