CrossFit Newcastle

By CrossFit Balboa

Poisoning Ourselves with MSG

MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as Natural Flavoring.' MSG is even in your favorite coffee from Tim Horton's and Starbucks coffee shops! Could there be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic? John Erb, a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, spent years working to find the cause of the epidemic. 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.'
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. 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, 'Aginomoto,' 'Natural Meat Tenderizer,' etc.) But it didn't stop there. If you go out to eat ask the restaurant if the food contains MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swear they don’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, and 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. The coating on the skin…their secret spice is MSG! So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat? Is it a preservative, or a vitamin?
Not according to 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! 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. Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance. 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.' 'Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese.' 'Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: An animal model of multiple risk factors.’ Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity.' Both the 'medical research community' and 'food 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. 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?

You can tell everyone you know about the dangers of MSG and where it can be found. Please take a look at the ingredients in foods and be aware of MSG and they other names it goes under, such as monosodium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, glutamate, glutamic acid, gelatin, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured protein, autolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, yeast extract, glutamate, yeast food or nutrient, sodium caseinate, autolyzed yeast.

The following foods contain MSG. Malted barley (flavor), barley malt, malt extract of flavoring, maltodextrin, caramel flavoring (coloring), stock, broth, bouillon, carrageenan, whey protein or whey, whey protein isolate or concentrate, pectin, protease, protease enzymes, flavors, flavoring, natural chicken, beef or pork flavoring, seasonings (Most assume this means salt, pepper or spices and herbs which sometimes it is.), soy sauces or extract, soy protein, soy protein isolate or concentrate, cornstarch, flowing agents, white rice or oat protein, protein fortified anything, enzyme modified anything, ultra-pasteurized anything, fermented anything, modified food starch, rice syrup or brown rice syrup, lipolyzed butter fat, low or no-fat items, corn syrup and corn syrup solids (some companies use another process to make their product, saying it is MSG-free), citric acid (when processed with corn), milk powder, dry milk solids, protein fortified milk, annatto, spice, gums, dough conditioners, yeast nutrients.

You may think that you are actually avoiding MSG if you avoid Chinese restaurants, but this factory-
created flavor enhancer is in almost every bottled, bagged, frozen, or canned processed food on supermarket shelves. But since MSG is often a component of a formulation, it is not labeled as such. Many people would be shocked to know that almost all restaurants use large amounts of MSG in their food preparation. Italian food is sometimes much worse than Chinese food.

What are the symptoms of MSG poisoning? Severe headache, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, Irregular heartbeat or blood pressure, racing heart, depression or mood change, bipolar, SAD, abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, colitis, IBS, balance problems, dizziness, or seizures, mini-strokes, tenderness in localized areas, neck, back, etc. Sleep disorders, blurred vision or difficulty breathing, chronic fatigue or sleepiness, excessive perspiring or shuddering and chills, shortness of breath, chest pains, asthma, swelling, pain, or numbness of hands, feet, jaw, pain in joints or bones, flushing or tingling in face, chest, pressure behind eyes, gagging reflex or difficulty swallowing, hyperactivity, behavioral problems, chronic post nasal drip, skin rash, itching, hives, bloated face, dark circles under strained eyes, extreme thirst or dry mouth, difficulty concentrating and poor memory. Slowed speech, chronic bronchitis-like symptoms, allergy reactions, dry cough, hoarseness or sore throat, heavy, weak feeling in arms and legs, Irritable bowel or colitis, attention deficit disorder, anxiety attacks, rage, panic attacks, neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, MS, parkinson's, pressure behind eyes or on head, neck, shoulder, ADD, ADHD, rage disorder, asthma, weight problems, obesity, hypoglycemia.

So how can we avoid MSG? You are are already doing it if you are following the Paleo Diet. By eating basic, simple, raw and perishable foods you can avoid MSG. By avoiding all processed and frozen foods and by cooking without salts and chemicals you can steer clear of MSG and avoid the problems associated with this deadly chemical.

Click on the link for more dangers associated with Monosodium Glutamate.