MSG

You can believe the information in this post or not ... I'm just relaying the information.  I have a few friends that say they are allergic to MSG, and that it's not so good for you.  I've never noticed a difference when eating Chinese food, and really didn't know what it is that causes an allergic reaction in this solution that they define as a "flavor enhancer."

This article is from a newly favorite magazine called Eating Well (mar/apr 14), and promotes healthy eating and natural ways of life:

MSG - or mono sodium glutamate - is a flavor enhancer used in savory foods, especially Asian foods.  It contains sodium, but only a third of the amount that you'd get from an equal quantity of salt. MSG also includes glutamic acid (aka glutamate), an amino acid that's natural in foods like tomatoes, mushrooms and soybeans, and is the source or our fifth taste, umami.  In fact, you eat about 13 grams of natural glutamate a day compared to only around half a gram from MSG.  Some people say that MSG gives them headaches, exacerbate their asthma, or causes other symptoms referred to as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, but decades of research fails to support the link between MSG and these side effects.

Please respond!  Do you know of other research?  Do you have some of these symptoms?  I want to know!

Peace.  Love.  Serene.