The Rotten Science Behind the MSG Scare

Re:The Rotten Science Behind the MSG Scare by deepsquirrelnet on Sunday August 06, 2023 @02:10PM (#37024872)

I have a suspicion that histamine plays a role in how people react with MSG. All of those foods you mention are high histamine foods, in addition to MSG itself causing histamine release. Chinese food is often high histamine. White rice if not served quickly after preparation can even trigger histamine intolerance.

If there is a connection, it could also provide some level of explanation for studies. Histamine intolerance can seem random, depending on what foods the test subject has eaten in proximity to the test. There are lots of factors that determine whether or not a person with histamine intolerance will experience symptoms when eating a high histamine meal, because it depends on the accumulated levels currently present in the body.

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Re:The Rotten Science Behind the MSG Scare by kamonohashisan on Sunday August 06, 2023 @08:23PM (#37028459)

It could still be the MSG for some people. My post-doc research was related to Parkinson's disease. Glutamate toxicity is a recognized aspect of the disease [1]. Furthermore, glutamate is a neurotransmitter. Many of the receptors hit by glutamate are targets of anti-migraine meds [2]. Sure, for most the dietary glutamate may have little effect on blood glutamate concentrations. However, if MSG does readily enter the blood of certain people, migraines could certainly be a possibility.

1. [Glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in Parkinson's disease: The role of glial cells](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.5855...)

2. [Glutamate and Its Receptors as Therapeutic Targets for Migraine](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5935645/)

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Re:The Rotten Science Behind the MSG Scare by mips_r4300i on Monday August 07, 2023 @01:16PM (#37037465)

Interestingly my sister is intolerant of MSG and also allergic to lidocaine.

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