Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a sodium salt of the non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer. It has the HS code 29224220 and the E number E621. Trade names of monosodium glutamate include Ajinomoto, Vetsin, and Accent.
Although traditional Asian cuisine had often used seaweed extract, which contains high concentrations of glutamic acid, MSG was not isolated until 1907. MSG was subsequently patented by Ajinomoto Corporation of Japan in 1909.
In its pure form, it appears as a white crystalline powder; when dissolved in water or saliva, it rapidly dissociates into sodium cations and glutamate anions (glutamate is the anionic form of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid).
So What Is So Bad About MSG?
Well Excitotoxicity For One…
Because glutamate is absorbed very quickly in the gastrointestinal tract (unlike glutamic acid-containing proteins in foods), glutamate could spike blood plasma levels of glutamate. Glutamic acid is in a class of chemicals known as excitotoxins, high levels of which have been shown in animal studies to cause damage to areas of the brain unprotected by the blood-brain barrier and that a variety of chronic diseases can arise out of this neurotoxicity.
And A Link To Obesity As Well… You can read more about both of them here at Wiki:
Glutamic Acid
I’d also suggest watching the video below to learn more.
The Crazy Thing Is That MSG Hides On You!
Monosodium glutamate is one of several forms of free glutamate used in foods. Free glutamate can also be present in a wide variety of other additives, including hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, any one of which may appear as “spices” or “natural flavorings.” The food additives disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are usually used along with monosodium glutamate-containing ingredients, and provide a likely indicator of the presence of monosodium glutamate in a product. For this reason, the FDA considers labels such as “No MSG” or “No Added MSG” to be misleading if the food contains ingredients that are sources of free glutamate, such as hydrolyzed protein.
Food Additives that always contain MSG:
gelatin, calcium caseinate, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), textured protein, hydrogenated vegetable oil, monopotassium glutamate, hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), yeast extract, glutamate, autolyzed plant protein, yeast food or nutrient, glutamic acid, sodium caseinate, autolyzed yeast.
Food Additives that often contain MSG:
natural flavors, flavors, flavoring, malted barley, modified food starch, barley malt, reaction flavors, rice syrup or brown rice syrup, malt extract or flavoring, natural chicken, beef, or pork, flavoring, seasonings, lipolyzed butter fat, maltodextrin, dextrose, dextrates, soy sauce or extract, caramel flavoring (coloring), soy protein, corn syrup and corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, stock, soy protein iIsolate or concentrate, citric acid, broth, cornstarch fructose, milk powder, bouillon, flowing agents, dry milk solids, carrageenan, wheat, rice, corn, or oat protein, protein fortified milk, whey protein or whey, anything enriched or vitamin enriched, annatto, whey protein isolate or concentrate, protein fortified “anything”, spice, pectin, enzyme modified “anything”, gums (guar and vegetable), protease, ultra-pasteurized “anything”, dough conditioners, protease enzymes, fermented “anything”, yeast nutrients, lecithin, gluten and gluten flour, protein powders: whey, soy, oat, rice (as in protein bars shakes and body building drinks), amino acids, wheat/ barley grass powders, artificial flavor.
Both those lists were taken from this series of videos:
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