When it comes to the safety of consuming MSG, research shows you and your wife both have ground to stand on.
Most people don’t have any negative response to MSG at average consumption levels, though some people may be sensitive to it.
In the 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration commissioned a group of independent scientists to investigate whether MSG was making people sick. They concluded it’s safe but reported that individuals who consume 3 grams or more of MSG without food and are sensitive to the amino acid could have temporary symptoms of discomfort, such as headache, numbness, flushing, tingling, palpitations and drowsiness.
However, ingesting that much MSG without food would be difficult. In fact, you’d have to put it in a liquid and drink it, as some research participants were asked to do. A 2023 review of available literature estimates the average intake of food with added MSG in the U.S., Europe and the UK is 0.6 grams per day. The averages are higher in East Asia, topping out at 1.6 to 2.3 grams per day in Japan and South Korea, respectively.
The European Food Safety Authority recommends a daily intake of less than 30 milligrams per day per kilogram of body weight.
According to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the body metabolizes the simple compound in added MSG the same way it metabolizes naturally occurring MSG, noting it’s important to understand the difference between a food allergy and an intolerance. Allergies involve the immune system while an intolerance is a disruption of the digestive tract. FARE has no reported cases of immune-related allergies to MSG, but that doesn’t mean it’s not making some people queasy. If it makes you feel ill, avoiding it makes sense.
Studies haven’t been able to reliably replicate the negative symptoms in human studies with people consuming typical amounts of MSG, but individuals who are experiencing an intolerance can work with a registered dietitian or health care provider to determine if MSG is the cause and, if so, reduce the amount in their diets.