I read the ingredient list on everything I buy in any grocery store, as my husband experiences indigestion, gas, etc. whenever he eats anything with MSG in it. We also have to specify no MSG when ordering Chinese. My mom reacts violently to food with MSG in it - within an hour of ingesting the stuff, she will become nauseous, usually to the point of vomiting. (I know, fun bunch, huh? ) Is there any update to the effect that this “harmless” stuff has on people? And does it effect other people in these or in other ways?
Any similarities between your reality and mine are purely coincidental.
Overall, while I’ve heard a reasonable amount of anecdotal evidence, I have yet to see much more then that to show that this substance is a danger to people in general. (as the no MSG website believes)
I mean, you can find people who will have an allergic reaction to virtually anything. Some of these groups are quite large, yet the substance itself is still considered harmless (like milk for example)
Ok, ok. To forstall any comments on a generalization.
No, it’s not milk that people react to, it’s stuff like casein and inability to digest milk sugars (lactose).
The difference between being sensitive to something and being allergic is very clear cut. An allergig reaction is caused by your inmune system reacting to something it feels is a threat even though that something may not be harmful at all (e.g. pollen) whereas you are sensitive to something if that something directly causes discomfort or whatever. So we are sensitive to Chlorine Bleach (not allergic). According to this lactose intolerance is not an allergy
Hmmm… Doesn’t seem all that clear cut to me. How can you determine whether the reaction that a person has is or is not caused by the immune system? I would think that vomiting suggests the body is trying to rid itself of a substance it sees as harmful - sounds more like an allergic reaction than a sensitivity, in that case.
It’s actually not that difficult to tell them apart chemically. Here’s an excerpt from a brochure of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (www.aaaai.org):
"With a true food allergy, an individual’s immune system will overreact to an ordinarily harmless food. This is caused by an allergic antibody called IgE (Immunoglobulin E), which is found in people with allergies. Food allergy often may appear in someone who has family members with allergies, and symptoms may occur after that allergic individual consumes even a tiny amount of the food.
“Food intolerance is sometimes confused with food allergy. Food intolerance refers to an abnormal physical response to a food or food additive that is not an allergic reaction. It differs from an allergy in that it does not involve the immune system. For instance, an individual may have uncomfortable abdominal symptoms after consuming milk. This reaction is most likely caused by a milk sugar (lactose) intolerance, in which the individual lacks the enzymes to break down milk sugar for proper digestion. Your allergist can help you determine the difference between intolerance and allergy and help you in establishing a management plan.”
Testing for IgE is now pretty standard.
Since it’s easier to test for allergies objectively, people seem to take them more seriously; I have had both and I’m not sure which I prefer.
I’ve always suspected that an “MSG sensitivity” is actually a reaction to something else – different vegetables (for example, chinese cooking uses lots of bell peppers, which often cause gastric distress when not cooked thoroughly), spices, an excess of salt, etc. It just takes more searching.
) Is there any update to the effect that this “harmless” stuff has on people? And does it effect other people in these or in other ways?