You’ve probably seen signs posted in various restaurant windows proclaiming “No MSG.” Well, it must be bad for you, right? Otherwise, why would they put in the effort to let customers know? For decades, those three little letters, MSG, have struck unearned fear into the hearts of hungry people everywhere. But have you ever wondered why? Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, has gotten a bad rap for decades. It’s associated with headaches and excessive sodium intake. But if you’ve ever happily devoured a bag of nacho cheese tortilla chips or a savory bowl of mushroom soup—guess what? You’ve eaten monosodium glutamate. And you’re still here. Grains of monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Credit: Marek Kupiec/pexels.com So how did a completely natural flavor enhancer become one of the most misunderstood ingredients in modern history? It’s a recipe that calls for a bit of bad science, a dash of cultural bias, and a single letter written to a medical journal. The letter that changed food culture forever In 1968, a doctor wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine about several symptoms he was experiencing. He reported numbness and even heart palpitations after eating at local Chinese restaurants. This physician’s observation led him to a hypothesis: could MSG be the cause?  This single query did not immediately prompt the medical community to conduct a peer-reviewed study. Instead, the media ran wild with the story. Local papers and news broadcasts associated MSG with the dubious term “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.” And just like that, a safe food additive used around the globe became a culinary villain. And the stigma has stuck around ever since. @alex_falcone Unlearning: MSG ♬ original sound – Alex Falcone – Alex Falcone Let’s set the record straight. Sodium combined with glutamate, an amino acid that occurs naturally in foods, creates monosodium glutamate. As popular “cooking through science” influencer Chef Fatty recently posted, “MSG is naturally occurring and found in tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and even seaweed.” It provides that deeply satisfying, savory taste people crave. Your foodie friend will refer to that flavor profile as umami. Once researchers began to investigate the initial claims cited in the physician’s original letter, they served up some truth. Why you should always take one person’s experience with a grain of salt When FDA scientists finally put MSG to the test in the ’90s, the “syndrome” myth quickly crumbled. Research shows that consuming MSG in normal amounts causes no adverse symptoms. An article in Harvard Health notes that although a very small percentage of the population may be mildly sensitive to large doses of MSG when consumed without food, MSG is widely recognized as safe. When you use it as part of a recipe, a little goes a long way. Even more surprising? MSG contains about two-thirds as much sodium as standard table salt. For people looking to cut back on sodium without losing flavor, it can be quite helpful. @bodymajic MSG: MYTHS vs FACTS The last time I made a video about MSG… 17 MILLION views So let’s clear this up MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a flavour enhancercommonly used in Asian food 
I used to think it was a toxic chemical made in a lab Wrong MSG is made by fermenting vegetables Just like cheese and beer And it’s naturally found in foods you already eat
 tomatoes peas cheese seaweed So where did the fear come from? Chinese Restaurant Syndrome — a letter from a doctor in the 1960s (not a study) claiming dizziness after eating Chinese food Since then? 
 Multiple blinded studies
 No evidence MSG causes harm in humans The panic was fuelled by
 media hysteria
 misinformation
 and racism in the 60s/70s Crazy this myth still exists in 2026 If you feel symptoms after eating MSG — I’m not dismissing that Like any food, some people have intolerances But for the average person?
This salty, umami flavour booster isnt some thing to worry about! Make sure you drop my page a follow for more videos just like this! #msg #fatloss #weightloss #foryou #foryoupage ♬ Originalton – 90erKid The real eye-opener is that we all consume monosodium glutamate in a surprisingly wide array of foods. A standard serving of commercial snack chips, hot dogs and brats, or ranch dressing typically contains far more glutamate than an order of chow mein. Yet, we rarely think twice about snacking on a bag of Doritos. It’s time to let go of a decades-old misconception. Food culture is at its best when people are open to foods and flavors—and the science says there’s no reason to get salty about MSG. The post A single letter in 1968 ruined MSG’s reputation. Science is finally clearing its name. appeared first on Upworthy.

Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” is instantly recognizable to millions, even those who aren’t big classic rock listeners. But as songwriter, music producer, and guitarist JB Eckl points out, one part of the epic song is even more familiar than people realize, and in a beautifully morbid way. In an episode of “Sacred Riffs,” Eckl (aka the Bob Ross of rock) shared that he and his wife were watching Frozen 2 when he noticed something peculiar. The four-note siren call Elsa hears in the film sounded an awful lot like the four-note slide in the guitar solo of “Stairway to Heaven.” View this post on Instagram The ubiquity of Dies Irae in music and film Eckl’s Internet rabbit hole dive revealed that the four-note sequence is actually part of a 13th-century Gregorian chant called the Dies Irae (Latin for “Day of Wrath”). For 800 years, this specific collection of notes has been used for a specific purpose. “Composed around 1270, Dies Irae has been music’s signal for ‘death is here’ ever since,” Eckl explains. “Mozart, Berlioz, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, they all borrowed it. Film composers love it. You’ve heard it in The Shining, It’s a Wonderful Life, Star Wars, The Lion King. It’s been called a musical Wilhelm scream [a famous stock sound effect of a man screaming that has been used in hundreds of films]. When you need an audience to feel mortality without being told, you play Dies Irae.” It’s true. Vox did a whole video about Dies Irae in movies. Once you hear it, it’s hard not to recognize it everywhere. Purposeful inclusion or unintentional genius? So why did Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page use Dies Irae in “Stairway to Heaven”? Was it on purpose or just coincidental? Eckl only begins to speculate. “‘Stairway to Heaven’s lyrics kind of resist interpretation,” says Eckl. “Is it a cautionary fable about materialism? Is it a pagan allegory? Is it random fridge poetry?” Eckl points out Page being “steeped in esoteric tradition,” so there’s a possibility he included the Dies Irae purposefully. Then again, it could have been subconscious. “It may have just been instinct, which is kinda the same as saying genius,” said Eckl. “Either way, Led Zeppelin had a centuries-old funeral chant in the most played rock song in history, and for 50 years, listeners felt it in their bones without knowing why.” View this post on Instagram Eckl said in a follow-up video that it doesn’t really matter whether Jimmy Page intentionally used Dies Irae. “All that matters is that he plucked that out of the ether,” Eckl said. “It was either cultural influences, personal experiences—this is how all art works—or just plain old intuition. Whatever it is, that is what we want from our artists. That’s what we want as artists.” Exploring the intersection of spirituality and rock & roll Eckl points out that even pointing to a small part of “Stairway to Heaven” gets people talking about all kinds of deeper concepts, which is what art is supposed to do. It’s also what the “Sacred Riffs” series is all about. View this post on Instagram The idea for the series came from conversations between Eckl and actor Rainn Wilson, who hosts the Soul Boom podcast. “Sacred Riffs” lives on the Soul Boom platform and the goal is simply to “explore the intersection of spirituality and rock & roll.” Eckl, who has worked with Carlos Santana, War, En Vogue, and more, says he hopes it gets people to look deeper into music. “We’re surrounded by a lot of disposable content, artists optimizing for TikTok etc, to say nothing of AI,” Eckl tells Upworthy. “We’ve lost a lot of the ritual around music, and the idea that it can be life-changing. If these videos spark some of that kind of curiosity, we’ve done our job.” You can find more Sacred Riffs episodes on the Soul Boom and JB Eckl Instagram pages. The post Guitarist shares the medieval ‘death code’ hidden in Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ appeared first on Upworthy.

Bride Jenna Savacool and her husband, Blake, said “I do” seven months ago in a gorgeous ceremony in California. The couple had no idea their wedding would lead to a serendipitous meeting between their single grandparents: Jenna’s grandpa and Blake’s grandma. Love would soon blossom between them, leading to an engagement. A sweet video of Jenna’s grandpa getting down on one knee to propose to Blake’s grandma is making the Internet’s eyes well with happy tears. “We never imagined that introducing our families at our wedding would eventually lead to an engagement,” Savacool told Upworthy, adding that she and Blake have been “so excited for them from the very beginning. What makes it even more special is that we got to watch their relationship unfold after meeting on one of the most important days of our lives—our wedding day.” @jennarenae36 The craziest but sweetest love story 7 months ago, at mine and my husbands wedding, my grandpa was introduced to my husbands grandma. They quickly fell in love and everyone knew what would come next. They both deserve the world and I’m so happy to be a part of this #engaged #grandparents ♬ Sand Drawing – Judah Earl Grandparents fall in love In the now-viral TikTok video of the proposal, Jenna captioned the video, which shows her grandpa proposing (and struggling to get up with some loving help from his new fiancée), with a touching message: “The craziest but sweetest love story 7 months ago, at mine and my husbands wedding, my grandpa was introduced to my husbands grandma. They quickly fell in love and everyone