During the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st, monosodium glutamate (MSG) was widely stigmatized for its supposed health concerns. However, the ingredient is safe.

Despite decades of misconceptions, a market research firm called Mintel recently found that over the past half-decade, 75% of all social media posts about MSG were positive.

Even chefs are beginning to advocate for MSG, further indicating that the delusion the ingredient is not good for your health is on its last legs.

First discovered in 1908 by a Japanese chemist named Ikeda Kikunae, MSG quickly became the premier flavor enhancer for Pan-Asian cuisine.

Nobody had a problem with it until 1968 when the New England Journal of Medicine published a letter from "Dr. Ho Man Kwok" (actually Dr. Howard Steel).

He claimed that after eating at Chinese restaurants, he suffered from heart palpitations, numbness, and limb weakness.

The entire claim was fake, but it did real damage, creating a mass hysteria in which Americans spent decades fearing MSG over "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome."

However, if you check out the latest Merriam-Webster definition of "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," it will indicate that the term is outdated and offensive.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the subject, and no link has been established between the ingredient and health concerns.

MSG shows up in all sorts of other foods, so it is not just an opinion to say that MSG is harmless — it is a verifiable fact.