Monosodium Glutamate Aka MSG

What do the food ingredients: 'broth', 'hydrolyzed soy protein' and 'natural flavors' have in common? They all indicate MSG. "Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats. Although the FDA has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is 'generally recognized as safe,' the use of MSG remains controversial. A FDA sponsored report acknowledges 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."
I wonder if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity. No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so the scientists have to create them. They make these morbidly obese creatures by injecting them with a chemical when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and humans?) to become obese. They even have a title for the race of fat rodents they create: “MSG-Treated Rats”.  I was shocked too. I went to my kitchen, checking the cupboards and the fridge. MSG was in everything! The Campbell’s soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Ramen Noodles, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, Kraft salad dressings, especially the ‘health low fat’ ones. The items that didn’t have MSG 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 eat and feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff. They hide MSG under many different names in order to fool those who catch on.
But it doesn’t stop there. Next time you go out to eat start asking at the restaurants what menu items have MSG. (Actually I Did This) and Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn’t use MSG. But when we asked for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere. Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, every restaurant, even the sit down ones like TGIF, Chili’s, Applebees 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 love to eat that coating on the skin, their secret spice was MSG! So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat? Is it a preservative or a vitamin?
Not according to a book written by John Erb called “The Slow Poisoning of America. In the book he wrote, an expose of the food additive (www.spofamerica.com), 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 at http://www.msgfacts.com/facts/msgfact12.html explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more. A study of elderly people showed that people eat more of the foods that it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobby group says eating more benefit’s 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. Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada. While 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 refused to tell the public what he knew. The  big media doesn’t want to tell the public either, fearing legal 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 ourselves and our children, while guys like Bush are insuring financial protection for the industry that is poisoning us. If you are one of the few who can still believe that MSG is good for us, and you don’t believe what I’ve just told you see for yourself. Go to the National Library of Medicine, at www.pubmed.com http://www.pubmed.com type in the words “MSG Obese”, and read a few of the 115 medical studies that appears. We do not want to be rats in one giant experiment, and we do not approve of food that makes us into a nation of obese, lethargic, addicted sheep, waiting for the slaughter.