MSG

I must admit, this was a difficult topic on which to find information. I found plenty of articles describing what MSG is, but not much with regards to side effects or health related issues. My usual sources didn't have much to say about it. That's part of the reason it has taken me so long to post.

MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a food additive marketed as a flavor enhancer. It was isolated in 1907 by a Japanese researcher and introduced in the United States in 1947. It was once associated with Chinese food. I remember as a child going into a Chinese restaurant and seeing "no MSG." I had no idea what that meant. I originally thought it was some sort of dye because their pork was always so pink. MSG is now used by fast food chains, processed foods, bouillon cubes, sauces, salad dressings, canned/frozen/dried/prepared foods, snack foods, potato chips, and seasonings just to name a few. I challenge you to read your labels at home to see how many things contain MSG. It is usually listed as monosodium glutamate.

MSG is produced by bacterial fermentation. Now that just sounds gross. It ALWAYS contains contaminants. On the other hand natural occurring glutamic acid has no contaminants. You will find that in things such as unadulterated, unfermented plant and animal proteins.

Before I get into some of the health risks of MSG, I want to share an excellent example I once heard of how MSG affects your body. Think about a time when you've walked into a room or situation where there was very loud music being played. It could be a car, concert, dorm room, etc... After you left that situation, did it not take your ears a while to adjust back to normal? That's what MSG does to your tongue. It turns your taste buds up really loudly. Foods that used to taste fine are now bland. You need more seasoning. Eliminate foods with MSG and it will take some time for your taste buds to return to normal. Your taste buds are replaced about every 11 days.

The biggest health issue related to MSG is MSG sensitivity. Side effects include migraines (most common), aggravated asthma, heart irregularities, panic attacks, drastic mood swings, seizures, weight gain, and obesity. Let me give a disclaimer here. I am not saying that MSG causes these things, but that it can exacerbate the problems. Young people are at an even greater risk. MSG and its compounds can cross the placenta during pregnancy. It can also cross the blood brain barrier in an unregulated manner. To make matters worse, it is in infant formula.

One website that can go into even greater detail is www.truthinlabeling.org. From that website, I was able to read several studies done with regards to MSG and found them to be most disturbing. One study said, "In this country, at this time, potential poisons are not administered to humans in order to determine if they are toxic or safe. Therefore, what we know about the toxic effects of MSG comes from animal studies." That is scary!! MSG is toxic, yet it is being put into our food supply on purpose!

The food industry benefits greatly from the use of MSG. The government hasn't been much help in that area either. Big surprise!

My advice....read labels, read labels, read labels. It may not be possible to completely eliminate MSG from your diet, but I strongly urge you to try. I no longer buy bullion, but make my own stocks to freeze at home. OR I just don't use that particular ingredient in a recipe. It hasn't hurt us any. Homemade stock is so much better anyway. I make and use only homemade salad dressings. My husband still prefers store bought, but I am careful to limit the amount of MSG. Yes, it is more expensive to buy those types of foods, but look at it this way. You are either going to pay the grocery store for it now, or your doctor later. You decide.

For more information on MSG check out Weston A Price.