MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE
MSG—monosodium
glutamate—sounds innocent enough, but in reality, it’s a food additive guilty
on all charges of contributing to obesity and other health related maladies.
The most disturbing thing about MSG is its not only found in Kramer’s peapods,
but in virtually every processed food on the market today—including ingredients
that make no mention of MSG (such as yeast extract, torula yeast, hydrolyzed
vegetable protein and autolyzed yeast).
Made from the amino acid glutamic acid, MSG falls under a rather infamous
larger class of chemicals called excitotoxins, which “excite” cells and neurons
in the body to the point of cell death. Studies have reviewed the linkage of
MSG to obesity by pointing to animal experiments that show how excessive
monosodium glutamate consumption creates lesions in the part of the brain
called the hypothalamus, which controls elements of the nervous system, hunger
and thirst pangs as well as sexual activity. It’s no wonder, then, that these
lesions were found to cause obesity, sexual reproductive problems and short
stature.
Studies like this have led many leading health experts to write books on the
deleterious effects of MSG on ourselves and that of our offspring.
On the subject of MSG and obesity, Russell L. Blaylock MD writes in his book
“Health and Nutrition Secrets” that “with this enormous consumption of foods
laced with MSG additives, it is no wonder that we have an obesity problem in
this country, especially when you combine the hypothalamic lesion caused by MSG
to the high-fat and carbohydrate diets of young people. Of particular concern
is the suggestion that MSG ingested by pregnant women may actually cause this
lesion in children while they are still in the womb.”
In his book “In Bad Taste” George R Schwartz writes: “Particularly disturbing
is the later obesity after MSG exposure during the neonatal and infant period
even after only a short or limited exposure.”
Despite all this, the FDA collectively sits on their hands while food
manufacturers continue to bamboozle consumers by hiding MSG in alternative
ingredients.
Using MSG is good money-making sense for the food industry: Because it
adversely affects appetite regulation (causing you to eat more), it’s more
money for them.
Even though avoiding processed foods is a good rule of thumb to live by, it’s a
sad state of affairs when you can no longer trust food labeling. “Buyer beware”
has never been so apropos.
There's
a great deal of deception in the labeling of food products found at your local
grocery store and even at many health food stores. A disturbing trend I've
noticed is that many vegetarian products and grocery items billed as
"healthy" or "natural" are using chemical additive taste
enhancers found in an ingredient listed right on the label.
The taste enhancer is MSG — monosodium glutamate — a chemical that has been
associated with reproductive disorders, migraine headaches, permanent damage to
the endocrine system leading to obesity, and other serious disorders. MSG is a
chemical compound that simply does not belong in the body in the concentrations
provided by these foods. It is used by food manufacturers as a taste enhancer —
something to cover up the bland tastes of these foods and make them more
appealing to consumers. But food manufacturers don't want to list MSG on the
labels, especially when they know that consumers will avoid purchasing products
that list MSG.
So what do they do instead? They hide the ingredient in another ingredient
called "yeast extract," then they put yeast extract in the product
and list "yeast extract" right on the label. So this is the scam: all
sorts of natural health products and vegetarian products are using chemical
taste enhancers in the form of yeast extract, but are failing to disclose to
consumers that they actually contain MSG. And if you look around at the natural
health products in health food stores and grocery stores, you'll find that
yeast extract is a rather prominent ingredient. It's used in soups, in
vegetarian mixes, in some tofu mixes, and even so-called natural frozen foods.
I can personally verify that yeast extract has the same effect as MSG, because
I am an individual who is extremely sensitive to MSG. Upon consuming even a
small amount of MSG, I experience a severe headache that lasts for 6 to 8
hours. Consuming yeast extract causes precisely the same effect as consuming
MSG.
In fact, food manufacturers don't deny that yeast extract contains MSG — it's
something that's well-known in the food manufacturing industry. What's going on
here is a blatant deception, an attempt to mislead consumers by essentially
renaming dangerous ingredients with harmless sounding names such as "yeast
extract." I believe this practice to be irresponsible and unethical, and I
strongly urge you to not only avoid purchasing products made with yeast
extract, but avoid products from companies that use yeast extract in any of
their products. It is simply a dishonest practice, and we should not reward
companies that engage in such practices by purchasing any products they
manufacture.
Unfortunately, many of these food manufacturers are creating products for the
so-called health foods industry. In a way that is sadly all too real,
traditional grocery products and processed foods will list MSG right on the
label. At the same time, so-called healthy products will use yeast extract, so
they can avoid mentioning MSG on the label. Yet, both products contain MSG, and
both products carry the risk of toxic side effects associated with MSG.
So, are you any safer by purchasing health foods rather than traditional
grocery store foods? The answer is that you should avoid purchasing processed
foods at all, regardless of what health claims are made on the label. Processed
foods are unhealthy foods, period. If you want optimum nutrition, and foods for
which the human body was designed, you need to purchase and consume raw
ingredients, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, and healthy oils.
It's also a good idea, as you've often heard me recommend on NewsTarget.com, to
supplement your diet with whole food supplements, organic vitamins, and
superfoods, such as chlorella, spirulina, broccoli sprouts and sea vegetables.
This is the way to achieve optimum nutrition, not by purchasing processed foods
that are disguised as healthy foods, even though they contain ingredients known
to induce toxic side-effects in the human body.
But don't take my word for it — check it out yourself. Next time you go to a
health food store, look at the product boxes and cans on the shelves, and see
just how many you can find that contain yeast extract. It's especially easy to
find with vegetarian foods, which just goes to show you that just because a
product says "vegetarian" on the label doesn't mean it's good for you
(or that the company making it gives a hoot about your health).
