Activity: Read a Social Media Post

Source 1

Our first source is the MSG myths post from the Instagram account @noodle.phd Links to an external site..

Read it!

The post states the following: 

Time for a history and science lesson! When the molecule responsible for umami was first discovered in Japan, it was named The Essence of Taste, or Aji no Moto. The molecule was present in high quantities in seaweed, tomatoes, and broth, gives food a savory flavor. Its chemical name is monosodium glutamate, or MSG, which is basically like calling table salt sodium chloride or NaCl. Both salt and MSG are white crystals that make food taste better, exist naturally, and contain ions important for health. Sodium, chloride, and glutamate all play important roles for homeostasis and signaling in our bodies and brains. Glutamate, or glutamic acid, is an amino acid and is a building block for protein.

According to the FDA, the average person eats about 13 grams of glutamate from protein sources in their diet per day. Artifically added MSG in packaged food might make up another 0.5 grams.When MSG was first sold in crystal form, it was all the rage. It was seen as hygienic, sophisticated, and rich American housewives clamored to serve it. But with rising anti-Chinese sentiment in the late 1960s, articles were published about sluggishness and headaches caused by large meals eaten at Chinese restaurants. This was dubbed "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" and with the rise of Mao Ze Dong and communism, Americans were eager to see Chinese food as they saw the Chinese: primitive, foreign, dirty, and not to be trusted. MSG was an easy scapegoat despite being celebrated and coveted just years prior.

While MSG sensitivity is a real thing, most people who claim it might just be experiencing a "nocebo effect", which is the opposite of a placebo effect. The nocebo effect means that just believing something will make you feel sick can actually make you sick. Tons of research has been done where people are given food with or without added MSG and told to guess which dish had it. This research has found that despite even using subjects who claim to be sensitive to MSG, most people can't actually tell. There are even some fun videos that do this experiment and people will often guess that the chow mein has added MSG but not the pasta right next to it.

Now that we've reviewed this post, we need to consider our guiding questions to figure out if this is a good source for us to use. Click next to start the process of reviewing this source.