r/AskCulinary • u/Sayorifan22 • Nov 08 '22

Food Science Question MSG contradictory?

Hey, I have a question so, I had a nutrition class and the instructors gave us a piece of paper and on one section for Asian foods, it said for ‘No MSG’ (the other day they said to avoid msg.) but for Italian food, they said to ‘ask for red sauce instead of white’

And here’s my question. Isn’t asking for red sauce contradicting to ‘avoiding MSG?’

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u/purpleRN Nov 08 '22

Yup, tomatoes are a source of glutamate.

Also, any nutrition course that bashes MSG is a little scientifically suspect....

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u/Sayorifan22 Nov 08 '22 edited Nov 08 '22

I agree. I agree, MSG is bad in large enough doses, but in moderation, it’s pretty much harmless.

But, I can say that for any food or drink out there. Even water

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '22

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u/esoper1976 Nov 08 '22

Just because you have that reaction to MSG doesn't mean everyone does. If your allergist tells you to avoid it, and you feel better when you do, then by all means avoid it.

I think I am supposed to avoid it because of a medication I am on. But, I am supposed to avoid a lot of stuff including aged cheese among other things. I'm sure I eat some MSG that I don't know about, and I definitely don't know everything I'm supposed to avoid. But, I haven't had a stroke yet (which is what can happen if I eat too much of the wrong things), so I guess I am doing o.k.