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What does the research say about MSG and headaches? We dive into more information about this food additive below.

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Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a controversial food additive that’s used to enhance the flavor of many dishes, especially in Asian cuisine.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has labeled MSG as safe for consumption, some people question its long-term health effects (1).

In addition, many people have reported negative effects from consuming MSG, with headaches and migraine attacks being among the most common.

This article explores the relationship between MSG and headaches.

What is MSG?

MSG is a common food additive.

It’s popular in Asian cuisine and present in various highly processed foods, such as soups, chips, snack foods, seasoning blends, frozen meals, and instant noodles.

MSG is derived from the naturally occurring amino acid glutamic acid, or glutamate. Glutamate plays a role in various functions in your body, including relaying signals from your brain to your body (2).

As an additive, MSG is a white crystalline powder that looks similar to table salt or sugar. Adding it to foods enhances their umami taste, which is best described as savory and meaty (3).

The FDA has deemed MSG “generally recognized as safe.” However, some experts question its health effects, especially when consumed regularly over the long term (4).

Products that contain added MSG must include it on their ingredient labels with its full name, monosodium glutamate. However, foods that naturally contain MSG, such as tomatoes, cheeses, and protein isolates, do not need to list MSG (1).

Outside the United States, MSG may be listed by its E-number: E621 (5).

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive that enhances the savory umami taste of foods.

Does MSG cause headaches?

Over the years, MSG has been subjected to a lot of controversy.

Given that MSG contains glutamic acid, an umami compound that also functions as a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger that stimulates nerve cells), some people believe that it may have harmful effects on the brain (6).

However, research has shown that consuming MSG is unlikely to have any effect on brain health, as MSG does not cross the blood-brain barrier (7).

Although the FDA has classified MSG as safe for consumption, some people have reported sensitivities to it. The most frequently reported side effects include headaches, muscle tightness, tingling, numbness, weakness, and flushing (8).

While headaches and migraine attacks are among the most commonly reported side effects of consuming MSG, current research has not confirmed a connection between the two.

A detailed review of human studies from 2016 examined research on the relationship between MSG intake and headaches (9).

Six of the studies looked at the effect of MSG consumption from food on headaches and found no significant evidence that consuming MSG was associated with this effect.

However, in the seven studies in which high doses of MSG were dissolved into a liquid rather than being ingested with food, researchers found that people who consumed the MSG beverage reported headaches more often than those who consumed a placebo.

That said, the authors believe that these studies were not properly blinded, as it’s easy to distinguish the taste of MSG. This means it’s highly likely that the participants knew they had received MSG, and this could have skewed the results (9).

In addition, the International Headache Society removed MSG from its list of causal factors for headaches after additional research found no significant connection between the two (10).

In short, there isn’t significant evidence linking MSG intake to headaches.

Based on the current research, there is insufficient evidence to link MSG consumption to headaches. However, more research is needed.

Is MSG harmful?

The FDA has classified MSG as safe for consumption.

However, some human studies have linked its intake to negative effects, including weight gain, hunger, and metabolic syndrome — a group of symptoms that may increase the risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke (11).

On the other hand, a large review of 40 studies found that most studies that have linked MSG to negative health outcomes have been poorly designed and that there isn’t enough research on MSG sensitivity. This suggests that more studies are needed (8).

Most research suggests that consuming MSG in high doses — 3 grams or more — may have negative effects such as high blood pressure and headaches (8).

However, it’s unlikely that most people would consume this amount through normal portion sizes, considering that the average consumption of MSG in the United States is 0.55 grams per day (4, 12).

Although there’s limited research on MSG sensitivity, there are some reports of negative side effects after consuming MSG, such as fatigue, hives, swelling of the throat, muscle tightness, tingling, numbness, weakness, and flushing (8, 13).

If you believe you are sensitive to MSG, it’s best to avoid this food additive.

In the United States, foods that contain added MSG are required to list it on the label.

Common foods that contain added MSG include fast food (especially Chinese food), soups, frozen meals, processed meats, instant noodles, chips and other snack foods, and condiments.

Many foods that contain added MSG are not typically good for your health, so reducing your intake of these foods can be beneficial even if you aren’t sensitive to MSG.

MSG appears to be safe for consumption, but some people may be sensitive to its effects. However, more research is needed in this area.

The bottom line

MSG is a popular food additive that enhances the umami flavor of foods.

Based on the current research, there’s not enough evidence to suggest that MSG consumption is associated with headaches or migraine attacks. Still, more research is needed in this area.

MSG does not appear to be harmful. But if you believe you’re sensitive to its effects, it’s best to avoid it, especially considering that foods that contain added MSG are typically not good for your health.