Umami: A History of Monosodium Glutamate

In 1907 a professor of chemistry at Tokyo Imperial University named Kikunea Ikeda was eating dinner when he noticed that his broth was particularly delicious. A year later, on July 25, 1908 he determined why. Professor Ikeda had identified a chemical compound that today represents a nearly seven billion dollar industry, and one of the world’s most common, and controversial food additives. The complex history of the sodium salt of gluconic acid called "monosodium glutamate" deserves to be remembered.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #MSG

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

The king of flavour. I put MSG on your video and it became the director's cut.

[@spddiesel]

Fyuioh!

[@JeffreyGlover65]

Well played😎

[@Nyx_2142]

Make Shit Good. Why so weak?

[@DosKumaks]

Lmao, for real

[@sebastianthehotsaucedude5473]

Top tier comment

[@davidellis4031]

Far too late for anyone to see this, but I just wanted to say thank you for both producing such a detailed and informing video, while still being humble enough to gladly state where your circle of expertise ends. Not nearly enough people do this!

[@AlexDenton0451]

Dont worry you are the second comment on the video for me lol, KZbin has started pushing new comments up higher.

[@colmcillegardner2144]

🎶The shadows sway and seem to say "Tonight we pray for water, cool water" And way up there He'll hear our prayer And show us where there's water Cool, clear water.🎶

[@TheEathenFaust]

History is always late.........😉

[@kingpest13]

I saw it!

[@oltedders]

I remember aji no moto being advertised on TV in a small cylindrical shaker to use at table like salt and pepper. This was late 1950s. Its brand name was Aćcent. It's still available, despite the bad press it got as causing cancer.

[@ronbeard7526]

While working in a country club kitchen during college, I was introduced to Aji na moto (MSG) by an elderly, Philipino dishwasher. Her fried lumpia rolls were superior in taste to anything we were serving our members and when i asked her for the recipe, BOOM! My culinary education was expanded! My chef refused to include the ingredient in his recipes based on the false info about it but I started including it in our "family meal" prepared for the staff. My reputation as a "great chef" was increased and when my boss found out (after tasting a soup I made that was his recipe WITH MSG), he turned the corner on MSG as well! I don't cook professionally anymore but i have a package of it in my cupboard and my reputation as a great cook remains.

[@robert48044]

I was just talking about lumpia this morning

[@s2sailingfree]

@@mcfahk I had an Aunt who thought much like you when she made her Fresh Cherry Pies, leave one pit in on purpose and don’t tell anyone. Several cracked teeth later when we discovered it was intentional nobody wants anything she makes. It’s all about respect for others.

[@HemlockRidge]

@@s2sailingfree Did you commit her? And if not, why?

[@kymberlyn420]

Amen.

[@Mrshoujo]

Aji no moto

[@billplunk8532]

You are the best. Everything I have thought so far has been answered, including chemistry, which leads to astrophysics. Your informative, no-nonsense condensed history of everything I could ever imagine this 66-year-old wants to thank you for this life quest of history and all the hard work involved and the justice done in your work

[@Wiggiwan]

Even though I was aware of MSG as I got older, I never understood the controversy. I lived in Japan for a couple of years and Ajinomoto was in every Japanese kitchen. Anyway, I never knew the real story so it was very interesting to hear it from you. Thanks so much.

[@aonehouseboy4945]

The situation is that if MSG had such a negative affect then, unless the japanese are genetically coded otherwise, it would be happening for as long as the appropriate seaweed has been eaten. That is a no brainer. All I know is that certain "junk" foods I have absolutely no interest in because of the taste so I guess whatever it does for certain foods I do not care for but I have been eating asian foods for far too long to blame MSG as a culprit for adverse reactions.

[@stevethea5250]

Cos Asians don't play with Western propaganda

[@Wheelman2004]

@@stevethea5250 Exactly. There's absolutely nothing wrong with MSG, and everything wrong with the media and people who believed the media fueled anti-MSG hype decades ago. The vast majority of people who claim to be "allergic" to MSG aren't, which makes the few who inevitably *are* allergic to it look stupid. It's kind of like people claiming to be allergic to gluten because they read an article ten years ago saying that gluten was bad for you... while people with celiac literally *can't* have gluten.

[@eatcarpet]

There are even some MSG and ajinomoto conspiracy theories in Japan.

[@Ragitsu]

@@stevethea5250Awesome Asians.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

to decrease the amount of sodium in my diet, I had to go to find a recipe to recreate Lowry's seasoned salt, by making it with sodium glutamate instead of sodium chloride. Worked perfectly, and my blood pressure is normal and no adverse affects from the sodium glutamate at all. Brand name of sodium glutamate is Accent in America.

[@pfrman4629]

The way Chinese resteraunts use more than double the salt to compensate for not using MSG, kinda makes you wonder which is actually healthier.

[@abundantharmony]

But you are still using sodium, so it's not the salt that is helping you.

[@MrJcTTK]

look up green salt. It's made from a plant, has the same taste as table salt but you only need to use 1/5th the amount to get the same taste.

[@StephenJohnson-jb7xe]

When I went on a low salt diet I discovered that adding smoked paprika was a great thing. It doesn't replace the salt flavour but it tastes so good that you don't miss the salt.

[@DMLand]

@@MrJcTTK Further reading suggests that your proportions are incorrect: it has about half as much sodium as table salt, so it imparts *less* salt flavor, leading to overuse. It does have an umami flavor profile that might, for some people, compensate for its lack of saltiness. It's a possible substitute for table salt, but not an exact replacement, and it's definitely NOT 5 times as salty-tasting as salt.

[@JonnoPlays]

I never have to wonder if I should click your videos. It's always a stimulating and interesting subject!

[@ronaldslater4703]

My mother used Accent to make some of the best tasting food ever. Didn't know it was naturally occurring...Thanks, History Guy!

[@13_13k]

For many years I never used Accent when I first started cooking in my teens. My parents never used it, not because it was MSG but they didn't use many "man made" seasonings. Maybe some seasoned salt but normally just regular spices. So I just did the same and both my parents are excellent cooks. I've been cooking for 40 years or more and about 10 years ago when I found out that Accent was MSG I started using it in my dishes and I use it not always but it is a staple when I'm cooking. Everything in moderation. I do find that it does enhance flavors but, so does salt. I'm not a big salt user, I use it in my ingredients but rarely use it on my food directly on my plate. Accent is a good season to use on just about anything.

[@richardfabacher3705]

"Naturally in kelp!" How many "health nuts choose to eat seaweed because it's so healthy? Nuff said.

[@13_13k]

@@richardfabacher3705 exactly. It's so funny or stupid how people contradict themselves constantly. Example - no more oil, yet every article of clothing they are wearing is oil based as well as their cell phones and the electric car they drive is mostly plastics made from oil. But we have to stop oil usage. Climate - its global warming because it's hot in the summer, and it is raining and snowing too much in the winter, that's from global warming. How about it's called the seasons and seasons change and always has and always will. Ridiculous

[@13_13k]

@@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket --- I can see "ignorant and gullible", but racist? Why do people throw that word around so wantonly these days? You forgot fascist, and ?- Phobic. Hahahaha Are there people that hate and discriminate against Asian people because of MSG or just don't eat Asian food or use MSG because they think it's bad for their health? Not only is it a product that is derived from seaweed or Kelp, but it is found in breast milk, so there isn't much chance of people having any kind of health issues, or allergies, headaches, etc... unless the people who claim to have problems with MSG were not breast fed as newborns and their first year or so of being alive. I think the people who say they get headaches, etc...from MSG, don't take responsibility for their bad decisions, and aren't mature enough to hold themselves accountable for their choices and always blame other people, are hypochondriacs and Karens. Hahahahaha

[@corneliusthecrowtamer1937]

@@jhvmhgkgkgvkgvlhb4187 you're not even a real person

[@romlyn99]

4:29 旨味 - Umami - means "delicious taste" - for it to translate to "Pleasant Savory Taste" you would need 3 Kanji - but there are only 2 Kanji. The first character means clever or delicious or appetizing. The second character in Japanese can mean flavor, taste, feeling, sensation, experience, taste, or charm. In Chinese it can also mean tasting or savoring. So I think people have mistaken savoring with savory. So I think the website "the spruce eats" is slightly mistaken about the meaning, if translated from Japanese into English. The correct translation from Japanese to English is "delicious taste".

