MSG-
Monosodium Glutamate

This food additive explains
many ailments in many people.
Much legend and myth is being passed
around about MSG to make it seem innocent.
In fact, it can cause many different reactions,
in some people fatal.

At the left is Professor Kikunae Ikeda
who isolated MSG from sea weed in Japan in 1908

This research and editorial-- By Steve Van Nattan

There are other nervous system stimulants that tend to disrupt healthy function of the endocrine system. These include sugar and MSG (monosodium glutamate). MSG is something you have to look for on food labels because it's hidden in a lot of grocery store products. This is a highly toxic ingredient. It will not only cause sleep disorders, it will also tend to cause migraine headaches and can even lead to Alzheimer's disease. MSG does not belong in the human body. It can even interfere with normal appetite regulatory functions and make it almost impossible for people to lose weight, especially if they are currently obese. http://www.newstarget.com/001975.html We have met several people who have been troubled by MSG. Each person seems to have different symptoms, and the degree of reaction to MSG seems to vary, sometimes in the extreme. Some can tolerate some of it, while others will react violently to the smallest amount added to their food. MSG is not added to food of virtually every sort. It enhances flavor, and, without exception, it is added because the food being prepared for sale to the public is of low quality due to cheap ingredients or due to too long shelf life. Some have claimed that it is a fifth taste group of its own, as in sour, bitter, sweet, etc. If this is true, it does not change how it affects people and is no logic for just letting food producers run rampant using it. MSG is also concealed as a chemical compound in many cases so that the public will not realize they are getting a chemical fix, or so that they will not realize they are buying rubbish quality food. Also, there are natural sources of MSG which complicate things. These natural sources, like carageenan, are technically a food source in themselves, and many people who are sensitive to manufactured MSG can tolerate natural sources. We will list these later. MSG has been around in its natural form, from sea weed, pectin, gelatin, and other such food sources, for centuries. Oriental people have known the flavor enhancing qualities of these sea weed foods and added them because their diet is very blah and dull in many Oriental nations. It works, and the food does indeed taste better. Cantonese food would taste like dish water if it were not for natural and manufactured MSG products. Where cultures use a lot of pungent spices and chili pepper, you will not find them using MSG. It is pointless. Thus, MSG is of no interest in India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. South America and Mexico also have traditionally had little interest in natural forms of MSG. The problem is, food producers of the world have learned that packaged foods, and restaurant foods, will be more highly sought after if MSG, natural or manufactured, are added. The food controls agencies of the world's government have no interest in MSG. The FDA of the USA claims that MSG does not cause adverse effects. This, in spite of the fact that millions of Americans have learned, by using themselves as their own laboratory, that they ARE having serious reactions to MSG. My son, friends in churches in Austin, Texas, and myself are included. So, you will have to determine if you want to deal with this. MSG, like about 99% of all food additives, is nonessential to a happy and healthy life. You do not NEED MSG to enjoy food, that is, unless you want to eat old stale rubbish and taste it as fresh and wholesome. It must be admitted that there is some transient comfort in self-deception. You need to consider the symptoms which are known to cause MSG reactions. There are many, and they differ in people so that you cannot just look for "headache", yes or no, and decide about MSG for you. MSG, unlike many things we eat, can pass through the brain barrier and directly affect the function of the brain. Like marijuana and crack, MSG will cause the brain to change how it controls the rest of the body. Diarrhea may follow a dose of MSG in as little as twenty minutes. This is because the MSG is entering the blood in the stomach, rushing to the brain, and the brain is telling your plumbing department that it is under new management. The result is that you will have to rush to a restroom immediately or you will totally lose control. Other people do not have this, but severe headache results. Some people have heart related reactions, such as tachecardia or blood pressure spikes for no apparent reason.

 

A LIST OF SYMPTOMS now known to be the result of MSG in food:

Obesity-- Here is an article discussion research claiming MSG directly exacerbates obesity problems Here is a Second article Alzheimer's disease-- Here is de facto proof that MSG enhances this ailment Petit mal seizures-- How many people suffer needlessly from this ailment? Migraine headaches-- Worth looking into if you have this issue Reproductive Disorders-- This is a claim we have yet to confirm with any research, but it is serious if true. Children's disorders-- What are you feeding your kid? Insomnia-- MSG plays a real role in this disorder. Cancer-- MSG does play a part in this disease. Fibromyalgia-- Web page on the topic and research report A list of other disorders caused by MSG ADHD and Autism-- In children Numbness MERK'S MEDICAL MANUAL ONLINE: "What is popularly called the Chinese restaurant syndrome is not a type of chemical food poisoning. Rather, it is a sensitivity to monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer often used in Chinese cooking. In susceptible people, MSG can produce facial pressure, chest pain, and burning sensations throughout the body. Many people feel anxious as well. The amount of MSG that can cause these symptoms varies considerably from person to person." May cause itching, nausea, nervous system and reproductive disorders, high blood pressure MSG is a highly reactive amino acid. It is used by scientists in studies to purposely cause death to areas of the brain and is fed to rodents to make a strain of obese and pre-diabetic test subjects. MSG is classified as a neurotoxin: too much of it introduced to the brain can cause rapid cell death. Source Patients can help reduce the frequency of Ménière’s (with tinnitus symptoms) attacks by eating small meals throughout the day, avoiding the food additive MSG, and reducing salt in the diet. Source Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used to preserve vaccines to keep them from breaking down. Additives and chemicals such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) elevate the need for ascorbate (Vit. C). Many more symptoms are listed in the links at the end of this page.

