One of my clients asked me about MSG this morning so I thought I would give you the down low on MSG today.
BTW Asian Food is typically loaded with MSG and many BBQ restaurants use it to season their meats as well. Always ask before you eat at one of these establishments.
The problems associated with processed foods continue to grow. Our overabundance of these items has left a society struggling with poor nutrition and overall health. Information on the food additive mono-sodium glutamate, or MSG, needs to be shared to protect the American family.
MSG is a flavor enhancer traditionally used in Chinese food, but found today in many foods like breakfast sausages and potato chips. Understanding the pitfalls of MSG can be very confusing. Glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid that the body uses and needs. The synthetic manipulation and processing of glutamate produces a form that is not found in nature. Proven by studying many other areas, particularly hormone medications, attempting to recreate a product of nature often produces less than desirable results. MSG has been labeled an excitotoxin because it is thought to have the ability to overstimulate cells to death. Many people link headaches, flushing, poor attention and other symptoms, as well as diseases like fibromyalgia, to MSG intake.
Research on MSG has varied, and conventional medicine lacks in understanding what many patients have already found. Research has documented several effects related to MSG, including burning sensations of the mouth, head and neck, weakness of the arms or legs, headaches and upset stomach approximately 15 minutes after the MSG is consumed. Further research again points to problems such as flushing, headaches and hives or allergic-type reactions with the skin. Further research has shown that MSG causes inflammation in the gut and in particular the small intestine which leads to food allergies, crohn's disease, IBS and many other inflammatory diseases within the digestive system and has a strong impact on other inflammatory diseases like gout and arthritis. Due to the inflammation it causes in the gut it can also be a major factor in the cause of obesity.
MSG comes in many processed foods and snacks. Similar to high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils, consumers need to get in the habit of looking for mono-sodium glutamate. MSG does not occur naturally in whole foods, so you do not have to worry about it in apples or bananas. Manufacturers are required to state if MSG is included in products on their food content label. Unfortunately, it might fall under different titles, making it very difficult to keep up with what foods contain the additive. www.MSGmyth.com lists other names for MSG, including mono-potassium glutamate and vegetable protein extract, and several additives that contain various amounts of MSG.
Everyone will not be affected the same by MSG, and perhaps some will experience no problems at all. The uncertain and somewhat frightening aspect of this compound is that it can cause a variety of symptoms over time that can lead to much greater, more permanent problems. It could also be argued that small amounts in any one food will not be a problem, but if small amounts are in several common foods that are consumed every day, the problem moves to a much graver scale.
My recommendation is to avoid the use of MSG completely. It makes food taste really good but when you add chemicals to foods you are doing nothing to benefit your health, in fact you are jeopardizing your health.
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