NANJING, China—High intakes of monosodium glutamate (MSG) are not associated with weight gain, according to new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition that disputes previous research suggesting MSG contributes to obesity.
Researchers assessed dietary intakes of glutamate in 1,282 Chinese men and women participating in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study using food-frequency questionnaires. They observed no link between MSG intake and weight gain, even in people with relatively high intakes of MSG.
“To our knowledge, this is the second human study to investigate a possible association between MSG intake and obesity, but more importantly it is the first to determine whether a greater MSG intake is associated with a clinically significant weight gain over five years,” wrote the researchers. “These findings indicate that when other food items or dietary patterns are accounted for, no association exists between MSG intake and weight gain.”