[@AnoNymInvestor]

Thank you from Germany!

[@aloragreenteam2343]

Spot on

[@JoshuaAlbertGuitar]

Know it all. Just kidding. Very well put. Thanks you😊

[@pixnay]

It doesn’t really matter what the kanji are. Umami is not a Chinese word and these are “ateji” applied after the fact. The adjectival form “umai” is heard most frequently and merely means delicious or yummy or savory. Looking up individual characters is not the best way to determine the appropriateness of a translation. Just sayin.

[@JonnoPlays]

Well done.

[@chrisnothnagel4910]

Everything in moderation... the most important health advice ever

[@boblenk]

Glutamate is the most abundant neurotransmitter in our brains. Never understood how reputable scientists could get caught up in this spiral of disinformation. We couldn’t live without it, which is why we make it ourselves. Enjoyed the history of it, and thank you for providing a balanced viewpoint.

[@OllamhDrab]

Well, just cause our bodies depend on it doesn't mean too much might not throw someone out of whack. I mean, it's *possible* to have too much *water.*

[@fillhixx]

I don’t think many actual scientists got on the anti-glutamate bandwagon. MSG was the victim of sensationalist headlines and gossip. Well, not so much any more. I can buy it at the grocery store.

[@susangarland6869]

"Never understood how reputable scientists could get caught up in this spiral of disinformation." Because "reputable" scientists are as vulnerable to the pressure of mob mentality as the rest of humanity. If the past three years have shown us anything, it's that very few actual scientists -- those who seek truth above all else -- have the courage to oppose the politicized narrative of manipulated data.

[@joedellinger9437]

MSG migraines start with a very distinct feeling for me, like my nerves are firing too much. The first symptom is generally weird tingling sensations running up and down my body, and a powerful urge to violently shake my hands. Feels a bit like getting tickled all over. Too much stimulation. Takes a lot of MSG to do it fortunately but I get caught about once every two years or so. Generally it is foods that have a lot of sauce.

[@frankcooke1692]

Who knew KFC was brain food?

[@JN-vt7mz]

Thank you so much for this. Seems like theres a lot of people online that think this is a new concept found in the last couple years.

[@bieourself]

Thank you for this important video! MSG has had quite a notorious anecdotal reputation too in where I live, Indonesia. It was passed on generations after generations by parents, teachers, aunts and uncles. I myself banned it for years, but after learning the story behind it, I have started embracing it (in moderation, I must say) in my cooking. Ajinomoto is a well known brand here. Despite MSG’s reputation, the brand is still going strong for decades, along with several other MSG brands.

[@JoRoBoYo]

salt contribute to highblood pressure, people have no problem eating it. human are so weird

[@AndyGarcia-ch1ci]

​@@JoRoBoYothat has actually been debunked and generally accepted throughout the medical field as false now

[@typower9]

@@JoRoBoYo Pure salt is safe but salt mixed with 'anti-caking' agent, as in 'table salt' should be avoided. Take your own pure salt with you when you are out and about.

[@rap3208]

@@AndyGarcia-ch1ci Was it you that debunked salt is not a cause for high blood pressure and other things? Why don't you leave it to the experts. You could look for thei findings if you search for "what does too much salt intake do to your body?". Salt used in excess is bad for you, everything if used excessively is bad for you. Even drinking water too much can kill you. Moderation is key.

[@Flipperhome]

​@@AndyGarcia-ch1ci yet that must be why my doctor placed me on a restricted sodium diet; because it's been 'debunked'.

[@woska7493]

Always a pleasure to catch an episode of the History Guy.

[@doa2758]

Informative and unbiased which allows the listener to use their own minds to make connections.

[@zyxw2000]

His channel is always like that, based on factual history.

[@katiebarber407]

'i can conform my own biases thanks'

[@mikeearussi]

For those who are not sensitive to MSG the negative effects seem apocryphal, but for those who are sensitive the painful effects are something to be avoided. I'm very sensitive and eating it causes within minutes a very painful headache that can last up to three days. There are plenty of people who have varying food sensitivities that others don't have, such as a sensitivity to gluten, sulfur or peanuts. But just because these are only experienced by a minority doesn't mean they don't exist.

[@luckydelauta3859]

Thank you and well stated. I'm sick of these so-called "studies" that say msg is not responsible for my crippling headaches. After many years of suffering, I finally figured it out. A little msg doesn't bother me but if I inadvertently consume too much (often hidden in the ingredients of canned or prepared foods) then I pay the price. It pisses me off when an idiot like some of the ones commenting here say that "If msg is so bad then everyone in Asia would have a headache". Clearly, they haven't spoken with everyone in Asia. I live in the Philippines.

[@patraic5241]

For me I get a cottony feeling in my gums immediately and a migraine sets in about twenty minutes after ingestion that lasts roughly 14 hours. I can then experience severe fatigue up to three days.

[@danielbeck9191]

As a physician, my impression is that most humans may consume glutamates without penalty, whether from Accent! or from aged cheese/anchovies/W-sauce or the like. IF you observe adverse symptoms, try a careful re-challenge. Prompt recurrence of symptoms may indicate that you are more sensitive than the average person. Just as with some allergic responses (such as poison ivy), responses may vary widely from person to person. THANK YOU for this fascinating video!

[@STEVEARABIA1]

Exactly. Most people seem unaffected by it. It took me a few years to narrow down the culprit as it has a few names when listed in ingredients. It’s also one of the reasons that got me interested in chemistry as a career. It’s mind blowing how extensively it’s used. Most foods that naturally contain glutamate, contain it in a bound form with another amino acid and it’s rarely “free” which explains why people can eat tomatoes or mushrooms for example with no issues yet some flavoured potatoe chips cause a migraine.

[@helenhebert7127]

MSG gives me hives. Not a big fan of tomatoes or mushrooms either.

[@markc2643]

I've experienced head to toe hives throughout my life that no doctor could find the cause. It always got diagnosed as contact dermatitis. I found out what it was when I was in my 40's and haven't had hives once in the last 2 decades since. I am allergic to Cashews. If I eat them, hives start 8 hours or more after. When I told my doctor, he told me it couldn't be Cashews because it took too long to occur after eating them. I did exactly what you said and did a re-challenge. I woke up the next day with hives. I have no problem with any other tree nut or peanuts. I am allergic to poison ivy and latex also, which may be linked someway. As you know poison ivy has a delayed reaction. Latex however, is a pretty quick reaction. A pair of latex gloves caused my hands to swell up, turn red, and get itchy within 10 minutes. Through all that, I learned that doctors can know things that are not true in all cases but can cause them to miss the outliers.

[@terminaldeity]

@@jhvmhgkgkgvkgvlhb4187 There's more MSG in a bag of Doritos than a meal from a Chinese resaurant, I guarantee it. Weird that you immediately demonize Chinese restaurants.

