Have you ever read a food label, only to be confused by the meaning of many of the listed ingredients? You may be able to notice words like hydrolyzed protein, sodium caseinate, monosodium glutamate, or natural flavors. Food processing companies compete fiercely with one another, using price, quantity, packaging, and taste to acquire more consumers. When it comes to flavor, what chemicals do many food processing companies use, and what are their dangers?

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a flavor enhancer that was discovered in 1908 by a professor in Tokyo, Japan. It was introduced to American soldiers during World War II, after American quartermasters realized that Japanese rations tasted great. With such success, it was introduced to the continental United States in 1948. Since then, the amount of MSG production has doubled every decade. Its first adverse reactions of obesity and numbness were reported in 1968. Conditions from MSG ingestion may include changes in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, chest pains, muscle swelling, asthma attacks, temporary blindness, dizziness, pain headache, seizures, numbness, anxiety, behavior changes. problems in children, hyperactivity, insomnia, loss of mental acuity, slurred speech, joint pain and stiffness, digestive problems, blurred vision, prostate inflammation, memory dysfunction, obesity, and skin reactions. It is particularly harmful to pregnant and lactating women and babies. Research studies have shown:

• At least 25 percent of the US population reacts to glutamic acid from monosodium glutamate food sources
• A study by Ohguro found that exposure to MSG in animals over a period of 3 to 6 months led to a significant risk of damage to the retina of the eyes.
• In 1998, the EPA approved the use of processed free glutamic acid in sprays on fruits, grains, and vegetables.
• An article in a 1999 peer-reviewed journal, called “The Toxicity/Safety of Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG): An Information Suppression Study,” found that exposed laboratory animals suffered from brain damage, neuroendocrine disorders, and obesity. . Diseases such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive degeneration of neurons and motor cells in the brain), Alzheimer’s disease, seizures, and stroke are associated with the consumption of glutamate derivatives.

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, goes by more than forty different names. It is a neurotoxin that acts like a poison, stimulating neurons in the central nervous system to an excitable state that can lead to neurological degeneration. Its main component, glutamic acid, can penetrate the brain’s hypothalamus (which regulates weight control), breaking the natural “blood-brain barrier”, affecting brain function and causing further health problems. MSG is inexpensive to produce and is used by many food manufacturers for frozen dinners, soups, condiments, infant formulas, processed baby foods, shakes, snacks, and more. It is also used by many restaurants, supermarkets and school canteens. Currently, the FDA has very little regulation. According to the book “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills” by Dr. Russell Blaylock:

Additives containing MSG: Monosodium glutamate, glutamic acid, hydrolyzed protein, sodium and calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed oatmeal

Additives that frequently contain MSG: Malt Extract & Flavor, Maltodextrin, Bouillon, Broth, Broth, Natural Flavor, Natural Beef or Chicken Flavor, Seasoning, Anything Protein Fortified, Soy Sauce, Anything Ultra-Pasteurized or Fermented

Additives that may contain MSG or Excitotoxins: Enzymes, Soy Protein Concentrate and Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Carrageenan, Gelatin, Rice Syrups

The FDA has done very little to alert consumers to the dangers of consuming MSG. There are currently no regulations that require food manufacturers to share the amounts of MSG they produce in processed foods. In addition, the FDA allows many ingredients that contain MSG to be classified and grouped under the names, flavors, flavorings, natural aromas or natural flavorings. Only monosodium glutamate and hydrolyzed protein need to be disclosed, obscuring 35 other MSG terms that food companies do not have to disclose to consumers.

MSG and glutamic acid are dangerous chemicals that many food companies and establishments use to enhance the flavor of food. Eliminating foods from your diet that contain these dangerous poisons is highly beneficial to your health and should be especially avoided by pregnant mothers, infants, and children. And as always, understand the ingredients on your food labels!