Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Claudia Carberry, RD, MS. Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.
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Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer often used in Asian foods and commercial food products. Studies have shown that MSG may lead to short and long term health problems, such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, pancreatic disorders, ADHD, and even obesity.[1] MSG doesn't affect some people, but others have severe sensitivity to it. To avoid MSG, be proactive in restaurants and learn to read product labels carefully.
Steps
Avoid non-food products that may contain MSG. Some cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, and hair conditioners may contain MSG if the ingredients contain the words "hydrolyzed," "protein," or "amino acids."- Some medications, vitamins and dietary supplements have MSG in the binders and fillers. Check with a pharmacist if you're unsure.
Eat a fresh, natural diet. MSG is in almost every processed food. This means when you buy prepackaged food, you more than likely will end up with some MSG in your food. Buy fresh vegetables and fruits, use only basic seasonings, such as salt and pepper.- Instead of flavoring salts and prepackaged seasonings, try fresh spices and herbs to flavor your food.[2]
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Cook for yourself. MSG is in almost every prepackaged food product, frozen meal, and restaurant meal. Start cooking from scratch so that you can control what goes into your body.[3]- Buy fresh, natural ingredients instead of canned or processed.
Avoid common food products that may contain small amounts of MSG if you are highly sensitive to MSG. These foods include low-fat or fat-free foods, enriched foods, vitamin-enriched foods, corn starch, modified food starch, corn syrup, lipolyzed butter fat, dextrose, brown rice syrup, rice syrup, milk powder, or 1 percent or 2 percent milk.
Read the labels. Don't trust "no MSG" on the front of the box. MSG is labeled many different ways on a label. Learn other ways food manufacturers label MSG. While a product may have no MSG, this doesn't mean it is MSG-free. There are other ways MSG is in your food. Look for any of the following ingredients:- Processed free glutamic acid, monosodium glutamate
- Calcium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, magnesium glutamate, mono-ammonium glutamate, natrium glutamate[4]
- Glutamic acid
- Sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate
- Yeast extract, autolyzed yeast
- Whey protein concentrate
- Textured protein, vegetable protein extract[5]
- Hydrolyzed products, including hydrolyzed protein or vegetable broth.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires sources of hydrolyzed protein to be listed on ingredient labels. If a product contains unprocessed tomato or wheat, for example, they can be listed as "tomatoes" or "wheat." If the ingredients say "tomato protein" or "hydrolyzed wheat protein," the product contains MSG.
Avoid deli meats. Deli meats generally always contain MSG. Chicken and sausages contain MSG products.[8]
Pay attention to broths and soups. Bouillon and broths more than likely will have MSG in them. Even popular soup brands will place it into the cans.[11]
Tell servers you want your food without MSG. These days, many restaurants have moved away from using MSG in their cooking. It is still a good idea to ask and to be adamant that MSG is not used in the food prepared for you.
Avoid certain foods when eating out. If you want to eat out but avoid MSG, known which foods to avoid. Common foods that contain MSG include vegetable broths, breads, dressings, soy products, sweeteners, and flavors.[12]
Watch out for fast food. Most fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Chick-fil-A all put MSG in their food. If you are curious about which particular items have MSG, then go to the restaurant's website and look at the ingredients list.[13]
Expert Q&A
Tips
Warnings
- Vegetables, grains and fruits may have MSG because food growers sometimes spray their produce with a product containing processed free glutamic acid to increase crop yields. There is no way to tell if produce has MSG except by testing. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.Thanks
- Read infant formula labels carefully, as some types of infant formula may contain MSG.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/how-to-avoid-foods-with-msg.html
- ↑ https://organicconsumers.org/article_17608
- ↑ https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/how-to-avoid-foods-with-msg.html
- ↑ http://www.msgtruth.org/avoid.htm
- ↑ https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/how-to-avoid-foods-with-msg.html
- ↑ http://www.diynatural.com/msg-allergy/
- ↑ http://www.msgtruth.org/avoid.htm
- ↑ http://www.msgtruth.org/avoid.htm
- ↑ http://saynotomsg.com/basics_list.php
About This Article
To avoid MSG, try to eat a fresh, natural diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs since processed foods and prepackaged seasonings contain a lot of MSG. You should also watch out for non-food products that have MSG in them, like certain cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. If you're not sure, check the ingredients list for words like "hydrolyzed," "protein," and "amino acids," which are all signs that a product has MSG in it. When you're eating out at a restaurant, just let your server know that you don't want any MSG. To learn how to avoid MSG at the grocery store, scroll down!
Reader Success Stories
"Due to chronic migraines, I have avoided MSG for years. The migraines have gotten worse, so I figured I needed a refresher course on eliminating MSG from my diet. This reminded me where to look for it and informed me of ingredients it to avoid."..." more
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