[@corneliusthecrowtamer1937]

@@terminaldeity it's a bot

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Dang-myth dispelled; As a Montanan, we have a local version called Alpine Touch, and growing up, I became aware of MSG and leaned toward understanding it as mysteriously bad for you, probably via media. Based on what THG indicates, I now have a more complete understanding of what MSG is and have my fears quelled, and will be using MSG again without guilt. A HUGE 'attaboy' to THG and his crew for every story.

[@JTA1961]

Amen to that...& well said

[@bryanhumphreys940]

I forgot about alpine touch. We didn't use it much as a family but it was always in the cupboard. MSG is like salt, use in moderation and to make food delicious!

[@roddangerson2046]

This guy is a clown, you can literally see what it does to your body in real time

[@letmeexplain1816]

I'm still going to be very careful of MSG 621 or MSG E621.... which is often found in some tin foods also.

[@minispud]

This is actually REALLY interesting, thank you! Your videos are normally very interesting but this one was something else. You also make uncle Roger happy

[@parithimathi]

எங்கள் தமிழ்நாட்டில் அனைவருக்கும் அவ்வளவு விழிப்புணர்வு உள்ளது -- குறிப்பாக, ரோட்டுக் கடைகளில், கையேந்தி பவன்களில், அஜினோமோட்டா என்றால் விஷத்துக்கு சமம்.🤩

[@gondolacrescent5]

They used to market MSG in North American grocery stores as “Accent”.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

They still do.

[@goodun2974]

Accent! I remember that stuff! As a heart surgery patient, I can't eat food with MSG because it gives me heart arrhythmia.

[@RadDadisRad]

They still do. I just bought a bottle yesterday because I ran out. It’s a necessity with soups and stews. Also if you cover meat with it and then dry age it you will see that the meat doesn’t form a dark pellicle. The surface stays pink and dries out.

[@hoodagooboy5981]

@@goodun2974 Your comment should be at the top of this page.

[@adriennefloreen]

It is finely powdered MSG and you can put MSG from an Asian grocery store into a coffee grinder to make something like that.

[@neverlearnitall]

This was excellent! Thank you for all your careful research! I was a child when it first came out that MSG was "bad!" It's so nice to hear facts, not accusations! 👏👏👏

[@Gary-k2g]

My son is allergic to msg. Terrible headaches so bad he wanted to die. Took years to figure it out and Doctors were no help.

[@freemanz4051]

MSG IS bad. I cook Chinese styles, a lot. I use lots of glutamine-bearning ingredients but not MSG per see. and MSG makes me sick, period. There's a multi-billion dollar industry sane-washing the abuse of MSG. I have problems with the glutamate from just soy sauce. If I added MSG i'd fkin feel like dying. I wish this were not so. This video was terribly dismissive of real people with real reactions to this insanely dubious "food" enhancer. Just a thought for those who care about other people and health more than industry propaganda.

[@Knox1919]

​@@freemanz4051just because a very small group of people have a bad reaction does not mean anything in this video is wrong. Real people struggle with peanut allergies, but they keep putting this insanely dubious "peanut butter" on the shelves! There's a multi-billion dollar industry sane-washing this dangerous peanut paste.

[@rhpsoregon]

As someone who went to college for Food Science and Fermentation. I know quite a bit about MSG, It seems that studies dealing with MSG sensitivity are all over the board statistically speaking. some subjects will have a reaction to eating a dish with NO MSG, and yet not have a reaction when fed copious amounts, proving that at least for some people, MSG reactions are purely psychosomatic. BTW, I'm surprised that you didn't mention how MSG is made these day, It's "grown" in large fermentation vats using genetically modified yeasts and bacteria that spit out the MSG as a waste product.

[@Objective-Observer]

Sudden onset Tachycardia [245 bpm] is NOT psychosomatic. That is my primary response to MSG. ALL RESEARCH DONE ON MSG WAS DONE BY THE COMPANY WHO MANUFACTURES AND SELLS MSG. Up until the last few years, there were NO studies to determine what this Neuro Toxin does to the human body. In the last few years, numerous studies are indicating Brain Damage and deterioration in the brains of children who eat MSG every day. The FDA has wrangled with MSG for decades, and IT IS NOW ON THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS THAT SHOULD NOT BE USED. So manufacturers hide it in other forms and chemicals.

[@ayeshaPH]

This is true but i use organic garden spices that I grow from cow shit. Amazing how we never thought that organic food can taste so good. NO MSG!

[@Objective-Observer]

@@ayeshaPH If you need MSG to make your food taste good, you are a lousy cook. No other ethnic cuisine relies on MSG to make their food taste good.

[@zoothief]

@@ayeshaPHyou did not understand what the video was saying. Organic is mostly marketing.

[@travispluid3603]

@@ayeshaPH Did you watch the video at all?

[@queentara2423]

I am allergic to msg. Blood pressure drops, break out in a full body sweat, hands shaking, sometimes a headache. I’m so grateful for food description on the label. Great video!

[@blueeyegi]

Thank you for the dumbest comment I’ve seen today! 😂

[@queentara2423]

@ I hope you feel like a big girl now. You told me!

[@ToniR-v5q]

Thanks for sharing this 🎉 IMO MSG “in combination” IS a valid question. Example: In college, I enjoyed eating good spicy pizza. 😋 Separately, I enjoyed an occasional soda pop. I learned by experience to NEVER drink Coke with that pizza, within minutes my skin was flushed and itchy and my breathing was stressed ‼️ I don’t know what was triggering me but the combination created a wicked reaction!!! spicy pizza + (Tea, 7-Up, beer, …) = 0 Coke = 0 Coke + spicy pizza = 😵‍💫🤬

[@uraswami8077]

I had Chinese food with MSG at an alternative fuels and energy conference. Thirty minutes later, I was hungry for power.

[@DavidHBurkart]

😂😂

[@tylerrettig835]

😂

[@GooglePlusPages]

I had an Asian girlfriend in college. She was wonderful! The only problem was that 30 minutes after having sex, I was horny again.

[@Dogsrcute823]

Citation needed

[@annunacky4463]

Old joke but new twist!

[@barryspruce7397]

Whether our bodies make it naturally or not, I was allergic to MSG. I was never raised to know or even told that MSG was bad for me. I discovered on my own that when I ate at a Chinese restaurant, I barely made it to my car after eating and my jaw locked up and I slurred my speech. This happened about 6 times within a year and I stopped eating Chinese food all together. After a year absence I tried another Chinese restaurant and had the same results. Persistence prevailed in one way or another. I continued to try to eat at Chinese restaurants over the next 5 years and finally had zero side effects. Either restaurants found and used another preservative or my body developed a tolerance. It has been over 20 years since I have had a side effect from eating at a Chinese restaurant. I would say that I was in my mid 20's when I observed my immediate reaction to MSG used in Chinese restaurants and I am over 60 years old today. After watching your video, I believe that even if most people don't have an adverse reaction to MSG in foods, there is a percentage of people who do. In my opinion, it was smart to ban MSG from baby foods since children have a huge problem flushing their bodies of any food or drug additive. Thank you for this video and history of MSG as I am one of the people that this video references in its content.

[@dennis1802]

You are very persistent sir good one! Just keep trying.. thanks for taking the effort to post the story

[@polymorphus1]

That sounds more like a phobia. Glad to see you fight to get over it.

[@melb5996]

I love nuts but unfortunately ‘some’ people CANNOT eat them.

