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Vegan Health & Nutrition Discussion Forum
Does anybody know the long-term health effects of everyday consumption of MSG on the human body? Here is my situation: I have been living in Taiwan, and the more I look, the more I realize MSG is tossed into nearly everything. I even saw a tv commercial for msg yesterday. I am currently living in a buddhist temple that cooks strict vegetarian meals, but the cook insists on putting msg into every dish. I have tried asking her not to put it in, but she insists that she has to because people will complain if they don't taste it. My question is whether or not I should cause a huge stink about it, and hope they will change their ways, or is it ok for me to eat it 2X a day for the next 3 months? (I am leaving after that). Or should I refuse to eat with them and cook my own food if they still refuse to stop putting msg in everything?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Responses (5)
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Posted by JohnnySensible at 11/17/08 18:57:37
Personally I would cook my own food as often as possible - someone generous with MSG is usually also generous with NaCl AKA common salt & vegetable oils.
Have you considered foraging? - see - http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/
After 3 months of foraging / eating mostly raw / some steaming & boiling - all without oil & salt & MSG - you may well have a big enough group of interested observers / admirers / followers to start your own "eco-temple".
Remember to always offer the cook & your fellow inmates a taste of your scrumptious food.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making - another option could be to throw a coin!
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Posted by treehugger at 11/18/08 13:54:08
What is it with MSG anyway?
Why is it used so blinking much in Asian cooking?
I don't know about the long term effects but I know about short term - my body treats MSG as poison and rejects it out as soon as possible - from either end!!
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Posted by Tez at 01/28/09 01:51:40
All that ive heard about MSG is that it causes some forms of cancer, im not sure if this is true or not, but this is all that ive been told.
I use to work in a Thai resteruant, and they use to pile MSG into certain dishes, but not all, like "Pad Thai", where its pretty much a grot sticky flat noodle soup and all you can taste is the MSG... yum yum
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Posted by Jeffrey at 05/19/09 19:41:00
I went to see Dr. Michael Greger at my local vegetarian club's monthly meeting. He reads through thousands of medical journals and studies each year, and is an expert on nutrition and what is good/bad for our bodies. Anyway, he said that the latest studies show that MSG is in fact harmless to the human body. In fact, he said that the popular healthy food sauce, "bragg's" is loaded with it. Salty, yes, but as for harmful, I'm not sure what to think now. The internet is full of sites claiming MSG is the devil. But then this vegetarian, health food expert says it is not. Who do we beleive? I just wanted to let you readers know.
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