I will be blunt: Most of the food you eat is probably poisonous.

Now, I am not talking about The Princess Bride iocaine powder poisonous, but something more insidious, longer term, and more sanctioned by the U.S. Government. I am talking about a sinister neurotoxin called Monosodium Glutamate a.k.a. MSG.

“Wait, MSG is the stuff Chinese restaurants advertise they don’t use because it’s bad, right?”

Well, that is partially right. MSG was invented in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, and is/was a common ingredient in Asian cooking. However, due to the bad press that MSG began to get in the 1960s, most restaurants ceased the use of this chemical as a flavor enhancer, or at least allowed it to become an optional choice for customers. It became a stereotype that MSG was only to be found in Chinese cooking; a stereotype so powerful that the collection of symptoms of excessive MSG consumption is referred to as “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.” These symptoms include numbness, palpitations, weakness, headaches, sleep problems, abdominal pains and cramps, and changes in vision.

Why is it still used today?

To understand why this poison is still used today, you have to use the tried and true investigative procedure called “follow the money.” American food manufacturers realized how much money they could make at the expense of America’s health if they used MSG in nearly every product they manufactured. To understand why MSG would be added to a product, you have to understand what MSG does.

MSG, for all intents and purposes, is a poison. It is a neurotoxin, or more specifically, an excitotoxin. Excitotoxins, when applied to the neurons in the brain, cause those neurons to become over stimulated and die. This “over stimulation” is the benefit of the ingestion of MSG, as it actually tricks the brain into thinking that food being consumed is actually much tastier and delicious than it truly is. Think about how delicious KFC Fried Chicken is…but then realize that the delicious taste is not generated by that meaty chicken coated in eleven herbs and spices but instead by a neurotoxin that is simultaneously tricking and destroying your brain. (As an aside, KFC chicken actually exceeds the legal limit for added MSG in certain foreign countries) The brain has defenses against glutamate over-saturation, but it was never designed to deal with the amount that the normal citizen (unknowingly) consumes.

How does this benefit Food Manufacturers though?

Well, beside the obvious effect of having your product taste much better by adding a single mass-produced chemical instead of doing research or culinary experimentation, it allows food companies to eliminate quality ingredients in favor of sub-standard ones. The “off” taste of vegetable-waste matter or the normally uneaten fish or chicken parts is completely masked by this neurotoxin. Additionally, MSG is an insulin trigger, which can cause the consumer to feel hungry again not long after eating foods with high glutamate concentrations. Obviously having a fat populace constantly reaching for a bag of chemically laced chips selling for $2.99 is a prime market for food manufacturers. The food manufacturer’s lobby that supports the use of MSG blatantly claims that it is used to make people eat more on their propaganda website. Is it a coincedence that we are in the middle of what Jack Samuels calls an Obesity Epidemic when you consider the fact that over the last 60 years the use of MSG in foods has risen exponentially?

Over the long-term, MSG consumption basically results in brain damage, however the damage is so slight and the exposure so long term that it is quite possible for 80% of the affected brain area to be damaged before anything is noticed. Since the 1970s, researchers have implicated excess glutamate as a contributing factor in learning disorders, Parkinson’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, seizures, hypoglycemia, AIDS dementia, and brain tumors. There is also concern that the damage to the hypothalamus affects the function of the pituitary gland and other endocrine glands, which can lead to obesity. It is the very gradual destruction of neural cells from excess glutamate that can contribute to the above-mentioned diseases.

Why isn’t the public more aware?

There are two reasons the public is not aware. First, the FDA (itself not the purest of institutions) has been muscled by a powerful MSG producers consortium called The Glutamate Association to stymie any research into the long term effects of MSG as well as skewing the conclusions of any research that actually gets accomplished. The scientific flaws in the experiments that are used as cornerstones in arguments proposing the safety of MSG are so glaring that only the sheer number of these “experiments” as opposed to the meager and vastly unfunded experiments proving the danger of MSG allows the myth that MSG is harmless to live on. For example, it was shown in early 60’s that excessive MSG consumption caused brain damage in monkeys and rats. This experiment was to be repeated for the FDA in the 70’s, but this time backed by the Glutamate Association. The repeated experiment showed no signs of brain damage, however it was not released until years later that these monkeys were fed so much MSG they would vomit it back out, resulting in little actual MSG absorption. Also, they were treated with an anesthetic that is a proven blocker of MSG toxicity. Even the EPA has been sucked into the plot, as they have allowed MSG to be dusted over crops as they grow; crops that can wind up in any food, even baby food.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the FDA has allowed numerous loopholes to exist that allow producers to hide the fact that their product has MSG in it. You may think you are safe because you look at the food label and do not see MSG or the full name of monosodium glutamate printed. Unfortunately, this in no way means your food does not have MSG in it. The FDA regulations state that MSG has to be listed as an ingredient only if it is a separate ingredient in the food. Manufacturers can avoid this simply by using ingredients which contain MSG as a sub-ingredient. According to the regulations, these sub-ingredients can contain as much as 60% MSG without being labeled specifically as MSG. Here is a partial list of ingredients you may see listed on food that always contains MSG:
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Potassium Glutamate
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
- Hydrolyzed Protein
- Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
- Hydrolyzed [Anything else]
- Plant Protein Extract
- Sodium Caseinate
- Calcium Caseinate
- Yeast Extract
- Textured Protein
- Autolyzed Yeast
- Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Also, the following frequently contains MSG:
- Malt extract
- Malt Flavoring
- Bouillon
- Broth
- Stock
- Flavoring
- Natural Flavoring
- Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring
- Seasoning
- Spices

Finally, the following may contain MSG:
- Carrageenan
- Enzymes
- Soy Protein Concentrate
- Soy Protein Isolate
- Whey Protein Concentrate

If your food contains something on one of the last two lists, there really is no way of determining if MSG was added short of calling the manufacturer of that sub-ingredient.

You will be shocked how much of your food contains something on the list above, specifically the 2nd list. While gathering data for this piece, I looked through my pantry at all the various foods. I have made a habit of shopping at organic food stores, yet still an alarming percentage of my sundries contain some form of MSG. Such mundane things as soup, Doritos, canned tuna, barbeque sauce, cereal, tomato sauce, and even Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa.

How can you protect yourself?

Since the government is dropping the ball on protecting the health of the populace, there are a few steps you can take to keep yourself healthy and avoid the degenerative effects of MSG. First and most basic, avoid the foods that have MSG or MSG as a sub-ingredient. Always look at the labels of your food before you buy. Secondly, it is not always possible to see what ingredients you are eating, i.e. eating out, or you just have to have that bag of Guacamole Doritos. In this case, there are other foods you can eat which can counteract the toxicity of MSG. Foods high in vitamins C and E or foods that contain beta carotene will help if consumed after eating something with high levels of MSG. Personally, I like to have a glass of orange juice after eating something I feel could have excessive MSG.

All it takes is a small amount of information and vigilance in checking those ingredient labels to prevent yourself from being poisoned into debilitating diseases all in the name of that almighty dollar.