How much MSG does it take to cause a migraine? How do I know if a particular food contains MSG?
MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a food additive that is used to enhance flavor. In moderate amounts, it can cause headaches in people who do not have migraines. There is evidence to suggest that migraine-sufferers who are sensitive to MSG can develop headaches after eating very small amounts of MSG that might not cause symptoms in a non-migraine sufferer. Foods that often contain MSG include: canned foods, frozen foods, diet foods, snacks (chips, etc.), prepared foods (restaurant foods), “heat and serve” foods (already cooked), some soy sauces. It can be difficult to identify when MSG is in foods because manufacturers refer to it by a variety of terms including: Accent, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), “natural flavor” or “flavoring”, calcium caseinate, and Kombu extract.
