MSG was first isolated and discovered back in 1908 by Japanese researcher Dr. Ikeda from the seaweed Laminoria Japonica. He noted the taste not that of sweet, salty, sour, or bitter but a slightly different one which he named umami – Japanese for ‘savory’. MSG itself stands for Mono-Sodium Glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter within our brain cells. When converted to glutamic acid as typically occurs with MSG, it becomes an excito-neurotoxin. Glutamic Acid is known to cause significant brain damage especially in infants and young children as well as a host of chronic illnesses. It is important to note here that brain damage due to MSG is hard to detect until 90% of neurons have all but gone kaput!
Unfortunately, nearly all of the MSG on store shelves and in restaurants come via a processed source, genetically modified sugar beets that carry the pesticide gene for Roundup which comes conveniently by way of Monsanto. The first symptom that people commonly experience after being sensitized to MSG are migraines. Many times these are migraines that resolve after the cessation of processed and fast food or after a hearty meal at a Chinese restaurant. Other symptoms that people often report are: asthma, numbness, tingling, weakness, palpitations, nausea, tightness, and drowsiness.
What’s interesting is that MSG can be largely blamed for today’s ever-emerging obesity epidemic. MSG is funny in that it down-regulates the hypothalamus’ ability to control appetite suppression. It interferes with the hormone leptin’s ability to relay signals from the stomach back to the brain letting it know that the stomach is full. With this key pathway out of synchronicity, a person that has consumed MSG will continue to keep on eating and eating even when he or she is really beyond satisfied.
What if it could be demonstrated that all of these types of chemicals, called excitotoxins, could aggravate or even precipitate many of today’s epidemic neurodegenerative brain dis-eases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, ALS, PSP, and Alzheimer’s. Incidences of the aforementioned 5 conditions in addition to cancer were hardly mentioned 50 years ago prior to the advent of processed and fast food entering our diet.
Since 1960, the FDA has considered MSG to be ‘safe’. Many studies conducted by them and their researchers have declared it to be non-toxic and free of any adverse effects. Alternatively, many other leading researchers and independent scientists and doctors not funded by government grants have discriminated it to be the exact opposite.
All of the above is true. All of these well known brain toxins are poured into our food and drink by the thousands of tons to boost sales by boosting taste. Once one food manufacturer does it, the others also add it in order to keep the same level of taste and be able to compete with the newest added MSG-filled product on the market. The Food and FastFood Industry use it primarily as a flavor enhancer as the quality, taste, and nutritional content of the food is very low (precisely why one feels like yuck after consumption). There are no regulations on the potency of MSG, and so consumers have no way of knowing how much or how little they are getting.
Without further a-do, here are the many common labels of MSG.
Hidden Sources Of MSG:
* Food additives that always contain MSG: Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Protein, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Plant Protein Extract, Sodium Caseinate, Calcium Caseinate, Yeast Extract, Textured Protein (Including TVP), Autolyzed Yeast, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Corn Oil, Natural Flavors.
* Food additives that mostly contain MSG : Malt Extract, Malt Flavoring, Maltodextrin, Bouillon Broth, Stock Flavoring, Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring, Disodium Inolate, Disodium Guanylate.
* Food additives that may contain MSG: Carrageenan, Soy Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate.
–The items in bold are the form in which you will most likely encounter MSG at grocery stores.
MSG is most often found in these foods: flavored corn/potato chips (Lay’s, Ruffles, Doritos, Cheetos) – last time I checked Cheetos and Doritos each contain 5 different kinds of MSG. They can also be found in most canned soups, salad dressings, sausages, hot dogs, processed deli meat, taco/chili/gravy seasoning.
Restaurants that contain MSG: KFC has the highest amount of any food locale anywhere. Also McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, Papa John’s, Domino’s, Subway, Quizno’s, Panda Express, Moe’s, Chili’s, TGIF, Applebee’s, Denny’s, IHOP, Macaroni Grill along with most other franchises do contain MSG in some if not all of their food. Also, many Chinese places put umami in everything.
Notable exceptions to this rule include: Jason’s Deli, Chipotle, In N’ Out, Olive Garden.
A Final Note…
Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD – neurosurgeon and author of the book ‘Excitotoxins – The Taste That Kills’, recounted a meeting with a senior executive in the food additive industry who told him that these excito-toxins are going to be in our food no matter how many name changes are necessary.
boomgrow 