MSG (monosodium glutamate), or free glutamic acid, is a flavor-enhancer used in thousands of foods that we regularly eat, especially processed foods or foods found in restaurants. No, it’s not just Chinese restaurants either. You’ll find free glutamic acid in some Starbuck’s coffees and natural flavorings as well as Accent, 'Aginomoto,' 'Natural Meat Tenderizer’. MSG is not just a seasoning—it’s a flavor-enhancer. It tricks the tongue into thinking the food you’re eating is fresher tasting and better smelling. Even the tin-flavor from canned foods is covered up thanks to MSG. Additionally, free glutamic acid can be found in canned soups, crackers, meats, salad dressings, frozen dinners, school cafeterias, baby food and infant formula.
Check out your favorite fast-food restaurants like Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant -- even the sit down eateries like TGIF, Chili's, Denny's and Applebee's -- and you’ll discover they use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken is the WORST offender: MSG is in every chicken dish, salad dressing and gravy. Now we know their secret ingredient is MSG.
This is an insidious major threat to the health of individuals while it’s a boon to the food industry. So buyer beware.
In 1969, the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome was written up in medical literature and that’s ten years after the FDA labeled MSG safe. But it’s a known toxic amino acid—an excitotoxin (neurotoxin) which means it overexcites cells to the point of damage or death. Excitotoxins cause brain damage by degree and therefore, trigger, or worsen, learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), etc. (Dr. Russell Blaylock, board-certified neurosurgeon and author of “Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills”).
Today the FDA calls the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome by another name: “MSG Symptom Complex”. They see “short-term reactions” to MSG—nothing too debilitating to get all worked up about, so they report. Some of those reactions (read “symptoms”) alluded to by the FDA include: numbness, burning sensation, tingling, facial pressure or tightness, chest pain or difficulty breathing, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, and weakness.
As you notice, MSG toxicity can run through the body with a myriad of symptoms.
History of MSG
In 1903, an enterprising Japanese gentleman, Kikunae Ikeda, invented glutamic acid. Before this the Japanese simply used seaweed in their foods and this clever individual isolated the flavor-enhancement component of the seaweed (umami) which was glutamic acid. MSG possesses very little taste by itself, yet when it’s put into food, it makes the food smell and taste fresher; therefore it’s more appetizing. The Japanese loved it; now so do we in Fast-Food America.
The Problem with MSG
The problem is when free glutamic acid is consumed, the same neurotransmitters in the brain, nervous system, eyes, pancreas and other organs use this substance to initiate certain processes in the body (MSGTruth.org, “What Exactly is MSG?”)
The FDA states: “Studies have shown that the body uses glutamate, an amino acid, as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain and that there are glutamate-responsive tissues in other parts of the body, as well.
Abnormal function of glutamate receptors has been linked with certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s chorea. Injections of glutamate in laboratory animals have resulted in damage to nerve cells in the brain.” (http://www.foodsafety.gov~lrd/msg.html, U.S. Food and Drug Administration “FDA and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)” August 31, 1995).
Within the heart’s electrical conduction system and the heart muscle itself, numerous glutamate receptors exist. Too much glutamate in the form of free glutamic acid can eventually damage the heart. Dr. Blaylock says:
“When an excess of food-borne excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed protein soy protein isolate and concentrate, natural flavoring, sodium caseinate and aspartate from aspartame, are consumed, these glutamate receptors are over-stimulated, producing cardiac arrhythmias.
“When magnesium stores are low, as we see in athletes, the glutamate receptors are so sensitive that even low levels of these excitotoxins can result in cardiac arrhythmias and death.” (eMediaWire “Athlete Alert: Renowned Neurosurgeon Identifies Aspartame & MSG in Sudden Cardiac Death” April 15, 2005; http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/4/emw225071.htm)
Addictive Effects of MSG
Some indications that MSG is affecting your body’s chemistry might be: obesity, eye damage, headaches, fatigue, disorientation, depression and asthma. John Erb, research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario , Canada, said in his book "The Slow Poisoning of America " that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body. The more you eat MSG-laced foods, the more you want to eat it. And the more you eat it, the greater your risk of obesity. It has definite marketing advantages to keep you coming back for more, so financially it’s a winning strategy in a hungry market.
Is MSG in Your Food?
So you’re about to eat a scrumptious meal, but how do you know if what you’re about to place into your mouth is free from MSG? Well, it’s increasingly difficult to be sure because even “clean” labels hide MSG as an ingredient. Names are used that don’t connect your mind with MSG. Manufacturer’s don’t have to label ingredients containing free glutamic acid, although that is the main component of MSG (78% free glutamic acid and 21% sodium with up to 1% contaminant). (Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, Samuels, Jack “MSG Dangers and Deceptions”http://www.ppnf.org/catalog/ppnf/Articles/MSG.htm)
MSG and Children
Children are most at risk from MSG toxicity. The blood-brain barrier keeps toxins from entering the brain and in the brains of underdeveloped children, MSG toxicity is a greater threat to their development.
Additionally, MSG penetrates the placental barrier which affects the unborn child, so care should be exercised when Mom is eating out.
Most major brands of infant formulas contain some processed free glutamic acid which is a form of MSG. Be informed and be aware. Plan accordingly and enjoy healthy children.
Processed food contains MSG (or one of its pseudo-ingredients). If you’re able to prepare whole and fresh foods in your own kitchen for the most part you can avoid this toxin. I say that because when you’re informed about your nutritional choices, you’ll do the right thing for yourself and your family.
If you’re eating out, ask your server which menu items are MSG-free and ask for no MSG to be added to your meal. Granted you’re taking chances here, but if you only eat out occasionally, you should have few problems. If this is a lifestyle issue for you, then it’s probably best to modify your lifestyle and develop a strategy to prepare your meals in the comfort of your kitchen.
The internet is teeming with ideas and resources for those who choose to go MSG-free. Food can taste remarkable when our palates are re-educated for wholesome foods that are nutrient-dense. In the long run, you’ll feel better and so will your family.
