I was reading the latest article on a website called IFL Science about monosodium glutamate (MSG) and as a medical student, I was intrigued to learn that MSG is safe for human consumption; there’s very little evidence to show that it causes any health concerns. For instance, one study in the year 2000 collected 130 people who reported having a sensitivity to MSG; some were given a placebo while some were administered MSG.
While it did find that large doses of MSG given without food elicited some mild symptoms, these responses were not seen when MSG was given with food. Further, most health authorities agree that MSG is perfectly fine to eat. Even the US Food and Drug Administration set up an independent inquiry into MSG in the 1990s, ultimately concluding that MSG is safe.
People will be surprised to know that our dietary intake as a nation is the sole reason why there are so many heart-related diseases. Salt — and its high sodium content — is the root cause of some of the most concerning cardiovascular diseases.
As a medical research student, I think we should use MSG as an alternative to salt. It has nearly 13% of sodium content compared to salt. Replacement of salt with MSG may reduce these health concerns. It is about time the relevant authorities, policymakers, and society as a whole paid heed to these obvious health red flags and take appropriate steps to navigate this health crisis.
Neha Khan (Karachi)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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