LIST OF FOODS AND ADDITIVES WITH MSG ISSUES:

Here is a great web page to start with

Foods always contain MSG when these words are on the label:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foods made with the following products often contain MSG.

Food products from Australia and New Zealand may refer to MSG as "flavour enhancer 621". The EU food additive code for MSG is E621. 29224220 is the HS code of monosodium glutamate. The free glutamic acid component of MSG may also be present in a wide variety of other additives, including Hydrolyzed Vegetable Proteins, Soy Extracts, and Natural Flavourings.

Some of the names MSG goes under

monopotassium glutamate
glutavene
glutacyl
glutamic acid
autolyzed yeast extract
calcium caseinate
sodium caseinate
E621 (E620-625 are all glutamates)
Ajinomoto,
Ac'cent Gourmet Powder

The following may also contain MSG

natural flavours or seasonings
natural beef or chicken flavouring
hydrolyzed milk or plant protein
textured protein seasonings
soy sauce
bouillon
broth
spices

Free glutamate content of foods (mg per 100g)

roquefort cheese 1280
parmesan cheese 1200
soy sauce 1090
walnuts 658
fresh tomato juice 260
grape juice 258
peas 200
mushrooms 180
broccoli 176
tomatoes 140
mushrooms 140
oysters 137
corn 130
potatoes 102
chicken 44
mackerel 36
beef 33
eggs 23
human milk 22

SOLUTIONS THAT ARE PURELY MY SPECULATIONS:

For legal reasons, the following is my personal opinion and may be pure rubbish. Aut Disce Aut Discede Buy pork roast and have the butcher grind it and make your own sausage at home with spices. Eat more vegetables that grow underground. These at least cannot be directly sprayed with aerosolized chemicals. Buy milk from a local farmer which has only been pasteurized. Suppress your appetite without resorting to rubbish foods that will drug you and make you into a blimp. Do NOT use soy products for alternatives, in fact, soy products which are not fermented are deadly. Observe people and learn When you go into a grocery store, observe people: watch who buys what, how healthy or diseased they look and what economic status you think they have. You will begin to notice some interesting patterns. One is that those who seem to be having the most financial trouble are buying the foods with the highest markup. They are unable to make good decisions about what foods offer nutritional value. They buy things like instant macaroni and cheese, dinner mixes, potato chips, and carbonated soft drink beverages. They buy foods that are nutritionally worthless, but cost a lot of money. You can go to any grocery store and observe this yourself. At the same time, you'll notice that people who tend to be healthy, who seem to be aware of what's going on around them, who look intelligent, whose eyes light up, who have some energy evident in the way they hold their bodies and in the way they interact with others around them -- these people are intelligent shoppers. In their carts, you'll notice they have lots of fruits and vegetables, lots of raw food ingredients, and you'll see that they tend to buy things in bulk. They'll buy bulk ingredients like brown rice, beans, or legumes. They actually pay attention to what they're buying by reading the ingredients labels, for example. Contrast this to the everyday grocery shoppers: these are the everyday people who don’t really pay attention to nutrition. They don't make good choices. They basically pull things off the shelves that they've seen on television. They choose foods based on what they've been told to buy through promotional advertisements, public relations, and other efforts, including food lobbying. Lobbying is how the USDA came up with the new "Food Guide Pyramid," by the way. It's pretty much the "Drink More Milk" pyramid. It was heavily influenced by the dairy industry. Look at how much milk it says we should drink now. Apparently, all humans are supposed to eat from cows utters, which is rather interesting, given that there is no nutritional requirement for any human being to eat from any cow. The everyday shoppers who buy all of this garbage that's been advertised are chronically diseased. You can see it at a remarkably young age. Even when they're teenagers, you can see the disease starting to progress. If these people happen to be in their 30s, 40s, or even their 50s and beyond, you can see the progression of this disease. I don't want to be judgmental in saying it, but it is sometimes painful to look at these people. Sometimes I just feel so much compassion for them, I want to help them. But in many ways, most of them aren't ready to be helped. It's also a bit frightening, if you think about what's going on in their bodies. All of this degeneration, this lack of flow, and stagnation that's happening in their bodies... the stress on the organs: the pancreas, the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, the heart. You look in their shopping cart and think, "How can these people buy this stuff?" Many fillers, binders, coatings, and gelcaps contain sources of glutamate.

