Emma Laing, clinical professor and director of dietetics in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ nutritional sciences department, spoke with Lose It! about the safety of monosodium glutamate (MSG).
“National and international health authorities, including the FDA, consider MSG safe to consume,” Laing said. “Research studies in humans concur that the amount of MSG in a typical diet is unlikely to cause harm and point to dose and duration of exposure as important considerations.”
MSG is one of the most common food additives on the planet. It’s a sodium compound that’s found naturally in many high-protein foods, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Although it doesn’t taste like much on its own, MSG is used to boost umami flavors.
In people without sensitivities, ingesting 2.5 or fewer grams of MSG a day was found to cause no symptoms, according to one case study. For most of the population, there’s no reason to avoid MSG unless a health care professional suggests it based on a patient’s individual health profile. For those who have noticed a connection between eating MSG and negative symptoms, Laing suggests consulting a health care provider to discuss it.