Monosodium glutamate represents a food seasoning and additive used in order to improve the food taste. This component is largely used in Asian cooking. The common symptom of this allergic reaction is numbness felt in the neck back, also in the shoulders and arms. The described sign is often accompanied by chest pains, fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as heart palpitations.
A number of experiments were made on MSG allergy to detect the effects of certain MSG amounts given first with no food and then with food. The mere quantity of MSG containing in food does not generally cause allergy. The symptoms normally show up when MSG is consumed in pure form. The given results prove that the negative effects of MSG do not occur via some allergic reaction. In fact food allergies are evolved by the allergen present in the organism, in spite of the fact whether it is ingested in the pure form or mixed with some other food and also whether it is taken in small or large amounts.
There is a theory that the side effects of MSG do not belong to allergic reactions but are irritant effects produced on the body nervous system as well as on other body organs triggered by the MSG activity in the blood. The adverse effects of MSG are interpreted as intolerance to it but not as MSG allergy. Generally allergies are provoked by histamines actions in some body organs. Intolerance does not include the release of Ige antibodies to those substances the body views as harmful and does not involve histamines.
Another fact proving that MSG allergy is actually MSG intolerance is the following: the symptoms were not severe and dangerous life and there have not been noticed any anaphylactic signs with the reactions to MSG. That’s why we can conclude that MSG reactions are intolerance and not allergy.
In fact even if MSG is an allergen and contains some ingredients provoking allergic reactions, the thing is that MSG in large quantities elicits harmful reactions. Special medical tests can check whether MSG is actually provoking symptoms dangerous for health and whether the signs are evolved by some kind of intolerance or maybe by MSG allergy. The risk of an allergy to MSG with the release of histamine is not to be discarded.
MSG reactions are usually considered to be non-allergic but because of 1 or several of its components should not encourage you complacency when the attacks do happen. You should always refer to medical check as soon as possible to relieve the nature of strange reactions.