knew what would come next. They both deserve the world and I’m so happy to be a part of this.” Savacool says meeting each other fulfilled a deep desire both grandparents had to find love. “They have both been longing for someone to spend the rest of their years with for a while, and even though they weren’t necessarily looking for something immediately, they found it during the happiest day of mine and my husband’s life, which is amazing in itself!” she said. @jennarenae36 The Savacool’sbride desintationwedding fyp foryoupage avensolewinery ♬ original sound – ssabchellaa The connection between their grandparents did come with some “initial shock because it’s such an unexpected and unique love story.” “But as their relationship grew, we saw how much they genuinely cared for each other, how happy they made one another, and the love and respect they shared,” she added. Savacool and her husband are so grateful that their special day brought together two of the most important people in their lives. “Seeing that connection develop has been incredible, and we’re so grateful that our own love story played a small part in creating another one,” she said. @jennarenae36 Almost 6 months being married to my best friend absolute loving this life with you!! #married #hallelujah ♬ оригинальный звук – Itsmemoldir Viewers react People poured out their well wishes, shared similar stories of finding love later in life, and left funny comments on the video: “Y’all cousins now.” “Can you wrap your brain around that, that you two had to meet so your grandparents could find each other and live the rest of THEIR days happily ever after too. The universe always has a plan and a timeline. ” “Omg, the turnaround showing the ring. Like she was a young girl ” “Her helping him up it’s never too late to find your person.” “I met my now grandpa at yoga. We were friends for a couple years. My grandma came to town from Colombia one day and I introduced them. They’ve been married for 6 years ” “This is the most beautiful engagement congratulations.” “Your love story created another love story how beautiful.” The post Bride’s grandpa meets groom’s grandma on their wedding day. They just got engaged. appeared first on Upworthy.

Beavers now have a proven track record of being ecosystem heroes, healing rivers from centuries of human-made damage in a matter of years.  Their latest recorded victory: the North York Moors, a national park in England.  This area had already been lined with man-made defenses that took professional engineers a decade to build, including 130 dams. Though these structures did protect Pickering, a nearby town that was often dangerously flooded by water runoff, they quickly rotted and needed regular replacement. This begged the question: Could nature provide stronger, more enduring infrastructure? Spoiler alert: Duh. A couple of rodents on one important mission As reported by the BBC, two Eurasian beavers were released in 2019 into an enclosure in Cropton Forest, nestled at the base of the park, as part of a study conducted by the University of Leeds and Forestry England.  In that short amount of time, these beavers got to work. Interestingly, they didn’t adopt the man-made structures already established, as researchers had hoped. Instead, they built their own from scratch, placing them based on the streams’ elevation, width, and available nearby materials. Over the course of six years, they successfully built six dams, one of which is the biggest in the country. All of them outperformed decades’ worth of human engineering in every way and were self-repairing, making them exponentially more cost-effective flood protection. But that wasn’t the only benefit these beavers provided.  Beaver-built biodiversity A blue heron. Photo credit: Canva In addition, the dams increased the number of plants, herons, otters (which help regulate beaver populations), badgers, amphibians, dragonflies, and bats, just to name a few. Almost none of these creatures were present in the area at the numbers they are today. Bats alone had not been recorded in the area for 30 years. And with the arrival of 11 babies, these two have made major contributions to the beaver population there as well (busy beavers, indeed). Mimicking the natural way beaver families disperse, those kits will eventually be relocated to surrounding areas that also need help building infrastructure. In short: “The site was transformed by the beavers in ways we never imagined,” said Cath Bashford, a species recovery officer for Forestry England in Yorkshire. It’s about dam time for a change A beaver making a dam. Photo credit: Canva Unlike the North American beaver, which is what most people picture when they think of the animal, Eurasian beavers build wider, more permanent dams, and have evolved specifically for the clay and peat soils common to British wetlands. That said, places like California and Utah have also recorded similar successes with North American beavers. With each species, we are provided overwhelming evidence that nature’s solution beats a man-made one. Which leaves only one question: Why are we still opting for man-made flood-control structures when nature has so generously given us a superior one? The post 5 years ago, 2 beavers were released into a northern England forest. They became heroes of the habitat. appeared first on Upworthy.

After a 4-year-old boy lost his beloved teddy bear, the cherished toy embarked on an unexpected airport adventure. Thanks to some caring people along the way, the teddy bear eventually found its way back home.