- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Nutrition basics (27)
- What are functional foods?
- High-protein diets: Are they safe?
- Taurine in energy drinks: What is it?
- see all in Nutrition basics
Healthy diets (9)
- Butter vs. margarine: Which is better for my heart?
- Detox diets: Do they work?
- Canola oil: Does it contain toxins?
- see all in Healthy diets
Healthy cooking (8)
- E. coli: How can I tell if food is contaminated?
- Lentils: How do I cook with them?
- Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
- see all in Healthy cooking
Healthy menus and shopping strategies (7)
- Buying beef? A guide to choosing the leanest cuts
- White whole-wheat bread: Is it nutritious?
- Sea salt vs. table salt: Which is healthier?
- see all in Healthy menus and shopping strategies
Nutritional supplements (14)
- Multivitamins: Do young children need them?
- Calcium supplements: Should they be taken with meals?
- Calcium supplements: Which type is best?
- see all in Nutritional supplements
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Question
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Is it harmful?
My favorite Chinese restaurant has a sign that says "No MSG." What is MSG? Is it bad for you?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that's "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial. For this reason, when MSG is added to food, the FDA requires that it be listed on the label.
MSG has been used as a food additive for decades. Over the years, the FDA has received many anecdotal reports of adverse reactions to foods containing MSG. These reactions — known as MSG symptom complex — include:
- Headache
- Flushing
- Sweating
- Facial pressure or tightness
- Numbness, tingling or burning in face, neck and other areas
- Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Weakness
However, researchers have found no definitive evidence of a link between MSG and these symptoms. Researchers acknowledge, though, that a small percentage of people may have short-term reactions to MSG. Symptoms are usually mild and don't require treatment. The only way to prevent a reaction is to avoid foods containing MSG.
Next questionNutrition rating system: What's behind the new food labels?
- Williams N, et al. Monosodium glutamate "allergy"' — Menace or myth? Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 2009;39:640.
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