On Sat, 3 Sep 2016 16:02:19 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...
>
>On 9/3/2016 10:09 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>> "Gary" wrote in message ...
>>
>> Ophelia wrote:
>>>
>>> Why is monosodium glutamate despised here so much? I use it,
>>> although in
>>> minute amounts, and I it would be good to know what the big problem is.
>>
>> It's just the purists here that hate "chemicals." They will all die just
>> as quick as everyone else without ever knowing about good taste in
>> foods.
>>
>> =========
>>
>> Ahhh ... ok thanks It seems that there are many chemicals in ready
>> made processed foods but from what I read they are regularly eaten. I
>> just wondered why the particular hate for msg?
>>
>>
>>
>
>Some people seem to have an allergic reaction to it, headaches and the
>like. While I don't avoid it if it is in a food I happen to be eating,
>I've never found the need to use it myself.
>
>What is MSG allergy?
>Flushing, sweating, chest pain, and weakness are all potential reactions
>to monosodium glutamate, or MSG, a flavor enhancer and popular
>ingredient in many Asian cuisines. Other symptoms include headache,
>facial pressure, drowsiness, and numbness and tingling in the face,
>back, and arms.
>
>=============
>
>Thanks very much, Ed. I can see the problem if one has an allergy, but
>MSG seems to be popularly disliked by most people. I suppose many things
>cause allergic reaction, but there isn't a common backlash against them
>among those on whom it doesn't have any bad effect. Interesting.
>
>I just see .. MSG is BAD!!

MSG is naturally present in most foods you regulary eat. There is no
allergic reaction to MSG, if any allergic reaction occurs it's to the
food that MSG is added to, not to the MSG. Back in the 1950s there
was lots of talk about "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome", people who ate
Chinese restaurant food complained about all sorts of aches and pains
and blamed it on the added MSG. Much testing ensued and it was proven
that the reaction was due to over salting with ordinary table salt;
Chinese cooks added a lot of salt, especially to their marinades,
sauces, and soups, but mainly as a preservative to extend shelf life.
If you ate an entire party sized bag of potato chips in one sitting
you'd experiance a headache and other pains too it would be from all
that salt ingested in a short time. The same effect occurs from
pigging out on cold cuts, it's the salt. Chinese cooks actually don't
add much MSG because it costs a lot more than ordinary table salt and
the Chinese are a rather frugal people.