The Truth About MSG And Your Health [Infographic]

The Truth About MSG And Your Health [Infographic]

MSG – or Monosodium glutamate to give it its proper name – is widely believed to contain dangerous toxins. The once popular food additive has been shunned by many Australian Chinese restaurants who proudly proclaim their dishes are now “MSG free”. But do we really need to be worried? Not according to this infographic from Compound Interest.

MSG has been blamed for everything from blinding headaches to unexplained numbness and it has been lambasted by many nutritionists as a result. However, it seems that this reputation is largely undeserved. The scientific evidence against the additive is scant, at best.

Interestingly, the ingredient is chemically identical to naturally occurring glutamate ions which are found in numerous foods including tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms and potatoes. Furthermore, there are precisely zero scientific studies linking MSG to any known health defects.

With that said, a small percentage of people do experience unpleasant symptoms after ingesting lots of MSG (approximately three grams or more, according to the infographic.) Mind you, the same thing can be said about many foods and liquids. Just because some people have an intolerance doesn’t mean it’s bad for everybody!

You can check out the full infographic below:

The Truth About MSG And Your Health [Infographic]

[Via Compound Interest]


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