system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What exactly is MSG and why does it have a bad repuatation in foods.
gpt
MSG is mono-sodium glutamate, a salt of glutamic acid, which itself is a naturally occurring amino acid which is essential for life.

MSG has a bad reputation because it is used widely in Asian cuisine, and became an easy scapegoat for customers feeling unwell after eating Asian foods. After all, a strange white powder from a different culture with a chemical name can’t be good for you, or so the logic goes.

There are countless studies which show MSG has no negative effects if consumed in moderate amounts. There are negative effects if you take 3g of MSG without food or water, but that’s not realistic.