The menu doesn't say, but apparently the Chinese place near my parents' house loads up their food with MSG. Last night we had their food. It was good. I got a nasty headache later, which is odd, because I rarely get headaches (since I see my Chiropractor once in a while).
Tonight I ate the leftovers. Got another nasty headache. Then I put 2 and 2 together (finally?). I checked the menu and it says nothing about MSG at all. That sucks. Many of the Chinese places in the Bay Area seem to say explicitly that they do or do not use MSG. Not all of them, but way more than I'd have expected.
Grr. MSG Headache. Hopefully the ibuprofen kicks in soon...
Posted by jzawodn at December 27, 2003 06:31 PM
What's the relationship between chiropractors and headaches??
I don't get MSG headaches, but it does seem to make my heart race.
I'm confused. That link says that often the way to prevent the headaches is to eat a complex carbohydrate, such as rice, as part of the meal.
Did you skip the rice? :-)
I like MSG. And yes, you do have to eat the rice. Rice is the main dish, the other stuff with the meat and sauce is just the topping.
My wife gets those headaches from MSG too. Me? Nah. It took almost a year to find a restaurant in the state's largest city that doesn't use MSG. Fortunately it serves more-than-decent food too. (Yay #1 Chinese on Ferrell Parkway in VB, VA!)
Everybody's so concerned about MSG! Nobody minds the canine meat those Chinese restaurants actually serve??
In most cases, you will find that they put enormous amounts of MSG in food. Rice cup fulls. They literally use it like its sugar or salt. It keeps the customers coming back because it makes the food taste good. Usually you can tell via a dehydrating effect that it gives you later on (or a headache).
In some languages (at least the ones I know), you'll find that MSG is equal to the direct English traslation of "sweet grain".
They often use these methods (such as soaking beef in baking soda to tenderize it-not many people know that), to make the food taste better. Its all about the money you know.
MSG is salt. It's just not sodium chloride salt. MSG is one of the 5 basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umame. MSG is umame.
My girlfriend just got vindicated. When she first got here (Amsterdam) she mentioned something about MSG being in Chinese food. I'd never heard of it and subsequently made fun of her irrational fear of "bad" Chinese food ever since. Of course, it's never mentioned anywhere here, certainly not on menus.
I still don't really see the harm. Why are you not eating the rice? :)
(Chinese food is generally better here too, but that's another rant.)
Just don't eat meat.. you'll have fewer problems :)
I hate american-chinese.. much better to go out for Indian or Thai.
I agree with kasia. Since I tried Thai food I hardly ever go for Chinese anymore.
> Just don't eat meat.. you'll have fewer problems :)
Nah, not eating meat is a bigger problem.
> I hate american-chinese.. much better to go out for Indian or Thai.
Hate? Get real, it's pretty good.
I don't really like going to restaurants because you’re never really sure what they put in it or how they prepare it. Speaking of meats, one problem is when they cut raw meat and cooked meat on the same tray, it can lead to contamination.
I think you mean "*if* they cut raw meat and cooked meat on the same tray." Assuming that all places do is a little strange.
Ahh - msg - the cornerstone of any nurishing breakfast.
Along with those big kahuna burgers and honey dripped waffles. yum...
no headaches from MSG over here - maybe its because i just eat organic stuff normally, so my treat occasionally is MSG loaded stuff.
checks and balances, ying and yang and all that stuff.
"I hate american-chinese.. much better to go out for Indian or Thai."
what planet are you on exactly? So you never heard of Indian cooks hiding the crapiness of the meat with super strong curry?
In Chinese cooking you just cant get away with that - or Thai cooking for that matter.
You're lucky. I had a chinese in stoke on trent, uk and during the meal I went tunnel vision and collapsed in my beef in black bean sauce. took me 5 mins to come round and 20 mins before I could walk out. Got the food for free though. g/f at time said it wasn't worth it though... Also happened in liverpool the following year. Had to leave the restaurant due to tunnel vision and palpitations. Supposedly it can be brought on by a really high dose of MSG and then you're allergic for a long time (toxic shock). I also get it a little bit with some crisps.
You're lucky. I had a chinese in stoke on trent, uk and during the meal I went tunnel vision and collapsed in my beef in black bean sauce. took me 5 mins to come round and 20 mins before I could walk out. Got the food for free though. g/f at time said it wasn't worth it though... Also happened in liverpool the following year. Had to leave the restaurant due to tunnel vision and palpitations. Supposedly it can be brought on by a really high dose of MSG and then you're allergic for a long time (toxic shock). I also get it a little bit with some crisps.
msg is made from cane sugar -- it's a flavor enhancer, and that is why when it's put on food, it tends to make it taste so much better. The next time you go a a Chinese restaurant, make sure you let them know you're allergic to msg - that way, they won't put any in your food. I sometimes get headaches after eating at certain Chinese restaurants. Some cooks are too generous with their use of msg, and some know just a pinch will usually bring out the flavor of the food. Also, drinking lots of water will usually help dilute the effects of msg. Hope this helps.
You are lucky indeed
Demmy
Demetria_Hartman@patentcop.com
I found 3 great new headaches sites. You can find a great way to reduce headaces at Headaches-Relief.
or Migraines-Relief.
or Amazing Headache Relief. Hope you find the headache relief you're searching for.
hey, i am doing a project on msg and came across a site that might help you guys, it is www.truthinlabeling.org it really gave me some good information, that even the government is afraid to tell you
I get blinding migrains from msg...it's not only in Chinese food, check your American labels...it's everywhere. Guess who's skinny? Those silly Europeons who rarely eat processed pre-packaged foods.
I wrote a book about MSG Headaches
My body or it may be my brain is especially sensitive to foreign chems especially MSG.
My favorite chinese restaurant is Chosen Island at Lawrence, LI, NY. Norman who is in charge there assures me that NO MSG is used in the cooking. However after eating there , I awoke after midnight to a severe headache. The next day I confronted Norman. He asked me if I had soup.
I told him I had Egg Drop -Won Ton Combo.. He admitted all the soups come in packaged form contain MSG. I checked that just about every packaged soup and cookies in the supermarket has MSG including Lipton's have MSG. My good friend Alice suffers from headaches. I made her switch from her usual canned tuna HYDROGILIZED to canned salmon. No more headaches for Alice from tuna. Other chapters can be had by sending to Sheri Deen , PO BOX 960334 , Inwood NY 11096, if I'm not swarmped,
