Friends have been advising me that its best to avoid msg - mono sodium glutamate - when pregnant. But most of the research online seems to suggest msg is safe. And in Singapore, how to avoid msg in your food?! Has anyone else been told that msg is not safe?

To date, there is no scientific finding of any direct harmful effect of MSG on a baby. MSG is derived from amino acid glutamate. It is used to help enhance the flavor of foods and is considered safe for consumption. It would become a concern if you have adverse reaction to it. People who are allergic to MSG (or also known as MSG complex) will experience one or more of the following symptoms: - Sweating and flushing - Headache, numbness and muscle tightening - Nausea and chest pain - Heart palpitation However, if you have been able to consume food that contained MSG prior to your pregnancy, it is unlikely that you will develop this allergy because of the pregnancy. The main reason to avoid or limit consumption of MSG during pregnancy will probably be due to the fact that it will add large amounts of sodium to your diet. This will lead to water retention and high blood pressure. So I would think it is wiser to watch your sodium intake, rather than just MSG per say. In all, I think you don’t have to worry too much about MSG. Maintain a healthy diet and drink more water. If you are really worried, try having more home cooked meals as an attempt to limit your MSG intake. For more information, you can refer to this article: http://www.livestrong.com/article/463348-is-msg-bad-for-pregnant-women/