Food Allergy in relation to MSG by MARYANN ROLANDS:)

hey guys, i found something i never knew and thought i could share this with you. MSG is NOT an allergen, however there are people who are sensitive towards MSG and there start having an allergy. what makes it worse is that the allergy in MSG could work together with allergy found in meat and be fatal.

MSG Sensitivity
Unlike food allergies which affect only certain individuals (only 2% - 5% of the population), and involve an antibody response of the immune system, food sensitivities affect many more people. You can be allergic to carrots and have an immune response to them, and someone else may have absolutely no immune response at all. Sensitivities are a different matter.  There are no antibodies involved and in the case of MSG, the free glutamic acid in it acts in us all in the same way. It is a neurotransmitter - it causes nerve cells to fire. The reason MSG is used by food companies is because in the average human it stimulates the nerve cells in your mouth, as well as the brain. It targets the centers of hunger and taste and smell. If it only worked in 2% of the population, there wouldn't be any money in it. It is basically a drug like alcohol or caffeine. However, the sensitivity response of any individual is simply a matter of degree.

One has to conclude that if MSG exacerbates an already-occurring allergic reaction, then it would appear to be an extremely dangerous unnecessary food additive to place in restaurant meal.