Is MSG Really Bad For You?

Few things have been demonized in the nutrition world as much as monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer used in processed foods such as canned soup, packaged snacks, or your favorite Chinese takeout. But how bad is it for you, really?

A video made by the American Chemistry Society, a professional society for chemists, explains that the case against MSG is mostly hype. And Men's Health nutrition advisor Mike Roussell, Ph.D., agrees. "The science behind our fears just doesn't hold up," he says.

Monosodium glutamate is just salt combined with glutamate. Salt is essential to health. Your body can't make it, and your cells need it to function. And glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid that makes foods like soy sauce, aged cheese, and beef so tasty, Roussell says. So when you eat MSG, it's broken back down into salt and glutamate, he says.