What is MSG?

Simply stated, MSG is Mono Sodium Glutamate. Great, that’s what the acronym stands for, but what is it? Scientifically speaking, it is one of the non-essential amino acids and physically it is the salt from Glutamic acid. The real question is, that if it’s good for us or not.

MSG is typically used as a food additive to enhance the flavor of otherwise bland foods. So it works kind of like regular salt. If we look further into that comparison we know that regular salt or sodium chloride is good for us, in certain amounts.

If we consume too much of it then we begin to develop health issues, and things like high blood pressure can ensue. I guess what I’m trying to get out of that comparison is that we need to practice moderation.

Side Effects May Include

In recent years, MSG has been associated with certain illness symptoms like headache, nausea, and sweating. There is a lot of information out there regarding different preservatives and flavor enhancers such as mono sodium glutamate.

I remember when I first became obsessed with fitness and nutrition. I was very focused on eating significantly less calories than I was used to. That helped me to lose weight but it did not help me to become more healthy. Unfortunately, I was still eating several foods that had added chemicals such as MSG.

From what I have mentioned so far, you may think that I am saying that MSG is a bad thing. Well, if you are, that’s not necessarily true. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, mono sodium glutamate is an amino acid.

Building Blocks of Protein

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and protein is one of the three most important nutrients for our bodies. So it actually seems like MSG would be a good thing. It is after all naturally occurring.

The problem occurs when manufacturers take high concentrations of the glutamic salts and add them to other foods. Whenever we discover that something in our manufactured food is bad for us, we start to think of it as a huge conspiracy that the manufacturers have created.

While I’m not ruling that out entirely, there are other factors to consider. No matter how different we are as people, our daily lives are filled with problems to which we need to find the solution.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Adding MSG was originally a solution used by manufacturers to make their food taste better so that people would want to eat it. I believe it got it’s start somewhere in Asia. From a basic stand point it doesn’t seem bad at all.

Here we have a natural occurring food that we want to add to other foods to make them taste better. The problem is, those foods aren’t combined for a reason. As I hope we all know by now, too much of a good tasting thing can be dangerous for our health.

It is best to look for MSG on labels and avoid eating fast food as often as possible. Focus the bulk of your diet on foods that are in their original and natural state, and your health will be significantly greater.