msg

[janiekay]

Is MSG a gluten product?

[aklap]

Hi Janie,

Welcome to the board!

Monosodium Glutamate aka MSG is another questionable ingredient. According to Celiac.com's Unsafe Ingredient List, MSG can be made from gluten bearing substance, however if it's made in the USA, it's likely to be made from corn, sugar beets or sugar cane. Gluten Free Living states that it's GF. Personal note: I have found GFL's info to be very accurate and very well researched.

One thing to keep in mind - if it's made from wheat - the label must tell you that. I don't think I've ever seen an MSG labeled containing wheat.

Beyond the GF status of MSG, it's often linked to other nasty things. There are a host of websites proclaiming the evilness of MSG:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/
http://www.msgmyth.com/
http://www.msgtruth.org/

What the FDA has to say about MSG: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/msg.html

To be fair and balanced, here's the other side [notice who created this website]:
http://www.msgfacts.com/

I'm not here to debate the toxicity of MSG, I'll leave that up to you. I myself, will avoid it if at all possible even when it's GF
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[Pattrish]

MSG (monosodium glutamate) also goes by many names...

autolyzed yeast
gelatin
glutamic acid
hydrolyzed or textured protein
sodium or calcium caseinate
yeast food or extract

Some manufacturers also call it "natural favoring or natural seasoning".

For me, personally, it causes severe headaches (migraines) and depression. I avoid it like the plague. My sister also has difficulties with it and calls it "The China Syndrome".

Before going GF, I started avoiding MSG et al...talk about difficult! Read labels and you'll find it's in most processed foods. I was never much of a bread eater, so going GF is easy in comparison to avoiding MSG.
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[janiekay]

Thanks for the replies. I typically avoid foods with MSG, but since I'm limbo about celiac right now and beginning GF, I'm craving flavor. My favorite chips that do not have MSG in them, have wheat. Since I am now searching diligently for gluten to avoid it, I'm thinking I may temporarily drop my avoidance of MSG so I can enjoy some chips (which are also something I don't eat very often). I typically do not each much bread or pasta either, but it's amazing how much I crave them now that they're off limits. (I've been experimenting with gf brownies, cookies, & bread and oddly enough, I have stomach pain!) I probably should just go to meat, veggies, and fruit. The website links are well appreciated. Thanks again!

[Pattrish]

Do you have a good health foods store near you? I've found some neat GF chips, crackers, etc., at mine. I put some on a glass dish and top with natural cheddar...zap one minute in the microwave...great snack.
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[janiekay]

I have some small stores, but I've never looked for GF in them before. My Kroger has a good section of GF, but I was looking for flours and not chips when I was there, so I'll have to look. Thanks!

[aklap]

[isto]

msg causes a severe gut reaction for me. when i was first going gf i thought msg must contain gluten because it made me sick with similar symptoms as gluten. turns out i'm msg intollerant along with gluten and iodine. yippee.