Cutting out the controversial takeaway flavour-enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) significantly eases pain, new research suggests.
Eliminating the food additive, which is also commonly found in stock cubes, ready meals and crisps, eases chronic discomfort by more than 30 percent after just two weeks, a study found.
This simple dietary change is more effective than two daily 1,000mg doses of the painkiller acetaminophen, the research adds.
Study author Dr Daniel Clauw from the University of Michigan, said: ‘This would be incredible if we could impact chronic pain simply by making slight modifications to diet.’
MSG, which also appears under the names ‘hydrolyzed protein’ and ‘autolyzed yeast extract’, overstimulates receptors in the brain, resulting in cell death. This has previously been linked to chronic pain.
The ingredient has been associated with cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as headaches and nausea in what has been dubbed the ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome’ due to takeaways frequently using the ingredient.
Around 11 percent of people in the US have experienced some form of pain every day for the past three months.
Cutting out the controversial takeaway flavour-enhancer MSG significantly eases pain (stock)
‘Consistent with research in the United States’
The researchers, which also included scientists from American University in Washington DC, analysed 30 people from Meru, Kenya, who had experienced pain lasting more than three months.
The study’s participants completed a questionnaire that asked them about the impact of their pain, as well as a one-week food-symptom diary, which measured their MSG consumption.
They were then assigned to receive either water, ‘alternative spices’ without MSG, water and alternative spices, or two 1,000mg doses of acetaminophen every day.
Water was given due to pain, particularly headaches, frequently being associated with dehydration.
Speaking of the findings, Lead author Kathleen Holton from American University, said: ‘This preliminary research in Kenya is consistent with what I am observing in my chronic pain research here in the United States.’
The results were published in the journal Nutrition.
Why is MSG controversial?
Previous studies suggest MSG causes brain damage when injected into young mice.
It also leads to premature death when administered to fruit flies.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US requires MSG be listed on relevant food labels despite classifying the ingredient as being ‘generally recognized as safe’.
This is due to reports of people experiencing headache, sweating, facial tightness, heart palpitations and nausea after consuming the flavour enhancer.
Restaurants and takeaways are not obligated to declare the amount of MSG they add to food.