MSG Glutamates—Why you should avoid (especially if prone to migraines)

MSG is Monosodium glucomate or sodium glucomate. Glutamic salts are flavor-enhancing compounds. These can be naturally occurring in foods or isolated as a separate compound. Free glutamates are additives used in conjunction with MSG or on their own to provide similar “food enhancement.” It was brought into use as a “flavor enhancer” by Japan and introduced into the United States around 1947.  MSG was once only associated with Chinese restaurant foods, but now is used widely in processed foods. MSG is only one of many forms of free glutamates used in our foods. 

Glutamates are present in many foods (in very small quantities) in their natural forms. These seem to be quite acceptable to the human body. Many of these glutamates, which are in “free” form (added as additional flavor and not part of the original food), are reactive in the human body and seem to quite probably aggravate certain conditions and health concerns (i.e. migraines). The FDA has considered labeling like “No MSG” to be quite deceiving to the public because there can be other “free” glutamate ingredients, such as hydrolyzed protein, in the foods. Free glutamates are present in many additives such as:

·        Hydrolyzed vegetable proteins

·        Autolyzed yeast

·        Hydrolyzed yeast

·        Yeast extract

·        Soy extracts

·        Protein isolates

In 1995, the FDA acknowledged that a certain percentage of people react to MSG and free glutamates with one or more of these symptoms (only to name a few):

  • Chest pain
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Weakness
  • Drowsiness
  • Eye damage
  • Obesity (lab animals with great increases in weight)
  • Extreme insulin spikes (normalizes in a few hours according to the government studies, but what about those hours before it normalizes?)

The FDA has been considering changes to the labeling laws with regards to glutamates and MSG-type additives since 1994, but no action has been taken.  Other countries, like Australia, require flavor enhancers and additives to be listed by names and class. This is another situation where we should rid our diets of processed foods and fast foods.  I am not sure why our FDA refuses to look at all the clinical trials and research about chemicals that truly appear to be poisoning us – do you get it?  I truly hate to think that it could be about money. Or are other countries just wrong also?

Some interesting sites for your review:

www.truthinlabeling.org

www.msgfacts.com  

www.rense.com/general52/msg

www.holisticmed.cm/msg

 — Joan    © 2009  Joan Goodman

Joan Goodman, CTN, MH
1950 Eldridge Parkway, Suite #5101
Houston, TX  77077

281-493-9473 

All articles are copyrighted by Joan Goodman. They may only be reprinted with her express permission.

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