MSG Use Linked To Obesity
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164638.htm
ScienceDaily (Aug. 14, 2008) — People who use monosodium glutamate, or MSG, as a flavor enhancer in their food are more likely than people who don't use it to be overweight or obese even though they have the same amount of physical activity and total calorie intake, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health study published this month in the journal Obesity.
Researchers at UNC and in China studied more than 750 Chinese men and women, aged between 40 and 59, in three rural villages in north and south China. The majority of study participants prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods. About 82 percent of the participants used MSG in their food. Those users were divided into three groups, based on the amount of MSG they used. The third who used the most MSG were nearly three times more likely to be overweight than non-users.
"Animal studies have indicated for years that MSG might be associated with weight gain," said Ka He, M.D., assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the UNC School of Public Health. "Ours is the first study to show a link between MSG use and weight in humans."
Because MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in many processed foods, studying its potential effect on humans has been difficult. He and his colleagues chose study participants living in rural Chinese villages because they used very little commercially processed food, but many regularly used MSG in food preparation.
"We found that prevalence of overweight was significantly higher in MSG users than in non-users," He said. "We saw this risk even when we controlled for physical activity, total calorie intake and other possible explanations for the difference in body mass. The positive associations between MSG intake and overweight were consistent with data from animal studies."
As the percentage of overweight and obese people around the world continues to increase, He said, finding clues to the cause could be very important.
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other health organizations around the world have concluded that MSG is safe," He said, "but the question remains – is it healthy?"
Co-authors on the study included Liancheng Zhao and colleagues from Fu Wai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing. Other researchers on this study were from Northwestern University in Chicago and the INTERMAP Cooperative Research Group.
Adapted from materials provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
ScienceDaily (Aug. 14, 2008) — People who use monosodium glutamate, or MSG, as a flavor enhancer in their food are more likely than people who don't use it to be overweight or obese even though they have the same amount of physical activity and total calorie intake, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health study published this month in the journal Obesity.
Researchers at UNC and in China studied more than 750 Chinese men and women, aged between 40 and 59, in three rural villages in north and south China. The majority of study participants prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods. About 82 percent of the participants used MSG in their food. Those users were divided into three groups, based on the amount of MSG they used. The third who used the most MSG were nearly three times more likely to be overweight than non-users.
"Animal studies have indicated for years that MSG might be associated with weight gain," said Ka He, M.D., assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the UNC School of Public Health. "Ours is the first study to show a link between MSG use and weight in humans."
Because MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in many processed foods, studying its potential effect on humans has been difficult. He and his colleagues chose study participants living in rural Chinese villages because they used very little commercially processed food, but many regularly used MSG in food preparation.
"We found that prevalence of overweight was significantly higher in MSG users than in non-users," He said. "We saw this risk even when we controlled for physical activity, total calorie intake and other possible explanations for the difference in body mass. The positive associations between MSG intake and overweight were consistent with data from animal studies."
As the percentage of overweight and obese people around the world continues to increase, He said, finding clues to the cause could be very important.
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other health organizations around the world have concluded that MSG is safe," He said, "but the question remains – is it healthy?"
Co-authors on the study included Liancheng Zhao and colleagues from Fu Wai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing. Other researchers on this study were from Northwestern University in Chicago and the INTERMAP Cooperative Research Group.
Adapted from materials provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Vaivada on -
gasp
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Permalink Reply by Brian on -
Oh my gosh don't get me started on MSG. This television program in Korea did a bunch of tests on the amount of MSG being used on a popular noodle dish from different restaurants. The results were REALLY scary. The amount of MSG in the noodles, which is a serving for one person, ranged from like 5 g to over 30 g.
I think the "obesity" correlation with MSG is partly because of it's function. It's a flavour enhancer! It makes food taste better --> people eat more --> obesity? The same program did a survey of around 3000 people to see how many prefer the MSG noodles over the non-MSG noodles. Obviously the MSG-noodles won by a landslide. The MSG noodles just had more flavour. They interviewed some of the people and they found the non-MSG noodles really distasteful.
They also investigated reports of MSG causing ill symptoms when consumed. Some people displayed a sudden rise in body heat, headaches and nausea after eating MSG-containing noodles.
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Vaivada on
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lovely..
I however have to admit that Mr. Noodles is amazing
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Vaivada on
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You can almost taste the industrial equipment .... mmmm
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Permalink Reply by Josh Schonblum on -
*consumes whole*
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