[@1mustangsally]

In Canada most Chinese restaurants stopped using it in the mid '90s and would even have signs saying NO MSG or which dishes contained it

[@LiveFreeOrDieDH]

As many others have pointed out, glutamate is an amino acid that our bodies produce and found in many natural foods. So it's highly unlikely that glutamate is the source of reported symptoms. For those who do experience some kind of adverse reaction, the most likely explanation is excess sodium consumption. Not only does MSG itself contain sodium (duh) but foods containing MSG are typically very high in salt as well. The umami sensation then stimulates additional consumption.

[@dplj4428]

Angry bodies help make angry minds. -- Those Campbell and Progresso soups were 2.5 servings. The per-serving sodium ranged from 800 to 1200. Some products now include whole package and per-serving. I knew nothing of MSG at the time I started limiting my sodium intake. All I knew is I got headaches after eating a WHOLE can of soup. I used to assume per serving was the whole story. Too much of anything varies from person to person. For me, a tolerable amount: salt at 300 or less per serving, and sugar at 20ish or less. After a while, I could smell the salt. Maybe it was that i had learned to taste and smell the food's own smell and flavor. I recall people saying how bland food is without adding salt and sugar. As my body adjusted, I discovered what the food flavors, spices, combinations, and different ways to cook. At first, I did avoid MSG because I didn't understand. Later, I only monitored salt per serving. Any advisory is just a guideline. But our body knows better.

[@JefSpalding]

Lab produced amino acids are typically synthesized through chemical reactions in a controlled environment using various methods like Strecker synthesis, while natural amino acids by living organisms though complex biochemical pathways within their cells, often using enzymes and readily available precursors. The key difference is that lab synthesis allows precise control over amino acid structure, often creating amino acids not found in nature, where natural production is limited to the organisms genetic code and capabilities

[@Daniel-ou4fb]

I used to get headaches after eating Chinese food. My mom called them "MSG headaches." It turns out eating stir-fried noodles covered in sugar and salt with four glasses of Dr. Pepper is really bad for you, not so much the MSG in it. Blood sugar spikes, followed by a crash, with elevated blood pressure, will make you feel like crap.

[@LiveFreeOrDieDH]

@@JefSpalding yes, and the glutamate in MSG is produced via a biological process (fermentation of sugars into glutamic acid). Hard cheeses, mushrooms, and anchovies also contain glutamate.

[@1mustangsally]

Maybe it's the concentration? Unless you're a doctor, I don't think you should be qualifying what does or doesn't affect people. The only time I've ever been sick from food was immediately after eating either Chinese food or foods to which MSG had been added during cooking. I called a restaurant after being violently ill and after going through everything I ate, the woman said We add MSG to our condiments to make them stay fresh longer. It was in the BBQ sauce

[@williamhoffer9277]

That was very interesting and informative!

[@ramonarose2685]

Thanks!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you!

[@VespasianJudea]

Wow, I really appreciate this. What a random topic. God bless you sir. You’re one hell of a guy. I never would even think to think of looking for these answers. Perfect 👍🏻

[@marilynapple6156]

Never stop learning! In 2003 I realized that the degree I received in 1968 was surely obsolete. Everything they teach today was discovered after I graduated. I’ve been educating myself online at reliable sources since my retirement in 2003. Thank you Lance Geiger. You are my all time favorite History Teacher.

[@VespasianJudea]

@@marilynapple6156 Mine too. And good on you dear! I’m glad you have pursued further knowledge.

[@ancientromewithamy]

I remember about 20 years ago there was a backlash against MSG (there have been many, but suddenly the Chinese place had a "no MSG" sign and so did many frozen veg packs in grocery stores) so I looked it up then, also. I was away at college but my dad had thrown away the Accent brand MSG powder in the kitchen! He eventually came around though, haha.

[@VespasianJudea]

@@ancientromewithamy hell yeah man

[@VespasianJudea]

@@ancientromewithamy Or lady 😂 whoops

[@maxenielsen]

Best explanation I’ve ever been exposed to. Going to get some MSG and enjoy it. Thanks!

[@mkshffr4936]

Interesting that a natural compound which is composed of two essential components created such a stir but we are seemingly just fine with myriads of fully synthetic chemicals, pestacides, antibiotics, and even genetic manipulation of our foods.

[@cbroz7492]

...AND that two separately deadly chemicals.sodium and chlorine, together give us common sslt...about the ONLY th8ng I remember from my freshyesr in college almost 60 years ago is this 'ionic compound'...

[@SilverScarletSpider]

Racist uneducated American hypocrisy

[@FuncleChuck]

It’s because, like most noisy outrages, the facts don’t matter. Look at which people are spreading a panic, and why, to learn where the issue comes from.

[@fukpoeslaw3613]

What's wrong with genetic manipulation? Or fully synthetic chemicals for that matter?

[@mkshffr4936]

@@fukpoeslaw3613 So mucking with the firmware of life seems like a good idea to you?

[@lolly_bread]

Good video and well researched. Can I suggest to the creator/editor that the vocal audio be run through an Audio Compressor because the loud-peaks style of speaking is kinda irritating.

[@traceybaldwin6509]

I used to eat Chinese food with no problem, never concerning myself with MSG. Then, I made a recipe that called for a liberal amount of McCormick’s seasoning called “Bon Appetit”. I ate the food, plus leftovers. “Got the flu” that went away as quickly as it had come on. A month later, I made the same recipe. Again, I got “flu”. I realized the common denominator was that recipe and checked the ingredients-Bon Appetit was nothing more than MSG. Made the recipe later without the MSG and never had a problem again. I get minor symptoms (excess urination at night) with minor amounts discovered after having Campbell’s soup with MSG. I read labels now and avoid it.

[@nunyabidniz2868]

About the only health impact of MSG I'm aware of is that many people prone to migraines swear that by eliminating it from their diet they've reduced the frequency of the affliction.

[@wingdingdmetrius8025]

sure

[@warhawke223]

'MSG' The King of Flavor, Make Stuff Good

[@saedabumokh9577]

And shut down your brain for a few hours

[@CaptainPupu]

You do realize it is very unhealthy and dangerous to health? You must be american with your nonchalant attitude towards your and others health. Shame.

[@donbrashsux]

Arginomoto

[@RobotHottdog]

Hi-ya

[@SFUndertaker]

Uncle Roger

[@gregbowen617]

Great presentation- msg is often criticised as causing a whole range of effects but it occurs naturally in many foods that are highly ‘savoury’ in taste such as soy sauce. Great video!

[@leaonardland9001]

A lot of things occur naturally but if isolated and used in excess they become poisonous.

[@typower9]

Rhpsoregon above explains how MSG is made nowadays. Definitely not a 'natural' product! Also, because of the controversy around it, it is often listed as 'flavouring'.

[@gucky4717]

@@leaonardland9001 And that is the misconception. The lethal dose for MSG is 5 times LOWER then salt and even lower then sugar and we have FAR more sugar added in foods then MSG.

[@jmitterii2]

It's the adding it that becomes the issue... like dumping cups of sugar on your whatever and gritting away. And hello diabetes. Or just becoming a big blob of fat waddling around if you're lucky.

[@Joe-jn5li]

Occurring naturally is not the problem, duh!

