Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Is MSG Safe?

blissfully-unaware

Recommended Posts

blissfully-unaware Rookie
blissfully-unaware
Posted

Hi

I'm still confused whether MSG contains gluten or not - haven't eaten it since I was diagnosed with celiac. I've been reading conflicting reports everywhere. I know MSG is anyways not good for health and hence, never use it. But I'd still like to know if it's safe for celiacs (so that I can safely eat Chinese food if I don't get anything else to eat when I'm out)!

Thanks!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

MSG is gluten-free. Whether it is "safe" is a subject of much controversy, which I won't get into here. But it is definitely gluten-free.

Be careful with Chinese food. Most soy sauce contains wheat and thus has gluten.

sa1937 Community Regular
sa1937
Posted

MSG does not contain gluten so that's the good news! There are people who are sensitive to MSG though.

The problem with Chinese food is that soy sauce usually contains wheat, especially in restaurants unless they have wheat-free soy sauce available. If you're in the US, the LaChoy or San-J tamari sauce do not contain wheat. My favorite Kikkomen is introducing a wheat-free soy sauce. Yaaay!!!! Open Original Shared Link

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

ya, i agree.

and when you typed "Chinese Food".. alarm bells went off in my head- Asian food can be a real disaster unfortunately- its so frustrating- because it's SO YUMMY- and it would be so easy for them to use Wheat Free soy sauce and fish sauce and oyster sauce- and it would still be DELISH- it's not like trying to make a gluten free pizza crust taste good.

Anyways- please be careful! since ive gone gluten free- ive only stuck to Pei Wei's gluten-free menu, or PF Chang's gluten-free menu. ive also tested out certain sushi rolls while bringing my own gluten-free soy sauce.

AmyE Newbie
AmyE
Posted

Msg triggers my migraines in a horrible way! I have been gluten free since nov 11 and the only 4 day long migraine was due to 1tsp of taco bell taco seasoning in my vat of soup :-( never again!!!!!

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

Msg triggers my migraines in a horrible way! I have been gluten free since nov 11 and the only 4 day long migraine was due to 1tsp of taco bell taco seasoning in my vat of soup :-( never again!!!!!

I'm assuming you are using the store bought package of taco bell seasoning mix? The taco bell seasoning mix for tacos that you can buy at the store contains wheat. I took a look around on the web for a link to post the ingredients, but they all want to talk about the restaurant or a copy cat recipe. You can go to Amazon and take a look at the ingredient list(link not allowed on this board because they spam).

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted

Never had a problem with it. At one time, I would use the Adolphs meat tenderizer that, if I'm not mistaken, had MSG as the main ingredient.

I did have a co-worker once that got migrains from it.

I love the Seinfeld episode where they are ordering Chinese delivered. And George says no MSG on his, and Kramer says extra MSG on his!

best regards, lm

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

Msg triggers my migraines in a horrible way! I have been gluten free since nov 11 and the only 4 day long migraine was due to 1tsp of taco bell taco seasoning in my vat of soup :-( never again!!!!!

One thing I started doing a while back is to add spices to the serving I am eating, rather than a whole pot of food as I am cooking it. That way if I did react to the spice it would only be that serving that was bad, and I wouldn't have to throw out a lot of food.

blissfully-unaware Rookie
blissfully-unaware
Posted
  • Author

Thank you all for your replies!

I remember reading on the list of safe ingredients on celiac.com that MSG made in USA is safe, and MSG made in other countries may not be gluten free.

  • 3 years later...
IMSassafras Newbie
IMSassafras
Posted

Thank you all for your replies!

I remember reading on the list of safe ingredients on celiac.com that MSG made in USA is safe, and MSG made in other countries may not be gluten free.

As a sufferer of MSG and Other Excitotoxins, I don't try to differentiate between MSG made here or there. It is MSG, don't eat it. Another concern is to eliminate Hydrolyzed Protein because it contains at least 20% MSG and Autolyzed Yeast Extract because it contains 12% MSG. There are other ingredients - over 100 actually - MSG intolerant people must avoid or limit depending on the individual's sensitivity and the amount of free-glutamate.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

As a sufferer of MSG and Other Excitotoxins, I don't try to differentiate between MSG made here or there. It is MSG, don't eat it. Another concern is to eliminate Hydrolyzed Protein because it contains at least 20% MSG and Autolyzed Yeast Extract because it contains 12% MSG. There are other ingredients - over 100 actually - MSG intolerant people must avoid or limit depending on the individual's sensitivity and the amount of free-glutamate.

When they said " safe" they meant gluten free. Also, that was from 3 years ago.

IMSassafras Newbie
IMSassafras
Posted

When they said " safe" they meant gluten free. Also, that was from 3 years ago.

Well, I thought it wouldn't matter that much. If so, I will reply to more recent posts.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Well, I thought it wouldn't matter that much. If so, I will reply to more recent posts.

Just Wanted you to know. Many of them haven't been around for a couple of years so they won't be responding back.

mbrookes Community Regular
mbrookes
Posted

Back to Chinese foods:

Have you tried Thai food? It is as good a s Chinese and they generally use fish sauce rather that soy. Try some of the mixes... many od them are labeled Gluten free. I especially love Pad Thai.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. JoJo0611
      - JoJo0611 replied to JoJo0611's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      CT with contrast.

      I didn’t know there were different types of CT. I’m not sure which I had. It just said CT scan with contrast.
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Publications & Publicity
      1

      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      Thanks for sharing this!
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Ginger38's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      2

      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared....
    4. trents
      - trents replied to Mmoc's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      Keep us posted.
    5. Scott Adams
      0

      Celiac.com Video News: November 2025

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,398
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Megannnnn
    Newest Member
    Megannnnn
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • JoJo0611
      CT with contrast.

      By JoJo0611 · Posted

      I didn’t know there were different types of CT. I’m not sure which I had. It just said CT scan with contrast. 
    • Scott Adams
      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thanks for sharing this!
    • Scott Adams
      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared. I highly recommend the two shot shingles vaccine as soon as your turn 50--I did this because I started to get the same tingling sensations in the same area, and after the vaccines I've never felt that again.  As you likely know, shingles is caused by chicken pox, which was once though of as one of those harmless childhood viruses that everyone should catch in the wild--little did they know that it can stay in your nervous system for your entire life, and cause major issues as you age.
    • trents
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By trents · Posted

      Keep us posted.
    • Clear2me
      Gluten free nuts

      By Clear2me · Posted

      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.