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Monosodium glutamate is a non-essential amino acid in the human body that has been widely used as a food additive since 1909 due to its unique umami taste. Typical food containing monosodium glutamate include tomatoes, yeast extracts, fermented soy products, and cheese. After entering the human body, it is mainly absorbed in the small intestine by passive diffusion. Subsequent binding to TAS1R1-TAS1R3 promotes the release of intracellular calcium that ultimately activates the brain’s taste center, recognized as an umami taste of monosodium glutamate. However, more and more preclinical and clinical data indicates that monosodium glutamate exerts adverse effects on humans, including metabolic syndrome, neurotoxicity, renal toxicity, cardiovascular disease, infertility and fetal underdevelopment, cancer, immune malfunction and so on. In addition, it has been found that medicinal plants and nutraceuticals could mitigate or treat the adverse effects of monosodium glutamate adverse. Taken together, we hope to raise the correct awareness of monosodium glutamate and improve the understanding of monosodium glutamate quality approaches to maximize their use.