[@OnnikMusic]

MSG like many food additives are banned in European Union countries for its adverse effects on people's health. Few days ago, I was in a Chinese Sea-food buffet restaurant and after eating fish I felt severe nausea, almost utter blurring of vision, racing heart palpitation, sweating, difficulty of breathing, dizziness, and lost my consciousness for three short times that people around me and my family members thought I was having a brain stroke, and called for an ambulance. I am a healthy person in my mid 50's. After tests and blood analysis the doctor said that the results of the test revealed that there is no problem with me and I have the health of a young boy. The only problem is that I had a low blood pressure which the ambulance personel restored it to its normal state. Years ago, I had symptoms of less severe type described above when I used to eat canned fava beans that contained MSG. However, after stopping eating them all the symptoms vanished and I felt better. The incident above at the restaurant taught me never to eat in a restaurant that serves food mixed with MSG. MSG is toxic and detrimental for health. It should be banned in the United States as well.

[@RubberPigsAndGir]

Sounds like you are allergic

[@PhantomPanic]

@@RubberPigsAndGir Or lying... lol

[@bcataiji]

Our own glutamate is implicated in "bad trips" form LSD. I am not talking about the affects of LSD; I am talking about when people have a "bad trip" which basically involves a strong sympathetic nervous response, the same response that MSG can and does cause for certain people.

[@alfrazz1799]

Another presentation worth viewing! Thanks History Guy!

[@exMuteKid]

I love chemistry so whenever I hear that someone studied chemistry I immediately want to know them, it’s sad that not many people are into it :(

[@BorisBirkenbaum]

More than you think but yes i agree its not that many....

[@dougrogan379]

I'm into it. I'm not great at it as in naturally talented or well studied but I enjoyed my highschool and university studies mostly I studied biochem but always am glad that I have the knowledge when I watch something that touches on it such as this video

[@CiscoSZR]

Tons of meth cooks alive and thriving

[@humanentity5890]

In the biblical sense?

[@TheSnackpaqkid]

Love when you do a food history video! I was just watching the history of ice, great job!

[@raymeus]

I always get headaches when i consume it. I read about msg back the 70's and how bad it was for you. This article opened my mind a bit. I know when i was at my wife's family's place in the Philippines i seen a container of yellow stuff beside stove and asked what it was, they said MSG.

[@zaldronthesage]

Eating raw bags of MSG made me into the man I am today. *starts shaking violently*

[@seanshaver8719]

I'm 56 y.o. and since I was in my late teens, I get severe migraines after consuming msg. A handful of nacho cheese doritos or funyuns, and I'm in agony within 2 hours.

[@sansik2113]

I get itchy hands after attending Chinese buffets, literally while I am still eating. But after watching this video, i have to question - maybe it was other junk within the junky, processed food…. We certainly do that to make food-like substances (such as Doritos).. i may start trusting msg again after this video

[@raydunakin]

I'd say the real lesson from this is that people are panicky, irrational, and gullible; and that even scientists can be caught up in believing nonsense.

[@JTA1961]

Reading "old" car & truck magazines it's obvious how "slanted" articles were... like the samurai flip syndrome...

[@joedellinger9437]

MSG in sufficient concentration gives me a really awful migraine headache. Not sure why. Aspartame gives me a quite severe gut reaction. No headache. Even a small amount of Aspartame will do it. To get the migraine reaction from MSG it has to be pretty concentrated, fortunately. One bag of Doritos, no problem. I have done “accidental blind tests” a few times where I accidentally ate food loaded with MSG and only found out after the headache so I am 95% confident the reaction is not psychosomatic. I have no problem with artificial ingredients in general… I am annoyed that nice clean safe synthetic red dyes were replaced by ground up beetles. Yuck. Just, please, label it and if you put it in food don’t lie about it so we can avoid it if we react to it. Like Aspartame is always labeled. I have found one of the best treatments for a severe migraine is banging my head against the wall. Hard. I know that sounds ridiculous but somehow the pain of the head banging overrides the much worse headache pain. Getting a tooth numbing shot at the dentist reliably gives me a migraine. Bad enough that I generally have dental work done with no painkillers. The pain of the dentist’s drill is far less severe than the pain of the headache. So now maybe you understand why I want to be careful… It would be interesting to do a proper scientific experiment where I was getting an EEG scan after eating MSG or a placebo in a blind test in a proper controlled setting. I feel like my nerves are misfiring after I eat a big dose of MSG, like they are hyper stimulated.

[@raydunakin]

@@joedellinger9437 My mother-in-law had migraines that were triggered by chocolate.

[@johnlarson111]

all I know is that msg causes heartburn and I avoid it.

[@toomanyuserids]

As in climate change

[@patriciaswearingen908]

MSG is the reason I have to keep an Epi pen with me.

[@nicholassilverio2227]

Here in the Philippines, the commercial brand of umami taste that most Filipinos use in their cooking is Aji No Moto, a product from Japan. It basically is monosodium glutamate, and it enhances the flavours of Filipino dishes to a higher level of deliciousness. 🇵🇭✝️🇯🇵

[@fbksfrank4]

I remember Sizzler buy cases of it and the only thing we used it for was rust prevention on our salad lettuce. Number ten can came with a scoop, one scoop for a large tub of lettuce, soaking for whatever, draining and putting in the cooler. Then they stopped and started using lemon juice.

[@c.r.parish5908]

At Sirloin Stockade we used potato whitener on the lettuce.

[@JeepGirl941]

Yep! I remember! I did same when I worked for them back in the day. No way I can ingest it now. Can't afford the crippling migraines I get from it. Never used to get a reaction from it but eventually ended up in ER twice from it. Extensive food diaries helped identify it as the cause of mine.

[@urbanurchin5930]

@@c.r.parish5908 When I was in high school, I worked at I.H.O.P. - - part of my duties were to cut up heads of lettuce for salads and we used "potato whitener" in the rinse water. Later I found that this product that they were calling potato whitener was simply MSG. It served to keep the salad greens crispy longer - thus improving the restaurant's bottom line. Later in life, I used several different additives - Accent! - Adolf's Meat Tenderizer - and some others that I don't remember. My friends always raved about my cooking - and I never revealed that I had been using MSG !

[@danstotland6386]

Great video. You have mentioned gluconic acid and glutamic acid. (glutamate). They are not the same chemical. The later has an amine group in it, and is the chemical that you are discussing.

[@SimonTekConley]

A great example of why I don't trust articles that have an unknown fear without citing sources.

[@cementer7665]

I whole-heartedly concur! Most articles appearing in the mainstream media, regarding health, climate change, or ANY of the 'doom and gloom' predictions that the MEDIA loves to make, are nothing but sensationalist clap-trap, where the "experts' cited are either the recipients of government grants, OR, and far more likely, other members of the MEDIA, who actually believe that their bottom of the barrel 'education' in journalism has made them "EXPERTS ON ANYTHING". Take not of how many headlines feature the words "might', 'may', 'possibly', or 'could', ALL words that are NOT specific, but allow the 'reporter' an out, in case anyone should question the 'research' that went into his 'story'.

[@dmcgee3]

It was a letter to the editor so didn’t need sources. He didn’t note that the doctor who started it apparently never existed and was likely a joke that snowballed out of control

[@SimonTekConley]

@dmcgee3 this specific example doesn't matter. But the response would've had a source with it, or it should come with one.

[@SimonTekConley]

@georgescurious2717 i usually read multiple sources when I can. I will say anytime the news is about some bill, I just read the bill myself

[@charlesenfield2192]

I'm increasingly skeptical even when qualified sources are cited. I haven't lost my faith in science, but I've lost my faith in science journalism. There are far too many experimental results published as meaningful which cannot be replicated. Anybody who understands the nature of confidence intervals knows that erroneous conclusions are unavoidable. What we can avoid is shouting poorly-substantiated conclusions from the rooftops.

