MSG or monosodium glutamate, is a common food additive and an addictive slow poison. It is associated with hyperactive behavior in children, obesity, seizures, headaches and dozens of other subtle or not-so-subtle symptoms that many people experience. MSG is not required to be labeled as such in many instances. But it is added to thousands of processed food items. It is even added to popular coffee drinks! At the end of this article are labeling tricks to look for to find out if a food contains it.
MSG AND Obesity This is a true story about MSG and weight gain.
“John Erb was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called "The Slow Poisoning of America". In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates: causing rats (and humans?)to become obese.
MSG is in most every processed food product, especially the 'healthy low fat' ones. Items that don’t have MSG marked on the product label often have something called Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein', which also contains MSG.
Restaurants. The manager may swear they don’t use MSG. But if you ask for the ingredient list, sure enough MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere.
ADDICTIVE EFFECTS According to researcher John Erb, MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body. Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG at:
http://www.msgfactscom/facts/msgfact12.htmlexplains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more. A study of the elderly showed that people eat more of the foods that it is added to.
The Glutamate Association lobby group says eating more benefits the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us? 'Betcha can't eat just one', takes on a whole new meaning where MSG is concerned!
The MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added. Since its introduction fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. Indeed, they claim it's safe to eat in any amount. How can they claim it safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies concerning the adverse effects of MSG.
Foods always contain MSG when these words are on the label: MSG, Gelatin, Calcium Caseinate, Monosodium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Textured Protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP), Yeast Extract, Glutamate, Autolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast food or nutrient, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast.
Foods made with the following products often contain MSG: Malted Barley (flavor), Flavors, Flavoring, Modified food starch, Barley malt, Reaction Flavors, Rice syrup or brown rice syrup, Malt Extract or Flavoring, Natural Chicken, Beef, or Pork, Flavoring "Seasonings" (Most assume this means salt, pepper, or spices and herbs, which sometimes it is.), Lipolyzed butter fat, Maltodextrin, Soy Sauce or Extract, "Low" or "No Fat" items, Caramel Flavoring (coloring), Soy Protein, Corn syrup and corn syrup solids (some companies use another process to make their product, saying it is MSG free), Stock, Soy Protein Isolate or Concentrate, Citric Acid (when processed from corn), Broth, Cornstarch, Milk Powder, Bouillon, Flowing Agents, Dry Milk Solids, Carrageenan, Wheat, rice, or oat protein, Protein Fortified Milk, Whey Protein or Whey, Anything enriched or vitamin enriched, Annatto, Whey Protein Isolate or Concentrate, Protein fortified "anything", Spice, Pectin, Enzyme modified "anythng", Gums, Protease, Ultra-pasteurized "anything", Dough Conditioners, Protease enzymes, Fermented "anything", Yeast Nutrients.
If this list seems daunting, that is because it is. This is one reason to stay at home for meals or only frequent quality ethnic restaurants. I know this is a tall order for many people, but I do it myself with ease. It is just a good habit that takes a while to establish and then it is easy. The hardest thing is when friends want to go to their favorite fast food place. So go once in a while and order vegetables and hamburger. Stay away from salads with dressings and the ketchup and relish likely are chock full of MSG and other chemicals as well. Another option is to meet friends elsewhere, something that I now prefer very much. Eat at home, have people to your home or make sure if you go to their house that they don’t douse the food with sauces that almost always contain lots of sugar and MSG as well.
For more information about MSG, there is a book entitled Battling the MSG Myth. It will simplify your life by giving in depth facts about the hidden sources the common foods in which it is found and how to avoid it.
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/MSG_poisoning.htm