rosen@exit26.DEC (Barry Rosen) (02/20/86)
I don't remember my chemistry that well so I'm not sure if sodium glutamate and monosodium glutamate are the same or if it makes any difference. You will find sodium glutamate in many Japanese prepared foods particularly those made with the various types of seaweeds used in broths and soups. Often, you don't know it's there because the seaweed is added for flavor but removed from the broth before serving. Kombu is generally used this way. Miso soup based products are an example which derive most of their flavor this way. You will also find a great deal of salt in many of the products. Again, the seaweeds are one of the sources. [There are many others.] Many of this products which are sold in packaged form in this country will carry a label telling the consumer to cold water rinse and scrub the product to remove about 40% of the salts. Because the products are used in Japan, do not assume that they are without risk nor that they are the equivalent product. While it may be true that less than 10% of the U.S. population may be allergic to MSG, anything approaching this number is a lot of people. The general population of the U.S. is MORE allergic to more things than most other countries of the world. [There are numerous references to site here but they all boil down to a growing number of MD's in the world who call their particular study and treatment of allergies clinical ecology.] They feel that we are (as a population) still becoming allergic to more things. MSG is one of the chemicals to which we become allergic and which "helps" us to become more sensitized to the things around us. How valid is all this? I now believe very valid based on the discussions I have had with allergic people and with the amount of reading I have been doing on this topic recently. My conservative approach is to avoid things which can add more stress to the body so I avoid MSG.