“MSG is harmful to your health”

The widespread belief that monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is harmful to health largely stems from a single letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1968. A doctor described experiencing symptoms like numbness and weakness after eating at a Chinese restaurant and speculated that MSG might be a culprit, among other ingredients. This speculation quickly led to the coining of the term "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" (CRS), which became a popular, though misleading, label. The myth gained traction in a cultural climate already marked by anti-Asian sentiment, contributing to the unfair stigmatization of Chinese cuisine.

Despite the persistent misconception, extensive scientific research conducted over decades has consistently found no evidence that MSG causes adverse health effects at normal dietary levels. Regulatory bodies worldwide, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United Nations' Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), have classified MSG as "generally recognized as safe." Studies have shown that the human body metabolizes glutamate from MSG identically to glutamate naturally found in foods like tomatoes and cheese. Early studies that seemed to support the myth often used flawed methodologies, such as injecting extremely high doses of MSG into animals, which does not reflect typical human consumption.

People continue to believe the myth due to the initial sensationalism, the widespread use of the term "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," and the fact that many restaurants began advertising "No MSG" to reassure customers, inadvertently reinforcing the idea of its harm. While a very small percentage of individuals might experience mild, temporary symptoms after consuming unusually large quantities of MSG without food, these reactions are rare and not consistently reproducible in controlled studies. Interestingly, MSG has been widely used in many Western processed foods for decades without similar public outcry, highlighting a cultural double standard.