The chinese restaurant syndrome refers to a group of symptoms that some people experience after eating Chinese food.
It is a term in disuse that was created in the 60s
Today, it is known as monosodium glutamate syndrome (MSG) and these symptoms include headache, chest or muscle pain. as well asskin redness, sweating, feeling of facial pressure and numbness or burning in the mouth.
It’s a a disused term that was created in the 1960s to describe serious reactions to Chinese food for the first time. At the time MSG was believed to be the cause of these symptoms.
This myth was popularized by the American doctor Russell Blaylocka neurosurgeon author of the book ‘Excitotoxins: the taste that kills‘. Despite this belief popularized by an analytical mind, the scientific evidence supporting the theory that Chinese food causes this set of symptoms is scant to say the least.
Although many studies have been generated since then that have failed to show the link between MSG and the symptoms that some people describe. Experts say it’s also possible to be sensitive to foods that naturally contain high amounts of glutamate.
It’s all due to monosodium glutamate
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies MSG as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS, same group as salt and sugar). because heThe vast majority of people can consume foods containing monosodium glutamate without experiencing any problems.
However, a small percentage of people have short-term adverse reactions to this food additive. And because of this controversy, many restaurants advertise that they don’t add MSG to their food.
The monosodium glutamate is a food additive that is produced from fermenting molasses, starch or sugar cane and used to enhance the flavor of food. It has become an important additive for the food industry because it does not compromise flavor if lower quality or less fresh ingredients are used.
What are the symptoms of monosodium glutamate intolerance?
In people who are sensitive to this additive, symptoms they usually appear two hours after eating it. And, to make matters worse, these last longer than we would like: from a few hours up to two days later.
The most common are:
- Headache
- sweating
- facial redness
- numbness or burning in the mouth and throat
- Sickness
- Fatigue
Those are the most common, but the list continues to expand in the cases of the most sensitive individuals:
- chest pain
- Tachycardia
- difficulty breathing
- tremors
- swelling of the face and throat
Is there treatment?
Minor symptoms do not require treatment, although if severe symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations are experienced. As well as shortness of breath or swelling of the lips or throat, seek emergency medical help and people who have experienced life-threatening reactions should be very careful about what they eat and they should always carry prescription medication with them for emergency treatment.
Related Notes:
Health alert: Pfizer withdraws this popular drug due to cancer risk
Study: Ivermectin fails as a treatment against COVID-19
Bruce Willis retires from Hollywood after diagnosis of aphasia, is it a treatable condition?