Is MSG really bad?

Some people are allergic to MSG and should avoid it like anything that causes an allergic reaction. MSG is made up of two chemicals - sodium and glutamate. Both of these chemicals can cause problems if they are consumed to excess. Both of them occur naturally in foods and in small quantities are harmless. Of the 2 chemicals, sodium is the least harmful unless you suffer from high blood pressure or have a kidney disorder. Glutamate is the real problem. Glutamate can actually cross the blood/brain barrier and can infuence/damage brain/nerve cells. That is why it is added to food. Glutamate is absorbed quickly and tells you the food actually tastes better than it really does; and, it tells you you want to eat more. So, it is a cheap additive that helps companies sell more food. Glutamate in excess can cause different disorders. It can make other health problems worse. It's effects are cumulative unless you completely abstain from all forms of glutamate for several weeks until it is completely out of your system. Some people are more sensitive to it's affects than others. Some of it's side effects are very subtle - you might not even realize they are happening or might attribute them to something else. Would you have any way of knowing if your blood pressure went up 5 points or not after eating some food? Did you get that headache from something you ate 2 hours ago or was it caused by loud music or an annoying sibling? If you really want to know more about MSG, here are several sites that you can check out. http://www.msgtruth.org http://shop.sixwise.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=175 http://aromatherapy4u.wordpress.com/2006/10/09/hidden-sources-of-msg-in-regular-organic-foods/