New Whole30 Rule

From Whole30 CEO Melissa Urban

I've been thinking about eliminating MSG from the program rules for about two years now, and it all started with the podcast This American Life. In 2019, I caught an episode called The Long Fuse, in which a PhD student began to research the origins of "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" and the demonization of MSG in American culture. Well, origin, singular. There was just one—a letter to the editor in The New England Journal of Medicine. Not a study. Not even research. Just one man’s experience after dining at a Chinese restaurant, offered as an opinion piece and printed in the Correspondence section.

That podcast led me down a rabbit hole into the history of MSG, the coining of the condition "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," and the scientific evidence going back to the 1960’s. It led me to a 2017 report from Colgate University, in which Dr. Jennifer LeMesurier wrote, "Although the unwillingness to consume MSG is posited as rooted in medical evidence, the discourses that surround the genesis of this object as a topic in the public sphere are racially inflected at best and racially prejudicial at most." (This entire paper is a sermon.)

Additional readings from companies like Omsom and Fly By Jing, Antiracism Daily, and The New York Times added to my understanding: The case of MSG demonstrates how racist attitudes toward a certain ethnic group can quickly be taken up and incorporated into the public sphere, perpetuating prejudiced narratives.

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I went on to review many professional articles with good summaries of the research. Much like the author of the Colgate report, the MDs and RDs here report that in general, the findings "aren’t incredibly convincing." In fact, the majority of recent research reveals that this flavor component simply isn’t cause for concern for most people.

Finally, we consulted with Registered Dietitian Michelle Jaelin (@nutritionartist), an expert in dietetics and MSG. She summarized the issue by saying "MSG is one of the most misunderstood substances in the food supply. The western media has unfairly attributed MSG to be the cause of negative health symptoms, mostly based on anecdotes, poor science, and anti-immigration and anti-Chinese sentiments. There isn't enough evidence to say with certainty that MSG causes health problems and the entire concept has roots in xenophobia, or more accurately Sinophobia (the fear or dislike of China and its people)."

The rule change

Since the 1990s, the FDA has listed MSG as perfectly safe for its intended use, just like vinegar, salt, or pepper. But this one letter to the editor launched an entire MSG scare that has persisted for decades. Even today, 42% of all Americans still think that it's bad for you. But it turns out the negative associations around MSG are rooted in racism and questionable research that dates back to the 1960s. And in fact, decades of research have not found a strong connection between MSG and the symptoms that people associate with consuming it.

In our research, the science doesn't demonstrate causal evidence of MSG being problematic when consumed in a normal sized dose. Though some shaky correlative evidence exists, it's no more compelling than any other additive to which some folks report sensitivity, like xanthan gum or citric acid. (Both of which are perfectly acceptable on the Whole30.) In general, the studies of MSG have been found to be unreliable, with inconsistent results and often, extreme, excessive dosages used—which doesn’t mimic eating in the real world.

Between the lack of verifiable science to back up these claims and the very compelling evidence that "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" is rooted in racism and xenophobia, we will no longer specify MSG as off-limits in the Whole30 program rules, effective immediately.

You’re seeing this change early, as a valued Dear Melissa subscriber. We’ll be sharing this news with the community at large on Monday December 20th, with a social media campaign and a blog post with links to references and an extensive FAQ. As of Monday, you’ll also find this new change across our entire website, in all of our PDF downloads, and in any Whole30 blog post that previously referenced MSG. (Please make note of this change when sourcing Whole30 rules from existing books, which won’t have this most up-to-date information.)

As always, thank you for your support. My team works hard to ensure the program is as effective as possible, while staying current on the latest science and clinical evidence. We are all convinced that this small but meaningful change is the right thing to do for both our scientific integrity, and our diversity, equity, and inclusion values..

Best in health,
Melissa