MSG - What exactly is it?

rimay2k

New member
I recieved this in an email and it really got me thinking? I really do not know much about MSG nor did I know it was in SOOOO many of the things that people eat on a daily basis.
Maybe some of you can shed some light on the topic?


> Probably a big contributor to cancer as well. > > > MSG, What exactly is it?
> > While I am unsure of the origin of this email - It> is> interesting and important enough to find out more!!!> > The food additive MSG (MonoSodium Glutamate) is a> slow> poison. MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as> "Natural Flavoring." MSG is even in your favorite> coffee from Tim Horton's and other brand-name coffee> shops. > > I wondered if there could be an actual chemical> causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a> friend of mine, John Erb. He 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. No strain of rat or mice is> naturally obese, so scientists have to create them. > They make these creatures morbidly obese by> injecting> them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG> triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates,> causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese.> They even have a name for the fat rodents they> create:> "MSG-Treated Rats." > > When I heard this, I was shock ed. I went into my> kitchen and checked the cupboards and the> refrigerator. MSG was in everything -- the> Campbell's> soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato> chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper,> Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals,> and> Kraft salad dressings, especially the "healthy> low-fat" ones. The items that didn't have MSG marked> on the product label had something called Hydrolyzed> Vegetable Protein," which is just another name for> Monosodium Glutamate. > > It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we> feed our children> everyday are filled with this stuff. MSG is hidden> under many different> names in order to fool those who read the ingredient> list, so that they> don't catch on. (Other names for MSG are "Accent,> "Ajinomoto," "Natural Meat Tenderizer," etc.) > > But it didn't stop there. > > When our family went out to eat, we started asking> at> the restaurants what menu items contained MSG. Many> employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use> MSG. > > But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they> grudgingly provided,> sure enough, MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein> were> everywhere. Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco> Bell, every restaurant -- even the sit-down eateries> like TGIF, Chili's, Applebee's, and Denny's -- use> MSG> in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be> the> WORST offender: MSG was in every chicken dish, salad> dressing. and gravy. No wonder I loved to eat that> coating on the skin -- their secret spice was MSG! > > So why is MSG in so may of the foods we eat? Is it> a> preservative, or a> vitamin? > > Not according to my friend John Erb. In his book,> The> Slow Poisoning of America, he said that 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 explains> that> the reason they add it to food is to make people eat> more. > > A study of the elderly showed that older people eat> more of the foods that it is added to. The> Glutamate> Association lobbying group says eating more is a> benefit to 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! And we wonder why> the> nation is overweight! 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 into the American food supply> 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. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. > But> how can they claim it's safe when there are hundreds> of scientific studies with titles like these: "The> monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for> the study of exercise in obesity." Gobatto CA, Mello> MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA. Res Commun Mol Pathol> Pharmacol. 2002. "Adrenalectomy abolishes the> food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both> normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats." > Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C,> Nascimento> CM, Ribeiro. Brain Res Bull. 2002> Aug. "Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium> glutamate> treatment in > spontaneously hypertensive rats: An animal model of> multiple risk factors." Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K,> Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima. > Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar. "Hypothalamic lesion> induced> by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling> period and subsequent development of obesity." > Tanaka> K, Shimada M, Nakao K Kusunoki. Exp Neurol. 1978> Oct. > No, the date of that last study was not a typo; it> was> published in 1978. > > Both the "medical research community" and "food> manufacturers" have known about the side effects of> MSG for decades. Many more of the studies mentioned> in John Erb's book link MSG to diabetes, migraines> and> headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer's. So> what can we do to stop the food manufactures from> dumping this fattening and addictive MSG into our> food> supply and causing the obesity epidemic we now see? > > Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his> concerns to one of the highest government health> officials in Canada. While he was sitting in the> government office, the official told him, "Sure, I> know how bad MSG is. I wouldn't touch the stuff." > But this top-level government official refuses to> tell> the public what he knows. > > The big media doesn't want to tell the public> either,> fearing issues with their advertisers. It seems> that> the fallout on the fast food industry may hurt their> profit margin. The food producers and restaurants> have been> addicting us to their products for years, and now we> are paying the price for it. Our children should> not> be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food> additive. > > But what can I do about it? I'm just one voice! > What> can I do to stop the poisoning of our children,> while> our governments are insuring financial protection> for> the industry that is poisoning us? > > This message is going out to everyone I know in an> attempt to tell you the truth that the> corporate-owned> politicians and media won't tell you. The best way> you can help to save yourself and your children from
 
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): What is it and is it harmful?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial.

MSG has been used as a food additive for decades. Over the years, the FDA has received many anecdotal reports of adverse reactions to foods containing MSG. But subsequent research found no definitive evidence of a link between MSG and the symptoms that some people described after eating food containing MSG. As a result, MSG is still added to some foods.

A comprehensive review of all available scientific data on glutamate safety sponsored by the FDA in 1995 reaffirmed the safety of MSG when consumed at levels typically used in cooking and food manufacturing. The report found no evidence to suggest that MSG contributes to any long-term health problems, such as Alzheimer's disease. But it did acknowledge that some people may have short-term reactions to MSG. These reactions — known as MSG symptom complex — may include:
  • Headache, sometimes called MSG headache
  • Flushing
  • Sweating
  • Sense of facial pressure or tightness
  • Numbness, tingling or burning in or around the mouth
  • Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath

Symptoms are usually mild and don't require treatment. However, some people report more severe reactions. The only way to prevent a reaction is to avoid foods containing MSG. When MSG is added to food, the FDA requires that "monosodium glutamate" be listed on the label — or on the menu, in restaurants.

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The mayo clinic's definition is a little less doom and gloom - I tend to not trust anything in an email that basically says the sky is falling - I've avoided MSG for years because it gives me headaches...
 
for me MSG is bad news, if there is MSG in anything i eat it will trigger a severe asthma attack with the posibility of needing to be admitted to hospital.
 
Years ago, and it might still be on the market, I haven't checked, there was a product called Accent - which was basically marketed as a flavor enhancer for use in cooking - primarily cooking casseroles and other pretty gross foods that needed enhancing.. Accent was pure MSG...
 
Thanks for the clarification!!!Between MSG, Transfat and Pestacides its almost impossible to eat out or grab something quick without thoroughly reading through or asking about ingredients it seems.
I remember accent-I remember the commercials from when I was younger.
Mal do you not like casseroles?
 
I avoid MSG b/c it's extremely mean to my digestive system. :( I won't go into any more detail than that.
MSG is usually in stuff that we shouldn't be eating anyway: chips, processed frozen foods, canned soups, etc. I've noticed that its being fazed out. I have more chips, frozen foods, and soups I can eat. When I first realized what was causing my symptoms and avoided MSG, I couldn't eat ANYTHING processed.
There are trace amounts of it in hydrogenated oils, but not enough to hurt me.
 
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