 

LINKS:

MSG and other EPA approved "contaminants" sprayed on virtually all agricultural plants http://www.truthinlabeling.org/msgsprayed.html California approval of deadly MSG and plant altering chemicals http://www.truthinlabeling.org/cdpr.html Lies-- Food manufacturers who lie and claim "No MSG" http://www.truthinlabeling.org/nomsg.html San Diego Tribune carries letter from PhD Scientist on MSG manufacturers public relations tricks and MSG and obesity. http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Blonz-forWeb-8-9-04.html Here is now chemical companies bully and maim the public with impunity. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html MSG is definitely in milk products, even though they may claim otherwise. http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Milk%20and%20MSG.html Natural and vegetarian foods which have MSG http://www.newstarget.com/001528.html Deceptive cheese product makers http://www.newstarget.com/003217.html Is your doctor a drug pusher on the take from pharmaceutical companies? http://www.newstarget.com/009173.html Hide and seek game of food makers as they seek to deceive you on the ingredient label. http://www.newstarget.com/z001529.html Soy products are NOT the answer. http://www.newstarget.com/z003217.html Some food providers are taking this seriously. http://www.newstarget.com/009551.html The lie as proof of the truth of the lie (Sorry, but that is how it works) http://www.newstarget.com/z002036.html Beware of the non-biblical "Honest Food Guide" Soy products are deadly, and red meat IS needed for good health. http://www.honestfoodguide.org/ Bible based diets are sound in principle, but in Bible times deadly chemicals were not added. http://www.newstarget.com/001158.html MSG role in high cholesterol http://www.newstarget.com/z001546.html Examples of false advertising http://www.holisticmed.com/msg/msg-labels.txt "The FDA has no limits on how much MSG can be added to foods, even though as little as two tablespoons of it has been shown to cause epileptic convulsions and death in animals such as dogs." MORE http://www.laleva.org/eng/2004/03/autism_and_adhd_linked_to_addictive_food_additive.html MANY infant foods contain MSG http://www.vaccinetruth.org/msg.htm Reading labels on food-- Some helpful information http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-labels.html A story the FDA would mock, but proof that each person reacts differently. http://www.spasmodicdysphonia.us/nellis.html Many issues, including MSG-- They claim chickens are soaked in MSG http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/toni.htm MSG used to trick vegetarians into tasting meat flavor in vegetarian imitations. http://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/2/vegetarian_myths.htm Discussion group on glutin and other issues http://www.msgmyth.com/discus/messages/6/395.html?1092837927 "I know from personal experience that the chemical is not as harmless as vinegar or salt. When I ingest a fair amount of MSG, I immediately have nausea, stomach cramps, "spaciness," heart palpitations and a "pins-and-needles" headache, followed the next day by lethargy and overall weakness." MORE FROM THIS SITE http://www.livingwithout.com/feature_MSG.htm LEAVING A BAD TASTE http://www.nutrition4health.org/NOHAnews/NNW91LeavingBadTaste.htm Short History of MSG and Discussion of troubles it causes http://www.annapolis.net/members/holland/msg.txt   USDA Statement How will I know if there is monosodium glutamate (MSG) in a processed meat or poultry product? MSG is classified as a flavor enhancer by Federal regulation. When it is added to a product, it must be identified as "monosodium glutamate" on the label. Are MSG and hydrolyzed protein related? Yes. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein. It is found in virtually all food and, in abundance, in food that is high in protein, including meat, poultry, cheeses, and fish. Hydrolyzed proteins, used by the food industry to enhance flavor, are simply proteins that have been chemically broken apart into amino acids. The chemical breakdown of proteins may result in the formation of free glutamate that joins with free sodium to form MSG. In this case, the presence of MSG does not need to be disclosed on labeling. Labeling is required when MSG is added as a direct ingredient. MORE ON USDA PAGE http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/FAQs_Flavorings/index.asp#4   MSG AND THE EYES Eating too much monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer common in oriental and processed foods, could make you blind, scientists reported. Researchers at Hiroaki University in Japan found that rats fed on diets high in monosodium glutamate had thinner retinas and defective eyesight. According to the scientists, monosodium glutamate destroyed receptors on retina cells and reduced the ability to relay nerve signals. The research explains perhaps why there is a high rate of normal tension glaucoma in eastern Asia, although it could be due to genetics. Dr. Hiroshi Ohguro said his findings did not sound the death knell for Chinese food. The rats ate extraordinary large amounts of MSG – a fifth of their entire diet. "Lesser amounts should be OK," he said, "but the precise borderline amount is still unknown. http://www.prn2.usm.my/mainsite/headline/poison/oct2002.html

 

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