[@terrymarshall3377]

I have not heard the phrase Aji Na Moto for many years. I was a youg 17 year old U.S. Navy stationed in Subic Bay Philippines in 1965 and that seemed to be the only advertisement on Local radio. In 2011 I retried as a Master in the U.S. Merchant Marine. My wonderful Filipino wife had lived many years alone in our home in Wyoming while I was at sea. We returned to her Island of Tablas with our children and built a home. Many times when watching a Philippine Commercial on TV I would sing Aji Aji Aji Na Moto and everybody would look at me and say what is that. I guess that brand is gone. My kids needed better schools and I needed hunting, fishing, and camping in the mountains so we moved back to Wyoming. Even without Aji Na Mono we loved the Philippines but the wife, kids. and I love Wyoming and can live without MSG.

[@AnotherTaco.YesPlease]

Very well researched and reported. My mum kept it in the spice rack under the beau monde spice name. I always know if I have ingested it as it gives me gas.

[@GetIntoItDuhh]

MSG is “the king of flavor” according to uncle Roger!

[@mrbuttons1243]

That was my first thought. Lol

[@Tsumami__]

Uncle Rog tells no lies lol

[@randyherbrechtsmeier4796]

Uncle Rogers Right!!!!! Steak, Bake Potato, Ceasar salad. Coated with MSG! I've gotta crappy Heart! Once in while is Fine. Dont take an I.V. of it a Day!!!

[@SkipTerrio]

Hiyaaaaa! 😂

[@goodun2974]

​@@randyherbrechtsmeier4796 , Having head several heart surgeries I am prone to minor heart rhythmias and MSG is most definitely a trigger for an episode of this. I avoid it at all costs.

[@AlexRamirez-fj4dj]

As someone who is vulnerable to migraines it is a problem for me. People who are sensitive to migraines have an issue with it. Keep in mind migraines are different from person to person but generally will suffer headaches, dizziness and maybe blurred vision. The major signs of migraines.

[@mattknight6691]

I am no surprised Lawry’s Season Salt didn’t get mentioned. It very much popularized MSG as a food additive in the 1960’s.

[@davidlogansr8007]

Still use it!

[@NateVanDeusen-c9j]

Lawry’s doesn’t have MSG added in it

[@teebob21]

@@davidlogansr8007 Well, conveniently, Lawry's doesn't contain MSG.

[@seiyuokamihimura5082]

​@@davidlogansr8007try johnnys. It will ruin it for you. Did for our entire family, lawry is no longer edible

[@hizzlemobizzle]

People have no idea how much MSG they eat and don't know it. I had a friend telling me they won't eat MSG while I was handing her a Dorito because it's her favorite chip.

[@NiekopTube]

".. You might want to avoid it". Great advice, but quite difficult to follow; MSG is EVERYWHERE in food and snacks 😞Even in biological bouillon (Zonnatura) in my coutry, there is "Gistextract" (one of the many synonimes for MSG).

[@robertmatch6550]

My first experience with the 'syndrome' was when I was young and had not yet heard of it. The sensation was unique and emphatic and not painful (for me). And it was after eating Chinese food. I have not avoided Chinese restaurants and only had one other significant reaction. This was all in America. Just read further in comments that it may affect heart arhythmia. Worth being aware of.

[@salernolake]

"If MSG is so bad for you, why doesn't everybody in Asia have a headache?" "That sir, is the right question!" (from I, Robot)

[@Justjustsayin]

I think they do.

[@chrisroberts2448]

@@Justjustsayinmost people in Asia are lucky to get food period. Not a valid reason.

[@coldfinger459sub0]

Why doesn’t everybody die from peanuts? Why doesn’t everybody die from taking aspirin?. Because it’s only a very small portion of people were all allergic to them just like MSG. It’s not that it’s bad for you. It’s only bad for people who are allergic to it.

[@thetruthofthegospel.5292]

​@@Justjustsayin YOU THINK!!!! they do? It's either you have the facts or you don't, please be done with the GUESSING TREND, it causes too much confusion.

[@Justjustsayin]

@ I will continue to think and guess and provoke because it’s fun. Your only defence is to find a sense of humour. If you are still angry, try cutting down on the MSG.

[@nopeyadayadayada1248]

I'm 60 now and recall when I was a kid and we went to any restaurant that my parents ordered me hash browned potatoes at, I always had an asthma attack. Never had asthma any other time. I knew it was the cause but nobody believed me. It eventually turned out I was right as during the late 60's and early 70's restaurants were using a food preservative on their potatoes to keep them from turning brown, as all taters do when cut,. It allowed them to dice up the potatoes way ahead of time and fry them as needed. When I found out this was a real thing it gave me confidence to trust my own experiences over the hype. The so called authorities were wrong, including my parents.

[@elCamaronBorracho]

Just for the record, as a trained chef, rinsing potatoes after shredding or cutting will keep them from turning brown. I’m not discrediting your sensitivity to food preservatives, just saying that the preservative is typically used as a bacterial inhibitor, thereby extending the shelf life, not to prevent “browning”. Sorry for the pedantive clarification

[@nopeyadayadayada1248]

@elCamaronBorracho i appreciate your feedback. Any info, like you provided, adds to the body of knowledge about what I experienced. Nothing about your words were perceived as pedantic.

[@stevenhochhauser3709]

I am a biochemist who is MSG sensitive and I can assure you that MSG sensitivity is very real for a small number of sensitive individuals. I don't know why a few people such as myself are so sensitive to it while the great majority of people are not, but I think it's obvious that this explains why studies of random populations are not going to pick it up. One thing not mentioned in this piece is that besides being one of the 20 amino acids that are the building blocks of all proteins, glutamate is by far the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in our nervous systems. In other words it has a very strong role in normal brain function. Whether this has anything at all to do with MSG sensitivity is not currently known. And yes, I avoid it as much as possible. I read food labels and won't buy anything that contains "natural flavoring", which is how the food processing industry hides MSG in its products.

[@Gary-k2g]

Such labels should be illegal. Rat droppings could be natural flavor. My son is very allergic to msg. Headaches so bad he wanted to die.

[@maryblushes7189]

I wonder if this is why some babies can not thrive on breast milk... if so, babies who have trouble drinking breast milk could be tested for msg sensitivity and get a jump on the problem.

[@evelk5233]

I have epilepsy and had a terrible headache after eating Chinese food. Just agonizing pain in my forehead

[@gizzyguzzi]

Or maybe its in your head

[@zack_120]

How do you prove your sensitivity is definitely from MSG, ie. without confounding from other ingredients?

[@sirtango1]

You guys ALMOST caught enough to make one meal for me! 😂 Kidding, but I love grilled or fried garlic shrimp! Look like good sized shrimp too! I guess it’s good that I don’t live on the coast right now, but I’m thinking about moving to the Philippines. I gotta check out the shrimpin’ situation there!

[@andrewcarr3650]

We are all different, if I have any MSG, I cannot sleep, heart rate goes up, blood pressure up etc etc. If you have these symptoms, do an experiment to check and then avoid!

[@eggfooyoung24]

In the UK MSG has been demonised and removed from quite a few foods. Some foods boast that they are MSG free too. I always have a bag of MSG in the cupboard to add a pinch back in to where it belongs. Ramen noodles in particular are so much better with a sprinkle. It makes cheaper foods taste so much better. Not generally sold in big name supermarkets but available in world food / Asian stores.

[@achimwasp]

Same. Here in Germany we have "Aromat" or "Fondor" which are mostly MSG. My granny already used it extensively, and I'm 60 years old now. I don't go to or order from Chinese restaurants that say they stopped using MSG.

