MSG

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Is it alright if I have food with MSG in it? I figure ladies in Asia eat it constantly and don't have 3-headed children. I'm dying for some ramen noodles!

k_leigh_d

Expert Answers

Lori Wolfe, genetic counselor

Yes, if MSG doesn't bother you when you're not pregnant! Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a natural component of many foods. It's a salt of the amino acid glutamine, and we always have some MSG in our bodies. Plus, it's commonly used to enhance the flavor of many foods, especially Asian food.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been testing MSG for years and rates it "generally recognized as safe." However, the FDA requires that all foods containing MSG include that information on the label, because some people develop an adverse reaction to it, whether pregnant or not.

In people who are sensitive to it, MSG can trigger headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and sleep disturbances. So you may want to avoid it during pregnancy, especially if you were sensitive to MSG before pregnancy.

There's no evidence that MSG is harmful to a developing baby. In fact, it would be very difficult to ingest enough MSG to cause a problem. Even a large dose ? which can cause nausea and vomiting even in someone who's not sensitive to it ? wouldn't pose a known risk to a developing baby.

kcbrandle

I think everyone has had their share of ramen noodles and chinese food.  See the post about favorite foods and cravings.

kchoi

i've read msg is fine. ?my grandmother is a healthy 80 year old who had 7 healthy children and eats msg every day. ?i am finding with this pregnancy that msg kinda gives me a slight headache so i try not to eat too much of it. ?you can find ramen with no msg these days.

JCM052707

IMO it's in the same catagory as artificial sweetners, HFCS, trans fats, etc.  Only you can decide how much you want in your body.

cala09

MSG gives me migraines, so I'm steering clear.  Of course, I love Chinese food, so I just ask the restaurant to leave out the MSG and they're usually fine with doing that.  Are there any noodle brands out there like the ramen noodles that don't have MSG?