Regarding MSG: Having lived and done business in Asia for many years I can say with certainty that BILLIONS of Asians use MSG almost like salt and put it in nearly every dish they make. They have been using it safely for a very very long time. In fact most consider it a REQUIRED ingredient.
There is no controversy there about MSG and generally the Asian diet is quite a bit healthier than ours.
This MSG "fear" seems unique to North America. It is a natural substance that can be arguably said to be less harmful overall than Salt.