Medical mysteries PASS THE MSG, PLEASE

WRITER: FRED HILTON

ARE THOSE TERRIBLE THINGS PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THIS FLAVOR ENHANCER REALLY TRUE?

Occasionally, our next-door neighbor Boo would invite us over and cook steaks on the grill. No, I don’t know why they called him “Boo,” but I do know he wasn’t at all shy about putting MSG on the steaks while they cooked. He announced it proudly and loudly: “More MSG!

More MSG!” His steaks were wonderful and I had no trouble sleeping the night after eating Boo’s MSG-laced steaks. Of course, the whiskey sours he served might have helped, too.

On the other hand, any time I eat Asian food, I toss and turn all night despite the fact the restaurant’s menu proclaims “NO MSG!” in capital letters.

First, what exactly is MSG? MSGTruth.org explains it like this: “MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a salt of the amino acid glutamic acid (glutamate). A salt is the chemical name for a molecule held together by opposite charges. Basically one (mono) sodium atom is ‘stuck’ to the amino acid glutamate.”

Second, does MSG deserve the blame for sleeplessness and a handful of other ailments? Most of the scientific community says MSG is getting a bum rap and doesn’t really cause any of those horrible things.

Katherine Zeratsky, a nutritionist with the Mayo Clinic, says MSG has been accused of causing the following disorders: headaches, fl facial pressure, numbness in the face or neck, heart palpitations, chest pain, nausea, or weakness. However, she says, “Researchers have found no defi evidence of a link between MSG and these symptoms.”

She admits a few people may have short-term reactions but they are usually mild.

Yale Scientifi agrees: “Although the stigma of this additive may still persist, the use of MSG and other related glutamates is generally perceived by the scientifi community to be harmless.”

New York Times sentiments: “Chinese restaurant syndrome has been thoroughly debunked” but MSG still “has a stigma that will not go away.”

Of course, there are always those who stick to the dark side of MSG’s reputation. Writing for the Global Healing Center, Dr. Edward Group III calls MSG a “toxic substance” and adds that anyone experiencing any ailments after consuming the whiskey sours. lutamate-msg/; “Why Do Americans Still Think MSG Is Bad for You?” http://alllooksame.com/?p=696; “Is MSG Bad for You?” by Renee Wu. Yale Scientifi c Magazine www.yalescientifi c.org/2011/04/is-msg-bad-for-you/ (Accessed Oct. 24, 2013)

FRED HILTON spent 36 years as the chief public relations officer/spokesman for James Madison University in Virginia and 10 years prior as a reporter and editor for The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia. He is now happily retired in The Villages with his interior designer wife, Leta, their Cadillac Escalade golf cart, and their dog, Paris. (Yes, that makes her Paris Hilton).