Sponsored: Should You Avoid MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)?

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Should You Avoid MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)?

Are you a person who thinks you may be allergic or sensitive to MSG? First, let’s take a closer look at MSG (Monosodium Glutamate).

Did you know:

· MSG is the common sodium salt of the amino acid, glutamic acid, which is found naturally in our own bodies.

· If you’ve ever used the seasoning and flavor enhancer “ACCENT” you’ve used MSG.

· MSG is found naturally in plants, foods, and many other ingredients: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, as well as in tomatoes and cheeses all naturally contain MSG.

· Despite reports from individuals who claim that MSG caused physical symptoms, research in the 1990’s could not replicate these reactions when individuals consume meals with small amounts of MSG.

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Bottom Line: If you do experience a reaction when you consume a meal that you know or believe has MSG, you could be especially sensitive to MSG and those symptoms should be short-lived, but this is not a true allergy.Certain symptoms could indicate that the culprit may be another ingredient in the meal or even a food safety issue.

Source: Questions and Answers on Monosodium glutamate (MSG) | FDA

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

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