Feb

19

MSG

Filed Under Food Allergy 

Suspect that you have symptoms?  I first made the connection some years ago about my allergy to MSG.  I had just eaten a plate of wanton noodles, which I bought from a hawker stall in a food court in Marina Square Shopping Center, during lunch break some years ago.

Within minutes after my meal, after getting off from the table, I experienced MSG allergy symptoms which include a burning sensation all over my body.  I felt a chill run down my spine and the hairs on my arms were standing. I was in a flush and perspiring, and thought that I was about to faint. 

I had to grab a seat as I was unable to stand. I immediately realized that it had to do with the noodles that I just ate.  Since there were nothing else that I appeared to be allergic to,
I concluded that the peppery soup that came with the soup might have contained MSG. Luckily for me, the reactions did not escalate to something more serious.

After the incident, I became more aware about my symptoms. I now seek to avoid any foods that potentially contain MSG.  I very much prefer to eat in (home) than out. 

At home, I choose not to add any MSG into my cooking.  My husband sometimes complains that the food cooked at home is bland.  I choose to disagree.  His taste buds are already accustomed to strong flavors and MSG for many years already with outside cooking.  I try to use natural food ingredients such as herbs for the added flavor.  I intend that my kids be brought up on healthy food, knowing how bad MSG can be for the body.

MSG is also known as monosodium glutamate.  An MSG sensitivity is very common, although many people are not aware of it.  An allergic reaction can be attributed to other foods combined with MSG, or a reaction to MSG itself.

Because MSG is a common ingredient for many Chinese foods, reactions are sometimes referred to as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.  Of course, not all Chinese food contains MSG and this substance can be found in other types of food as well.

MSG can cause a reaction in nerve cells.  The use of this stimulant affects the mouth and the brain.  Hence, you will find that when you consume MSG, your sense of taste and smell are stimulated. The down side to this stimulation is that it can also cause MSG allergy symptoms due to over stimulation of the nerve cells. 

More severe MSG allergy symptoms include numbness or pressure in the face, chest pain or palpitations, nausea, vomiting, head pain, flushing and sweating, and/or wheezing.  Symptoms can be worse if the foods high in MSG are consumed on an empty stomach and in high doses.

MSG allergy symptoms tend to show up within one half hour to one hour after eating food containing MSG, and symptoms usually dissipate within two or three hours.  If reactions are severe, an emergency medical treatment is required.

Because of what MSG can do, I prefer that my entire family avoids it as much as possible. Manufacturers of food products tend to disguise MSG with the use of a variety of terms in its product labeling, for commercial viability.  Look out for words like “flavor enhancer”, “hydrolyzed vegetable proteins”, “autolyzed yeast”, “yeast extract”, “soy extract”, to name a few. They may contain MSG.

Comments