[@gondolacrescent5]

MSG is used on Doritos Chips? I was wondering why so many people are secretly addicted to them…

[@BigBlueMotors]

I've embraced MSG after a lifetime of being told it's not good. People have all sorts of food sensitivities. I for one have had a sensitivity to sulfates, especially from wine. I've overcome the sensitivity by drinking organic wines and sparkling wines labeled Cava from Spain that use or contain less sulfites. Wines have naturally occurring sulfites, but many wineries add more as a preservative.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

Sulfites are found naturally occurring in wines but are also added in the process. I know because my wife and I used to make our own wines. Unfortunately, I had to give it up because the reaction I got after even half a glass (flushed face, hot ears, headache) took the fun out of drinking wine.

[@zoricazorica5752]

Why would you want to "overcome" "sensitivity" to this toxic additive?

[@wingdingdmetrius8025]

​@@zoricazorica5752 Its probably because claims of MSG toxicity are false, and exposure therapy is real.

[@hellsaber2358]

random youtube recommendation and i love it. also new subscriber here, thank you for a unbiased history about MSG. im just wondering, if MSG really makes people sick why are the thais and viets didnt have any issue using MSG? you can see a lot of food video where they put a bag or two of MSG in their food and no one bats an eye.

[@casparcoaster1936]

In '89, I was a stock broker, and was broke. My wife had a friend making $40 usd /hr in Japan teaching ESL, and we moved to Tokyo, got jobs teaching English, and the language school who hired me sent me to teach classes at Ajinomoto... to beautiful girls. Was so much fun, and saved 10 grand, learned about MSG, but, wife wanted (& got) a divorce.

[@geobus3307]

It sometimes appears on food labels as "nutritional yeast".

[@wingdingdmetrius8025]

as others have pointed out, glutamic acid and sodium glutamate are two different molecules. There is no MSG in nutritional yeast

[@RiskOfBaer]

Yep, that stuff is amazing. It's the reason thing like mushrooms seem to work perfectly with meat and enhance it's flavor, It's why kombu imparts amazing flavor to your broth. All of it thanks to the wonderful umami flavor and MSG that is naturally occurring in them. Even if you don't like things like mushrooms, just buy it in powdered form and add a little bit along with salt to your dishes. You'd be amazed how much of a difference it makes, it's a great shortcut if you're an amateur cook and looking to give your soup stock extra oomph, or make those meatballs taste that much more delicious. It does not modify the taste of the dish, it's hard to describe but it just makes it taste better, as if it was enchanting everything thaw was already good about it: it will make your beef taste beefier, your stock will taste richer, and so on. This is why MSG is used basically everywhere nowadays, you can bet most of the restaurants do it even if they tell you they do not, it's just that good. They add it to various salty snacks, it is a staple ingredient of a lot of universal spices and things like stock cubes. I don't understand why so many people still treat it like it's bad for you, it's no worse for you than normal salt. Probably better actually than a lot of stuff we use every single day, like sugar and canola oil. It's one of the old myths people keep clinging to. You eat MSG all the time without even realizing, just like with salt and sugar, if it was bad for you then you'd already be feeling it. Learn to use it in moderation, just like you do with salt, and it will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.

[@shmataboro8634]

@riskobear, projectile vomiting and a three day headache is why some of us avoid it and read food labels carefully. Personally I just stopped using packaged foods entirely and have felt much better since giving then up. It's insane the number of things not even required to be listed on the label of processed "food" in the US.

[@lunascomments3024]

​@@shmataboro8634and eating food with chemical fertilizer. bravo.

[@babboon5764]

Lance, you have done me a great service. I used to use MSG in small amounts as it worked well to 'bring out flavour'. The adverse PR about 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' & 'unnatural' additives induced me to quit. I shall now once more use it in moderation.

[@Tsass0]

Thank U for this :)

[@ELW2940]

I found this video extremely interesting as I have friends that won’t go to Mexican or oriental restaurants claiming that “ it’s unhealthy because they all use MSG”. To which I say Po-Po. I’ve never had an adverse reaction and I must have consumed a ton of the stuff. Those two styles of cuisine are the mainstay of my diet. Thanks for the information. All this time I thought MSG came from beets and wondered how something that enhances food flavor so wonderfully could come from a disgusting tasting root vegetable, although I do understand that table sugar is also derived from beets. Now that really mystifies me ! I only use cane sugar because I read somewhere that beet sugar has chemical residue from processing and those are carcinogenic. Who knows !

[@traceybaldwin6509]

But just because you’ve never had a reaction doesn’t mean others haven’t. I eat peanut butter everyday and never have a reaction-seems overkill to remove all things peanut from schools and airplanes. See how that works? 🤦‍♀️ (BTW-I do get reactions from MSG that feel like a bad flu. Started in my 40s with a large exposure to it, and now even small amounts cause minor symptoms. I read labels now)

[@robertartiga7]

When I was growing up I don't remember so many people being allergic and to so many different things. Guess I'm lucky the only allergy that I'm aware of is Kryptonite.😊

[@rustychristopher597]

I think HISTORY GUY is just awesome for teaching me things that I wouldn't have learned about the 1st time around in school but now I'm thrilled to be learning it Wisdom comes later for me I guess

[@trottiscliffe]

I think you would have been very lucky to have learnt this the first time round at school.

[@charlesdalton985]

A similar issue has been going on with gluten. 99% of the population has no issue with it and those that do can be diagnosed/confirmed. Yet……

[@ClipsNSnips]

Isn't it strange that people these days seem to list off their "allergies" with an air of pride? 🤔

[@TheDesertRat75]

Though thanks to the larger portion of people who are not allergic, seek out gluten free foods, it increases the number of foods those who are truly allergic to, to increase in variety. A bit of a win for those with the allergy.

[@richardfabacher3705]

@@ClipsNSnips One "little old lady" patient always reminds my doctor's office: "Remember I am deathly allergic to oxygen!"

[@Myopicvisions]

​@@TheDesertRat75agreed. But I had celiac customers who felt it necessary to tell me "I'm not one of those people, I have celiac disease." Some expressed frustration and embarrassment because food service workers and managers treated them with derision, believing they were just another person claiming to be allergic, having no idea that they were eating foods containing gluten.

[@jb-vb8un]

@charlie - how did ya arrive at "99% have no issue" ?

[@Richardo82983]

Fill your table salt shaker with MSG you'll use less sodium and so much better flavor.

[@spconrad9612]

I like to not use salt at all because our diet already is loaded w it. Adding salt or sugar is not needed in most cases. I break the rule when eating corn on the cob in late summer.

[@iskandartaib]

11:42 - Came across a video the other day that explained that the author of the paper about Chinese Restaurant Syndrome was actually influenced by the prevailing Cantonese prejudice against non-Cantonese Chinese food. Apparently, these non-Cantonese cuisines, as well as cheap restaurants, used MSG to make their food taste better, while expensive Cantonese food didn't need it, so MSG was seen as a "poor man's food additive", used in cheap food. The maker of the video pointed out that, in the paper, the symptoms were experienced specifically after eating at a "Northern Chinese" restaurant.

[@bkm2797]

My mom used to cook with Accent (a brand) all the time, never had a problem. Remember a commercial of a farmer at the back of his truck iterating Ever Try Cooking With A Sugar Beet, sticks in my mind to this day. The only thing I was wondering was if they came up with some sort of man made chemical that replaced using natural substances possibly causing a reaction for some. Thanks for the mini class!

