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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Other Sciences Question Forum => Topic started by: Bryby on July 02, 2009, 07:09:43 PM

Title: MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
Post by: Bryby on July 02, 2009, 07:09:43 PM

Hi. i was reading about the health effects of MSG. It is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, an essential amino acid. If the chemical formula is C₅H₈NNaO₄, will Na+ break off in water, leaving just C₅H₈NO₄^-? Now glutamic acid cant be such a bad thing can it? Can the body easily convert the MSG (C₅H₈NNaO₄) into glutamic acid (C5H9NO4)? That would mean an extra hydrogen would need to be added. One source said MSG was not bad because it was just a salt of glutamic acid, yet the chemical formula is slightly different. What's the truth?