Freeman2006 PDF
Freeman2006 PDF
Keywords
Monosodium glutamate; food allergy;
headache.
Correspondence
Matthew Freeman, CNP, MPH, Clinical
Instructor, The Ohio State University College of
Nursing, Newton Hall. 1585 Neil Avenue,
Columbus, OH 43210.
Tel: (614) 292-4041; Fax: (614) 292-4535;
Email: [email protected]
Received: October 2005; accepted: March
2006
doi:10.1111/j.1745-7599.2006.00160.x
Abstract
Purpose: This article reviews the literature from the past 40 years of research
related to monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its ability to trigger a migraine
headache, induce an asthma exacerbation, or evoke a constellation of symptoms
described as the Chinese restaurant syndrome.
Data sources: Literature retrieved by a search using PubMed, Medline, LexisNexus, and Infotrac to review articles from the past 40 years.
Conclusions: MSG has a widespread reputation for eliciting a variety of
symptoms, ranging from headache to dry mouth to flushing. Since the first
report of the so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome 40 years ago, clinical trials
have failed to identify a consistent relationship between the consumption of
MSG and the constellation of symptoms that comprise the syndrome. Furthermore, MSG has been described as a trigger for asthma and migraine headache
exacerbations, but there are no consistent data to support this relationship.
Although there have been reports of an MSG-sensitive subset of the population,
this has not been demonstrated in placebo-controlled trials.
Implications for practice: Despite a widespread belief that MSG can elicit
a headache, among other symptoms, there are no consistent clinical data to
support this claim. Findings from the literature indicate that there is no
consistent evidence to suggest that individuals may be uniquely sensitive
to MSG. Nurse practitioners should therefore concentrate their efforts on
advising patients of the nutritional pitfalls of some Chinese restaurant meals
and to seek more consistently documented etiologies for symptoms such as
headache, xerostomia, or flushing.
Introduction
Chinese cuisine has been a part of American culture since
the mid-19th century. Beginning with the first restaurant
in San Francisco in 1949, there are now more than 40,000
Chinese restaurants in the United States. Chinese cuisine
boomed after 1965, when the United States loosened
immigration laws, permitting more Asian immigrants.
As immigrants arrived, restaurants proliferated (Shute,
2005).
In 1968, a report appeared in the New England Journal of
Medicine, describing a constellation of symptoms in patients
who dined in one of the growing number of Chinese
restaurants. The symptoms of the so-called Chinese
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restaurant syndrome (CRS) included numbness, radiating to the back, arms, and neck; weakness; and palpitations (Kwok, 1968). Later reports included other
symptoms, such as tightness, flushing, tearing, dizziness,
syncope, and facial pressure (Geha et al., 2000a). The original author suggested several possible culprits for these
symptoms, including cooking wine, sodium content, and
the seasoning monosodium glutamate (MSG) (Kwok).
MSG attracted the most attention as a possible source of
CRS symptoms. MSG, known by its chemical name, was
previously unknown in American culinary vocabulary,
and thus lacked the familiarity of common food additives
like wine or salt.
Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 18 (2006) 482486 2006 The Author(s)
Journal compilation 2006 American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
M. Freeman
What is MSG?
MSG is a salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant
amino acids. Although glutamic acid is naturally occurring, it
is produced commercially through molasses, sugar cane, and
sugar beet fermentation. Glutamate is not an essential amino
acid in its own right; instead, it supplies an amino group for
the synthesis of other amino acids. Glutamate serves other
functions in the body as well, serving as an energy source for
certain tissues and as a substrate for glutathione synthesis
(Food Standards Australia New Zealand, 2003).
Although MSG is naturally occurring in many foods, it is
frequently added as a flavor enhancer. MSG produces
a unique flavor that cannot be provided by other foods.
Sometimes referred to as a sixth flavor, MSG elicits a taste
described in Japanese as umami, which translates to
savory (Birks, 2005). This property was first described
in 1909 with respect to the glutamine content of konbu
seaweed (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 1995).
Umami is a fundamental component of Japanese cooking. Japanese food scientists and psychologists emphasize
that glutamate and the umami taste do not necessarily
evoke a flavor themselves; instead, umami enhances other
flavors. Saki, for example, has a significant glutamate
content; hence, the Japanese belief that Saki compliments
and enhances a meal (Birks, 2005).
Despite its association with East Asian cuisine, glutamate-rich foods are common in the West. In 2003, a joint
inquiry by the governments of Australia and New Zealand
reviewed previous research exploring the glutamate content of common foods. According to this research, a typical
Chinese restaurant meal contains between 10 and 1500 mg
of MSG per 100 g. A condensed soup typically contains
between 0 and 480 mg, Parmesan cheese contains 1200 mg,
and packaged sauces or seasonings contain 20 to 1900 mg.
A meal in a Chinese restaurant is therefore likely to contain
more MSG than one might typically consume in a Western
restaurant, but does this difference carry a clinical
significance?
A China syndrome?
Initial studies of the so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome were plagued with problems. The first study, by
Schaumburg, Byck, Gerstl, and Mashman (1969), demonstrated dose-dependent reactions to MSG in a variety of
delivery methods (soup, water, broth, and intravenous
administration). Although almost all of the subjects
responded, the tests were not all blinded, and there were
only six subjects in the entire study.
Concerns about MSG became more vocal after a crosssectional study in 1977 by Reif-Lehrer (1977) of the
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References
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Birks, S. (2005). UmamiThe fifth taste. Food Manufacture,
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