(title)
This American Life did a great story on the history of why and how MSG was vilified. I won’t post any spoilers because it is a fantastic listen.
That was a fantastic cast!
Since the “S” in MSG is salt, yeah, they would all die. I might be wrong, but, I’m pretty I read a paper years ago that said an allergy to salt was impossible. It’s one of those base elements that don’t seem that important until it is. It would be the same as allergic to hydrogen.
Just because it’s a neurotransmitter in your brain, doesn’t mean it can’t have adverse affects elsewhere in the body (conversely, there are many drugs that have an effect on the body, but no effect on the brain due to the blood brain barrier), i.e. the body is complex.
That said, it’s generally recognized as safe and may potentially cause side effects in some people but there isn’t much evidence for it, and MSG is one of the most studied food additives in the world.
True. I guess nicotine is a good example of this. When delivered directly into the bloodstream (via inhalation or a nicotine patch) it is an addictive stimulant. When ingested orally it is poisonous.
