Sneak Peek: NEW Article - "Is MSG Bad For You?" - by Meathead

[Murdy]

@ Dewesq55 I was dismayed to learn that the bottle of Trader Joe's Mushroom powder I had in my cabinet had a significant amount of sodium.

[Red Man]

Bruceski44 Oh you’re an engineer…that explains it! 😁😂

[rickgregory]

Cool Ranch! Yeah, I completely believe you that you have a reaction - as a left brained person too, my first thought was "let's experiment!" hence to Doritos suggestion.

[Bruceski44]

That's another good thought, but I can't recall the last time I ate Doritos. Maybe it's time for an experiment! Dorito stuffed mushrooms!

I just wanted to make the point that people do have reactions to it and, as an engineer, I feel my observations are credible. And it's related to the amount used, because my reactions are rare but unmistakable. One waitress scoffed when I complained and said "Are you sure it's not the beer?" To which I replied "Well, I've had beer before!"

[Bruceski44]

Thank you both for your thoughts. jfmorris, I have mushrooms on pizza and my wife makes killer stuffed mushrooms, but I have never gotten a reaction to them. It's possible I just haven't eaten enough of them at once.
And thanks for the correction about how MSG is derived.

[Dewesq55]

Oh, yeah, and salt free bouillon powder, as mentioned by Strat50

[Dewesq55]

Celery seed, mushroom powder, Kombu.

[jfmorris]

Do mushrooms or other foods high in natural content cause you issues? My reading about the discovery of MSG is that the Japanese researcher involved (who went on to found the Accent company) extracted it from seaweed - so it wasn't really man made as much as man processed into a form that could be used as an addition to foods it didn't occur in naturally.

[rickgregory]

Bruceski44 - what happens if you eat Doritos? Because they have MSG in the ingredient list. I'm wondering if it's presence of the ingredient or perhaps amount?

[Murdy]

It is possible that some people are allergic to it and that this is an allergy rather than the natural effect of MSG. One of my Mom's close friends reacts poorly to MSG.

[Bruceski44]

I don't dispute Meathead's findings, but I will tell you that I get a bad buzz from it. I always have and so did my mother. I get tunnel vision, hear a buzzing sound and get a hot flash up the back of my neck. Within one minute of eating a dish, I'll feel it. I stop eating and it goes away after a few minutes. I begin eating again and it comes back. It's a major buzz, but not in a good way. So I conclude that it's a matter of degree. If heavily applied, I get a reaction.

The first time I went to Famous Dave's BBQ restaurant, I was so excited to try it, especially the burnt ends. I ordered a sampler platter and as soon as I tried the burnt ends I got the reaction. I asked the server if they use MSG and both she and the chef told me "No!" I wrote a letter to their corporate and they said "It's in all their rubs." So most often the chefs don't even know that they may be using it. Recently, we went to a local Asian fusion place and I couldn't eat my meal. They, too, denied using it. Fortunately they didn't charge me for my unfinished meal, unlike Famous Dave's.

Personally, I feel like if I need to use heavy doses of a man-made chemical flavor enhancer, I'm doing something wrong. Over applying MSG is a nasty trick in my opinion. I don't see it as psychosomatic (all in my head) because I really wanted to eat the burnt ends at FD's.

I chuckled when I read this in the article: "The only credible research showing harm was when it was used in large quantities on an empty stomach." My stomach usually is empty when I sit down to eat.

[Strat50]

Yes, as glutamates are part of most cooking processes, especially ones involving reduction. So, for soups, sauces and most things wet, just evaporate the water in the meat and veg to concentrate the glutamates. Many Asian ingredients do this naturally. For steaks, the best way I've used, is to substitute bouillon for salt in your brine scheme. One reason msg is popular, is that it has a neutral flavor and doesn't take much work to use.

[jfmorris]

I've used Accent in some wing recipes from the Barbecue Bible for the past 20 years, and have never had anyone complain about a headache after eating the wings. I need to buy more, as my wife tossed my last bottle for being past the expiration date (it was a big Sam's Club sized bottle).

[Murdy]

Anyone know if its possible to buy the G without the MS? That is, can you get it without the sodium?

[Waster]

Nice article. Thanks Meathead and Huskee for sharing. No longer will I chastise my wife for using it in her asian cooking :-).