[@yakacm]

I knew about MSG because I was friends with 3 mixed race Chinese/English brother, who's whole family were in catering. So I knew what it was, what it tasted like on it's own, and I could tell when it was included in food. What I wasn't aware of was Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, until 1 night when I was working late and got food from a Chinese restaurant by work. I could tell from eating the meal that it had a lot of MSG in it. After I had eaten I felt awful, major headache and feeling shaky, so I looked if there was anything associated with eating MSG and that's what I found out about Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. I never ate from that restaurant again, and I've never had any ill effects from eating Chinese food.

[@lunascomments3024]

we also didn't like Chinese takeout that just took shortcut and just dump MSG.

[@garlickebagg]

This goes on your BEST OF list !!!💜👍.

[@KaleidoSTAR_PH]

These negative campaign of West against MSG is just laughable! they're just close-minded! Or should I say xenophobic racist? Im Filipino and MSG is integral on our cooking and its everywhere! We Asians should drop like flies if it is BAD a LONG TIME AGO if it is PROVEN by these idiots, and look! we are still alive and well!

[@josephkerns1183]

MSG is all natural. Unlike vegetable oils that are manmade and toxic. People are very ignorant in this world. MSG is perfectly healthy and awesome.

[@josephkerns1183]

People should return to using lard and beef tallow for frying if they know what is good for them. Notice how obese we westerners got after they removed natural animal fats from food ? You are 100% right !

[@KaleidoSTAR_PH]

@@josephkerns1183 I know! they're missing a lot to this goodness! Uncle Roger call it "cocaine of cooking" 🤣🤣

[@kathyjohnson8244]

Alpine Touch, a Montana all-purpose spice contains MSG, listed as the 3rd ingredient. It is a highly regarded in Montana. Alpine Touch has enhanced the flavor of many of my meals.

[@barryallenflash1]

Great video! It's interesting to see signs in Asian restaurants that say-"No MSG". Yet, for the most part it's safe for consumption, but here we are in 2023 still stigmatized about it being "bad for you."

[@jisoenman]

I lived in Saga, Japan for most of my life. Regular visits to the University hospital to do English talk overs on operations. After many discussions with surgeons is seems that Saga has the highest level of stomach cancer in the world that they relate to MSG. That and a distinct lack of fibre that results in no soft stomach lining that makes them prone to problems.

[@mdt260]

Very interesting history. I have a brother who gets migraines induced by MSG, as well as nitrates and nitrites.

[@fourutubez7294]

As Uncle Roger always says "It Makes Shit Good"

[@VespasianJudea]

Haaaiyaaaaaa!

[@jz422]

"The king of flavor" FYIYOH!

[@alec_f1]

No, Uncle Roger says, "it make sheet good!"

[@raclark2730]

Found the uncle Roger fans, Putting my leg back up.

[@gmoney4980]

That white powder!

[@Kaarataka]

Outro music is way too loud. Thanks for the amazing channel

[@Greenmachine305]

Nice. Thanks.

[@FuncleChuck]

I’m supposed to eat less salt - which means I bought a giant shaker of MSG and my life is better for it.

[@danielulz1640]

The S in MSG is SODIUM, SALT!

[@isaace436]

Yeah id caution using it as if its not salt, because needing less salt in a diet usually means you need less sodium. Which is half of what msg is. Mono-sodium glutamate. Since glutamate is the part that gives you the taste, tho, you might look for alternatives with less sodium.

[@mdlanor5414]

MSG has always been safe to consume in moderate quantities. It is natural. Just like when eggs were declared not good for you. Humans have been eating eggs for hundreds of thousands of years. Of course eggs eaten in moderation are good for your health.

[@gondolacrescent5]

“Everything in moderation” is generally good for just about everyone.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Before the moderation mindset was adopted widely, some Chinese food places where I lived were adding MSG like water. And I would break out into a hot flush with sweats from that food. This led me to avoid those restaurants for a long time. Now that I am medically on a controlled sodium intake, I still kind of avoid it. For a salty flavor in foods I use potassium chloride salt. It is a slightly harsher taste than table salt, but I've acquired the taste for it. - edit: Having watched more of the video, I have no rigorous scientific assurance that it was the MSG. It may have been something else those restaurants cooked with, though I did not taste any unusual flavors. It could also have been some "inert" ingredient in the MSG or other spices those places used. I do have strange allergic reactions to skin irritants and common medications that most people have no issue with - to the point (as examples) that I have only found one or two shampoos that don't leave me with a rash, and I cannot tolerate Crestor, but I can take Lipitor and generic cholesterol control medications.

[@jackdernorsek5310]

Oh how wrong you are. I am violently allergic to MSG in the smallest quantities. I have met many people who are also allergic and avoid it as poison, as I do. I do not believe it is safe to consume when to many people, their symptoms of rapid heart beat, sweats and headaches that last for a day or more are a mystery.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@jackdernorsek5310 MSG is as safe as many other foods and food additives. There will always be a percentage of humans who have some negative reaction to a given food or additive. I too get the sweats from more than a minor amount of MSG (particularly if it is freshly applied and not given time to break down), though I don't get the headaches.

[@jeanjaz]

​@MonkeyJedi99 You might benefit from the DNA test that doctors give. My doctor really wanted me to get it done even though it is a little spendy - I think like $500. The results can predict what certain categories of meds I can or cannot take, and what supplements I need to be taking. (It showed I needed to be taking Folic acid, for instance.) I have a complex medical history, so it has been a real benefit to me and worth the expense. You might look into it.

[@gregoryambres1897]

🏆 One learns so very much from this young man. Kudos. 🏆

[@cut--]

MSG WINS! I use it all the time and my guests love my food and don't ever complain about headaches, etc.. just how great my food is!

[@ekulda]

We in India and Asia all eat msg. And we are smart and healthy. 😂🎉 Great innovation.

[@jerichojohnson3219]

VERY INFORMATIVE !

[@thomashowe5291]

I used MSG all the time and then stopped when all the hype hit about it being bad. But my vegetables didn't taste right to me so I started using again and never stopped.

[@QuantumRift]

READ your labels colsely: "Yeast Extract" -- One of the most essential amino acids in yeast extract is glutamic acid. It's also found in different foodstuffs like vegetables, fish, meat, and dairy products, as well as soy sauce and parmesan cheese. The sodium salt of glutamic acid - called glutamate - makes up almost 5% of yeast extract's nutrient content. Many manufacturers extract this glutamate and use it as an additive in food products to give them the distinct "umami" taste - a savory flavor normally associated with mushrooms and meats. You may often find this isolated form of glutamate listed as monosodium glutamate (MSG) in various food items.

[@OrinSorinson]

I use MSG in pretty much all the food I prepare and I buy it by the kilos. I have to order it, it's not available in Romanian shops or supermarkets, or in many European ones. It has made a lot of foods much more flavorful and I'm constantly surprised by how much of an improvement it can make. Amazing discovery!

[@faequeenapril6921]

MSG is a really good ingredient, I use it sparingly so if I need to use salt I'll use half the salt and then the rest is MSG. I dont use a lot of it like literally a pinch of it per dish.

[@bogdan78pop]

Bravo Sorin..!!

[@mihaifox465]

de unde comanzi?

[@leaonardland9001]

MSG powder is addictive. MSG powder is harmful. MSG powder should be outlawed, as it already has been in some places like Pakistan.

[@OrinSorinson]

@@mihaifox465 asianfood punct ro. aji-no-moto.

[@JediBuddhist]

Thank you.

[@cplim4842]

Unskilled cooks have to rely on manufactured MSG. Confident chefs don't rely on manufactured MSG. Natural grown food like tomatoes have the same molecules in the natural state.