11 Dangerous Ajinomoto side effects/MSG side effects you shouldn’t overlook
Ajinomoto side effects are not very popular amongst the people. They think that the talks about MSG side effects are just a myth. But, the reality is that Ajinomoto side effects on our health are innumerable. Many people are very fond of Chinese food.
They often visit Chinese restaurants to eat their favorite food like Noodles, Manchurian, Soups, etc. Ajinomoto or MSG is a part of many of their food dishes. Nowadays people are fond of cooking Chinese recipes at home. So, they started using Ajinomoto or MSG at home too.
What is Ajinomoto?
I am going on speaking about Ajinomoto. Don’t you want to know what is Ajinomoto first? Ajinomoto is manufactured by a food manufacturing company called Ajinomoto corporation which is based in Japan. It contains Monosodium glutamate. Ajinomoto is just the name of MSG manufactured by Ajinomoto company in simple words.
MSG was first prepared by a Japanese scientist named Kikunae Ikeda. MSG or monosodium glutamate is popularly used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese and Japanese foods. But, nowadays it is being extensively used in the preparation of packaged foods like chips, biscuits, readymade soup powders, etc.
It enhances the flavor of various foods and makes food mouth licking good. So, people love the taste of Ajinomoto. But, will your opinion be the same after reading the entire side effects of MSG? Just read on and let me know about it.
Dangerous Ajinomoto side effects/MSG side effects:
1. MSG Symptom complex:
Food and drug administration or FDA of USA consider MSG to be safe when taken in optimal amounts. It has stated that MSG has side effects when taken in excess quantities which is known as MSG symptom complex. Furthermore, studies on MSG or Ajinomoto prove that it is a silent killer indeed.
The symptoms of MSG Symptom complex include:
1. Abnormal sensations in the body or Paresthesias like numbness, tingling, burning sensations.
2. Feeling of pressure or tightness in the face
3. Pain or tightness in the chest
4. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
5. Severe headache
6. Nausea and vomiting
7. Palpitations or fast heartbeats
8. Feeling drowsy or sleepy
9. Extreme fatigue or tiredness or weakness
2. MSG and Asthma:
MSG side effects are innumerable and causing Asthma is one of them. In people with Asthma, their respiratory system is extremely sensitive. Thye develop Asthma attacks when triggered by any substance that triggers Asthma-like pollen, dust, dust mites, animal dander or fur, cold air, excessive exercise, etc.
Asthma attack causes symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest. They will need to use their Asthma nebulizer immediately. If not if the attack becomes very severe, they can even become unconscious due to lack of oxygen.
There have been studies that have linked the usage of MSG and Asthma attacks development. Asthma attacks are triggered in these people due to MSG allergy. A study conducted by FASEB in 1995 proved that there is possibly some link between Ajinomoto and Asthma. But, scientists are digging more deep into it and we need more substantial evidence to conclude it.
3. MSG and pregnancy:
Pregnancy is a state which ever woman’s dreams of. As a would me mom, you will be very concerned about the health of your baby. You will want to do the best you can to keep your baby healthy and active.
You might find the foods containing MSG or Ajinomoto flavorful. But, remember that Ajinomoto side effects on your baby’s health and your health are very dangerous. So, just avoid foods containing Ajinomoto for the sake of your baby. Eat nutritious fruits and veggies instead. They promote the health of your child.
MSG can adversely affect the health of the fetus in many ways. We all know that the baby gets its nutrition and oxygen from the mother through the placenta. The placenta is a connection between mom and the baby. Placenta supplies essential nutrients to the baby and it protects the baby from harmful substances and toxic wastes in the mom at the same time.
According to research, MSG damages the placental barrier. This leads to excessive exposure of the baby to all the unwanted substances from the mother. This truly impairs the health of the baby. Ajinomoto can even affect the brain of the unborn child. Apart from its effects on the baby, MSG can lead to retention of water and increased blood pressure or hypertension in mother due to its sodium content.
Hypertension in the mother is very dangerous as it can lead to preeclampsia, eclampsia or seizures, coma, etc. To avoid putting yourself and baby at risk, don’t eat any prepackaged and processed foods.
