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”