logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
47m 8s

What even is MSG? Is it bad for you?

Melissa and Jam, Bleav
About this episode

#175

MSG! The ingredient many of us reference but few of us know anything about. What is it? Why does it make things taste so good? What's in it? Is it bad for us? If not, why does everyone think it is?

References from this Episode

  1. https://youtu.be/VJw8r_YWJ9k
  2. https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/08/25/msg/
  3. https://www.nature.com/articles/1602526
  4. https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/glutamate/3005790.article
  5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/enterocyte
  6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10942912.2017.1295260
We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

Thanks to our monthly supporters

  • Ciara Linville
  • J0HNTR0Y
  • Jeannette Napoleon
  • Cullyn R
  • Erica Bee
  • Elizabeth P
  • Sarah Moar
  • Rachel Reina
  • Letila
  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
  • Suzanne Phillips
  • Nelly Silva
  • Venus Rebholz
  • Lyn Stubblefield
  • Jacob Taber
  • Brian Kimball
  • Emerson Woodhall
  • Kristina Gotfredsen
  • Timothy Parker
  • Steven Boyles
  • Chris Skupien
  • Chelsea B
  • Bri McAllister
  • Avishai Barnoy
  • Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.

 

Up next
Yesterday
How does Poo-Pourri prevent unpleasant smells?
Melissa and Jam discuss the chemistry behind Poopourri Toilet Spray. Melissa explains how the spray works by forming a non-polar oil layer on top of water, preventing smelly polar molecules like skatole and sulfur compounds from escaping into the air. They also touch upon the pra ... Show More
35m 50s
Oct 2
How do odor absorbers work?
#072 Rebroadcast You know what they say, everyone's experienced odors, and 99.99% of all odors smell. We have room sprays, candles, air fresheners, etc. But how can we absorb or eliminate bad smells? Can chemistry do it? How? Let's find out! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ ... Show More
34m 26s
Sep 25
Are your lips being tricked by chapstick?
Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind lip balm, investigating whether products like Chapstick and Burt's Bees are beneficial or if they could be causing more harm. They explore the ingredients commonly found in these products, discuss what to avoid for chapped lips, and s ... Show More
48m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Gustology (TASTE) with Gary Beauchamp
Sweet! Salty! Umami? What’s up with MSG? Why do you like your coffee black? Come down to flavortown and let’s talk tongues. Gustologist Dr. Gary Beauchamp is a chemosensory scientist and an expert in taste. We chat about tastebud flim-flam, celebrity grade hot wings, MSG research ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2024
AaS! 218: How Do We Know What the Milky Way Looks Like?
Why is it so hard to get a picture of the Milky Way? How much of our galaxy have we mapped? What the heck is a “barred spiral” and what does that have to do with our core? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give ... Show More
39m 57s
Jul 2021
Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch || Dear Therapists
Today it’s great to chat with Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch on the podcast. Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over a million copies and is currently being adapted as a television series. In a ... Show More
57m 2s
Nov 2023
65. FIS highlights 1 - SNAP trial, AMR musical, S. aureus update, IPC in LMIC
Join Jame, Callum and Pals for a discussion on some highlights from FIS 2023: https://microbiologysociety.org/event/full-events-listing/federation-of-infection-societies-fis-conference.html Mentioned in episode: UCHL HLH protocol and referral details: https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/our- ... Show More
27m 34s
Feb 2024
Why We Get Depressed with Heather Berlin
What is depression? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly break down the neuroscience behind major depression, its treatments, and the factors that contribute to this pervasive condition with neuroscientist Heather Berlin, PhD.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can l ... Show More
46m 53s
Sep 2022
651: Negative Reviews, Narcissist Conspiracy, & Cats Rule
We discuss the negative review we got from a male listener, and share why he wasn't entirely wrong, but we're still mad. Sarah is literally falling apart after her slip-n-slide disaster, and she might have to avoid the powder this winter. We learn why narcissists are prone to con ... Show More
59m 40s
Sep 2022
#25 Carrying the Weight - The pressure of pleasing
Question - When has a weight issue got nothing to do with food? Answer - Always! In this episode we explore the beliefs and patterns behind not being happy with the way the body looks, a very familiar issue for many. Learning to love ourselves for just who we are without judgemen ... Show More
54m 17s
Feb 2024
#683 Sexual Anorexia - Dale
Dale joins Paul to discuss her experience with social, emotional, and sexual anorexia. She opens up about how she’s working on intimacy and connection (when being alone can just be so much simpler) and what has been helping her break down her walls.Dale has found these websites t ... Show More
1h 26m
Sep 2023
Journeying With Throat Chakra Blockages + Powerful Practices
Text me your thoughts/questionsHello Magical Human & welcome back 🪷🫧 In this episode, I get vulnerable with you and share what I have been learning about my body and more specifically, throat chakra and its impact on your life. I share my deeper encounters with the Chakra syste ... Show More
23m 53s