4. MSG side effects on heart:
Ajinomoto side effects on the heart are mainly due to its sodium content. Sodium is absolutely essential for the heart to function properly. But, excess sodium can damage the heart too. It leads to tightness or pain in the chest as it affects the heart muscles or cardiac tissue.
MSG also leads to fast and pounding heart beats which are called palpitations. They even raise your blood pressure due to water retention and this affects the heart muscles as the heart will need to pump blood against the high blood pressure.
5. MSG and obesity:
MSG side effects in causing obesity cannot be undermined. Obesity is becoming a major epidemic throughout the world. Obesity leads to many more ailments in return like endometrial cancer, heart attack, high cholesterol levels, stroke, paralysis, etc.
Do you want to know how MSG side effects can lead to obesity? If yes, just read on. Our body is a really complex mechanism. It has a hunger-regulating mechanism. Our body produces a substance called leptin when our stomach is filled completely. This leptin sends a signal to our brain that we are full.
Then we feel full and satiated and stop eating. MSG impairs the functioning of leptin. If you eat MSG containing foods, you won’t feel full even after eating a lot. This makes you eat more food than you eat normally. This automatically builds up calories and makes you obese.
6. MSG and insomnia:
Many people ask me if MSG can really cause insomnia. The fact is that MSG side effects on the nervous system do cause insomnia. MSG is a nervous stimulant. It excites the neurons or the brain cells. This makes us keep awake at night and we won’t be able to sleep at all. We feel restless and tired.
7. MSG and sleep apnea:
Ajinomoto side effects include sleep apnea too. Ajinomoto leads to obesity or weight gain. People with obesity problems tend to experience sleep apnea more commonly than their normal weight counterparts. Sleep apnea leads to excessive snoring and insomnia at night. These people also experience shortness of breath. They feel unrefreshed in the morning and they feel sleepy throughout the day.
8. MSG Migraine trigger:
Ajinomoto side effects include the development of a headache like Migraine. People experiencing Migraine have a one-sided headache either the right side or left side headache. A headache of Migraine is of throbbing quality. They also experience photophobia or sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting.
There is a type of a migraine called Migraine with Aura. If ou develop this type of a headache, then you will have many visual changes like flashes of light, floaters, zigzag lines, blind spots in front of your eyes.
9. MSG hypertension:
MSG contains sodium which retains fluid like water in the body as sodium has an ability to attract water due to osmosis. Excess water accumulation in the blood vessels leads to hypertension, which ultimately affects your heart adversely.
10. MSG side effects on nervous system:
MSG affects your brain in a diverse manner. Ajinomoto side effects n brain are not known by many people. But, Ajinomoto tends to cause many paresthesias or abnormal sensations due to its ill effects on the nerves.
These Paresthesias can include burning sensation, tingling and numbness or loss of sensation. MSG can also lead to many degenerative disorders of the brain like Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Multiple sclerosis. Alzheimer’s disease makes you lose your memory. Parkinson’s disease makes you stiff, rigid and you develop a lot of tremors even while resting.
11. Monosodium glutamate cancer risk:
According to some studies, monosodium glutamate has the propensity to cause cancer. But, there is no proper evidence to guarantee cancer-causing ability of monosodium glutamate. Further research is being done to conclude if Ajinomoto side effects really cause cancer.
Tips regarding MSG or Ajinomoto:
1. We have seen all the possible harmful Ajinomoto side effects. But, Do you know how to spot the presence of MSG in your food. Look at the food label at the back of your processed food. If it contains anything like Sodium caseinate, yeast extract, Glutamic acid, Gelatin, calcium caseinate, they always contain MSG or Ajinomoto. Try to avoid foods with these ingredients as far as possible.
2. Always try to opt for freshly made food at home instead of prepackaged food. This automatically avoids all the foods containing MSG and makes you very healthy too.
3. When eating at any restaurant, make sure you ask the restaurant owner if any food hey serve contains MSG and try to order something which doesn’t contain MSG. I know this sounds difficult. But, it’s not impossible too.
You have seen all the possible Ajinomoto side effects or MSG side effects. It can impair your health adversely. It’s best to avoid using MSG containing products as far as possible. Tell us how do you perceive MSG ? How has it affected your health?