What is MSG? Why is it in so much Chinese food?

Also, what are the effects of MSG on people who are allergic to it? Is there any way that Chinese restaurants can remove MSG completely from their menu?What is MSG? Why is it in so much Chinese food?
MSG is monosodium glutamate and is derived from beets. A lot of places put it in their food to "enhance" its flavor. An allergic reaction to it can vary from an itchy rash, to headaches, airway constriction, hives, etc. There are some restaurants that do not put it in their food, however, I am unsure whether that guarantees that MSG won't be in the soy sauce or other sauces they may use.
OMG THAT IS SO WEIRD...YOU KNOW WHAT I AM ALERGIC TO THAT..I THINK (MSG)IS A INGREDIENCE AND I THINK SOME ONE SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A LITTLE SALT CUBE...I CANT HAVE SOME CHINESE FOOD BECAUSE OF THAT..I CAN ONLY EAT PANDA AND SOME OTHERES BUT THATS ABOUT IT.What is MSG? Why is it in so much Chinese food?
MSG is a chemical added to cheap food to make it taste better to us.

You can ask the restaurant which dishes are MSG free.

I'm not allergic that I know of, but my ex-favorite chinese food restaurant has MSG in all of my fave dishes, and I leave there feeling like crap. Depressed and dizzy. It's a very odd feeling- it hits me about halfway through the meal. Hence, I don't go there anymore.
Very few people know this, but MSG is actually a taste of its own. There is salty, sweet, bitter, sour, hot and MSG, which is also called UMAME (learned that one in biology class).



If you taste pure MSG powder you would feel this weird sensation at a specific part of your tongue. Every taste has its own receptors and they are located at different areas on the tongue.
MSG is the acronym for Mono Sodium Glutamate.

MSG is a condiment or additive which gives chinese food its distinctive flavour