MSG and illness

Chickenlady · Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:29 pm

Reading Zoe's tinnitus thread reminded me of how ill I felt last night. We had a (very rare) Chinese meal, and I immediately started feeling dizzy and nauseous. I ended up going to bed at 8.30, absolutely exhausted.

I knew it wasn't food poisoning, as it was too quick a reaction and everyone else was OK, so now I am thinking they must have loaded that food with monosodium glutamate. I never noticed a reaction before, but then I tend to avoid the kinds of foods that contain MSG.

Does anyone else get a reaction from this stuff? I am certainly going to avoid this in future.

Jane

Thomzo · Post: # 78946Post **Thomzo** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:19 pm

Hi
I have a friend who does get a similar reaction. She says she can feel a flush rising up her body and her face fairly soon after she eats it.

Your symptoms sound very similar to hers so I'd say that could well be the cause.

Zoe

snapdragon · Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:29 pm

Nod Nod mono sod glut makes me feel quite ill, shame the chinese takeaways and restaurants use it as a 'spice' and add it to so many dishes.

hope you're feeling better now chickenlady

Wombat · Post: # 78962Post **Wombat** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:26 pm

Generally not a problem for me, but once years ago got a pretty bad reaction form a load of Chinese, we had eaten at a place we had never been too before, Similar to what you got too.

BTW MSG is naturally occurring in soy sauce.

Nev

baldowrie · Post: # 78967Post **baldowrie** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:50 pm

yep I get a good relationship with the porcelain!

My local doesn't use as much as some but had a take away the other night and 2 days later out burst of acne!

mybarnconversion · Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:08 pm

I must admit to a liking for sweet and sour sauce that it doesn't reciprocate ... it can't wait to 'leave' me!

Millymollymandy · Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:04 am

I've never had a problem!

Jandra · Post: # 79006Post **Jandra** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:41 pm

Hi all.

Although I can't say anything about the real or percieved health hazards of MSG as I'm not qualified, I'd like to point out the article about MSG at Wikipedia. MSG is natuurally occurring in humungous (truly) quantities in Parmesan cheese, roquefort cheese, vegemite and marmite. Already mentioned are soy sauces. Here's an overview:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium ... Occurrence

Personally I tend to think that any specific reaction to Chinese food may be caused by an allergy or intolerance of other ingredients ('alien' veg, spices, cooking oil) rather than MSG.

Here are some summaries of scientific articles on MSG.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entre ... ds=8282275
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entre ... s=16999713

I do believe that it is possible to get vehement reactions to food (had a headache/migraine last Tuesday which I think was caused by something I ate) but I also believe that foods can be wholesome or 'unharmful' to the population in general but detrimental for individuals who can't process them correctly. E.g. gluten, strawberries, peanuts. We've only got the tip of the iceberg as far as food-related health issues are concerned, I think.
It's interesting stuff, but frustratingly little unbiased information is available. MSG has been quite thoroughly investigated and I personally think it doesn't generally pose a health threat when eaten in moderation. Life would be very dull if we couldn't eat vegemite, wouldn't it?

Everyone has his/her own experiences so your mileage may vary.

Jandra

baldowrie · Post: # 79029Post **baldowrie** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:47 pm

mmmmmmmmm msg in other foods apart from Chinese effects me in the same way...only with unnatural msg!

You will note I have not claimed to be allergic to it. However I will claim to have an intolerance to it.

E221 and E223...I react badly to with blinding headaches and nausea

Jack · Post: # 79030Post **Jack** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:02 pm

Gidday

I only know that if any foods contain a so-called certain flavour enhancer I get a bloody servere gut ache and the squirties. I do not eat Chinese food either.

the.fee.fairy · Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:59 am

I've never had a problem, and i used to have to drink it diluted with plain water.

Its one of the 'new' basic tastes - Umami. Its disgusting as a basic taste, its a salty flavour that curls up around your tonsils and starts moving behind your nose.

In sweet and sour sauce, however....yumm...

Chickenlady · Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:01 pm

the.fee.fairy wrote:I've never had a problem, and i used to have to drink it diluted with plain water.

Its one of the 'new' basic tastes - Umami. Its disgusting as a basic taste, its a salty flavour that curls up around your tonsils and starts moving behind your nose.

In sweet and sour sauce, however....yumm...

You used to drink MSG in water? Or am I being thick?

Welsh Girls Allotment · Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:02 am

I get an almost instant reaction if I have a Mcdonalds - we have one a year when we do our Christmas shopping and I feel dreadful after it sleepy and heavy, concentration goes out of the window and the food feels like a lead weight in my stomach all I want to do is go an have a lie down.

Which is why its only once a year I'll have one

hamster · Post: # 79417Post **hamster** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:20 am

Oddly enough, the only food I've ever had any kind of bad reaction to is lentils! They make me come out in a rash...

Smooth Hound · Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:28 pm

Welsh Girls Allotment wrote:I get an almost instant reaction if I have a Mcdonalds - we have one a year when we do our Christmas shopping and I feel dreadful after it sleepy and heavy, concentration goes out of the window and the food feels like a lead weight in my stomach all I want to do is go an have a lie down.

Which is why its only once a year I'll have one

i get a bad reaction just seeing a mcdonalds