No, major health organizations like the FDA, WHO, and EFSA state there is no conclusive evidence MSG causes cancer in humans, considering it safe for most people at normal intake levels, despite some older studies on animals using extremely high doses showing potential issues like oxidative stress, but these aren't replicated in humans at typical consumption.
MSG research has not shown a link to cancer risk. But experts recommend avoiding products that contain MSG because it can lead to other harmful health effects. Check the ingredients of the food you eat, especially “savory” products, as those are most likely to have MSG (Niaz et al.).
MSG is not banned, so check the labels
We have to remember that, in Australia, MSG is allowed as a food additive and is not banned. However, any packaged food containing MSG must declare it on the label, either by name or by its code number 621, or even the numbers 620-625, which indicates that glutamates are present.
While MSG itself likely doesn't deserve its reputation as a toxic ingredient, there are reasons to avoid eating foods with MSG. Foods that contain MSG are often highly processed convenience foods that contain high amounts of sodium, fat, and other refined ingredients that aren't good for us.
No, MSG isn't inherently "worse" than salt; in fact, it contains about one-third the sodium of table salt, making it a tool to reduce overall sodium intake while boosting savory (umami) flavor, though it still contains sodium and some people report sensitivity, so moderation and labeling are key. While excessive sodium from any source is linked to health issues, MSG can enhance flavor, potentially lowering the need for more salt, but it's not a complete salt replacement, and potassium-enriched salts are another sodium-reducing option.
Sugar, salt, and MSG are all naturally occurring substances in food, but they have the ability to contribute to heart disease if consumed in large quantities. No one substance is better than the other two, as each has the capacity to lead to illness.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form.
Previous studies have reported that MSG induces cell swelling and death in fully mature primary neuronal cultures but has lesser effects on immature primary neurons (Xiong et al., 2009).
Fact or Fiction “MSG is bad for your health”
Safe levels of MSG consumption have not been linked to adverse health effects. However, MSG is commonly found in ultra-processed foods, which are often high in salt, fat, and added sugars.
MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most common naturally occurring amino acids. Glutamic acid is produced in abundance in our bodies and found in many foods we eat every day, including meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, as well as tomatoes, corn and nuts.
Here's a more detailed, evidence-informed breakdown:
Try to stay away from products that contain sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polysorbate-80 (P80), or carrageenan. These food emulsifiers have harmful effects on the gut microbiome.
About 90% of cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, not genetics, including smoking, poor diet (red meat, fried foods), alcohol, sun exposure, pollutants, infections, obesity, and inactivity; only 5–10% are due to inherited genetic defects, with most cancers arising from lifestyle-induced genetic mutations. Tobacco alone accounts for about a third of cancer deaths, while diet, obesity, and inactivity contribute significantly, with controllable factors being key to prevention.
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Association (EFSA) considered MSG to be a substance generally recognized as safe (GRAS).
Cancer cells can be starved by cutting off their main fuel sources like glucose (sugar) and glutamine, often explored through diets like the ketogenic diet (low carb, high fat) or by targeting specific amino acid pathways, though these are experimental and require more research for human use; fasting also shows promise by depleting tumor fuel and boosting immune cells. Therapeutic approaches aim to block cancer cells' unique metabolic needs, forcing them to rely on less efficient energy sources or inducing cell death, but healthy cells need these nutrients too, making selective targeting difficult.
No, MSG isn't inherently "worse" than salt; in fact, it contains about one-third the sodium of table salt, making it a tool to reduce overall sodium intake while boosting savory (umami) flavor, though it still contains sodium and some people report sensitivity, so moderation and labeling are key. While excessive sodium from any source is linked to health issues, MSG can enhance flavor, potentially lowering the need for more salt, but it's not a complete salt replacement, and potassium-enriched salts are another sodium-reducing option.
The highest value of MSG in the daily diet of the Chinese population was 8.63 g/kg. An MSG intake of 17.63 mg/kg bw/d for the general population of China was obtained from content measurements combined with food consumption, while the data from the apparent consumption survey alone gave 40.20 mg/kg bw/d.
The most important immediate step is to increase your water intake. Drinking plenty of water helps flush MSG from your system and can reduce symptom duration.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common flavor enhancer in various canned food and stereotypically associated with food in Chinese restaurants, has been claimed and tested to have side effects including headache and dizziness. However, the mechanism behind MSG-induced headache was not clear.
These foods include:
Too much glutamate in your brain, in the wrong place, in too high of a concentration and for too long can cause brain cell damage or death. Some neurodegenerative diseases associated with having too much glutamate exciting nerve cells include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease.
MSG is considered safe and is an authorised food additive in the EU and Australia and New Zealand in line with good manufacturing practice.
“While 1 teaspoon of MSG contains 500 mg of sodium, 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2300 mg,” Arndt said. “Using MSG can help decrease the total amount of sodium intake in our diet, which should be between 1,500 to 2,000 mg per day. And it can help aid in improving the overall nutritional status of the elderly.”