Can MSG help overweight people control appetite?
The USDA is hatching a brilliant new weight-loss plan.
And by “brilliant,” of course, I mean “ludicrous,” because it involves the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Before we go on, let’s stop here a moment and check the Mayo Clinic website for a list of MSG adverse reactions that have been reported to the FDA:
- Headache
- Sweating
- Facial pressure or tightness
- Numbness, tingling or burning in face, neck and other areas
- Heart palpitations
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Weakness
Yes, that’s one special “enhancer!” And USDA researchers apparently agree. Or, that is, researchers from the Western Human Nutrition Research Center (WHNRC), which is part of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) agree.
Too many acronyms!
WHNRC will team up with researchers from Ajinomoto (the maker of MSG) to determine if adding MSG to certain foods helps overweight subjects control appetite and caloric intake.
I’ve read two different reports about this venture, and they’re both so vague I still can’t figure out if MSG will be used to create foods that repel (glazed donuts that cause fierce headaches) or used to create foods that appeal (baby carrots with enhanced flavor).
I guess it would be the latter, because one of those reports (from Food Product Design) makes this farfetched claim: “MSG has long been known to enhance the savory quality of foods and promote a positive emotional response (pleasantness) of eating.”
I wonder–what prompts the positive emotional response? The burning face? The chest pain? The nausea?
Results of this study are due in about two years.
Can’t wait!
Sources:
“Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Is it harmful?” Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., Mayo Clinic, 1/9/10, mayoclinic.com
“Ajinomoto, ARS Team Up for MSG, Weight Management Study” Food Product Design, 10/25/10, foodproductdesign.com
