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Day 6

Debunking "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" and the return of MSG

Looks like MSG is making a bit of a comeback. In San Francisco, the trendy restaurant Mission Chinese Food has started putting salt shakers full of MSG on their tables. It comes weeks after a nearby Chinese restaurant owner posted a sign telling eaters to stop complaining about MSG in their dishes. High-profile chef David Chang is applauding the move. Dr....
CBC Radio ·
Day 612:16Debunking "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome"and the return of MSG
Looks like MSG is making a bit of a comeback. In San Francisco, the trendy restaurant Mission Chinese Food has started putting salt shakers full of MSG on their tables. It comes weeks after a nearby Chinese restaurant owner posted a sign telling eaters to stop complaining about MSG in their dishes. High-profile chef David Chang is applauding the move. D r. Katharine Woessner joins us to talk about the science behind MSG. Nick Liu, owner of DaiLo restaurant in Toronto, talks about its place in traditional Chinese cuisine.
You might have heard of Chinese Restaurant Syndrome -- a group of symptoms people report after eating food with MSG. They range from headaches, to chest pain to numbness. But does MSG actually cause the reactions we associate with it? Day 6 puts that question to an allergist and immunologist at the Scripps Clinic Medical Group who has conducted studies on MSG's effects. Brent also talks to chef 

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