(BANGKOK, Thailand) -- Thailand's public health ministry said Thursday it was warning teen-agers against using the food additive MSG as a sexual stimulant.
The ministry acted after receiving a report claiming teen-agers in the northern province of Chiang Mai were mixing MSG, or monosodium glutamate, with carbonated soft drinks and drinking the concoction in the belief that it acted as an aphrodisiac.

Ingesting too much MSG can cause nausea, numbness of the back and neck and faintness, deputy Health Minister Kamron na Lampoon said in a news release.

MSG is often used in the preparation of Chinese food and is found in some instant foods, such as canned soup and frozen dinners

There was no explanation of why the teens thought MSG affected sexual prowess.

The ministry said it sent warning letters to every school in Chiang Mai, explaining the situation and urging teachers to closely monitor students to prevent them from becoming obsessed with sex and engaging in unsafe sex that could lead to HIV infections.