MSG: Potential Danger Hidden in Your Food (July 2005)

Dr. Kikunae Ikeda succeeded in isolating glutamate from a Japanese sea vegetable called Kombu in 1908. His creation, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), was like no other food additive that existed. It gave food manufacturers the ability to balance flavor in product lines, mask unwanted tastes, and make otherwise unpalatable foods acceptable. When U.S. food manufacturers acquired the additive after WWII and found a way to synthetically produce the product, its potential as a multi-billion dollar industry was sealed.

You may be surprised at how many MSG laden foods line the local grocery shelves. The food additive is in soups, salad dressings, processed meats, and most frozen and diet entrees. In the spice aisle, there are even containers of pure MSG.

MSG may cause injury to nerve cells
Although the white crystals look a lot like salt, MSG does not react in the body like typical seasonings that alter the taste of food. MSG takes over the nerve cells in the brain’s taste centers and overloads the nerve synapses with a false sensation of great taste. The chemical effect excites the neurons in the brain so much that many of them literally excite themselves to death. Picture the neuron as a long green bean in your head, swelling, exploding, and two hours later being taken away by tiny undertakers called macrophages. There are no signs of discomfort while you basically undergo neurological injury. The dead neurons are not replaced.

To accurately understand the true definition of "flavor enhancer," I ingested a full teaspoon of MSG and immediately ate a sheet of white paper. Believe it or not, the paper tasted savory like chicken and had “the distinctive flavor known as umami,” a Japanese word that the FDA defines as neither sweet, sour, salty, nor bitter.

Symptoms can mimic heart distress
Symptoms were inevitable, given that I had taken three times the normal serving size. At this point, I played a waiting game. According to studies, reaction time to MSG is always the same and symptoms can occur immediately or up to 48 hours later. I was curious, however, whether I would be overcome with MSG Symptom Complex. Would I suffer burning and numbness in my forearms and neck, chest pain, nausea, rapid heartbeat, headache, drowsiness, weakness or a combination of all of them?

Beware of glutamate’s deadly form
Glutamate wears a lot of hats in the world of science. Not only is it one of the most common amino acids found in nature, but we also produce the chemical in our bodies. It plays an essential role in our metabolism. In the brain, glutamate is an important neurotransmitter, a chemical which allows brain cells to communicate with one another.

These forms of glutamate are referred to as “bound." Bound glutamate or bound glutamic acid is not a flavor enhancer and as such doesn't pose health risks. When Dr. Ikeda created MSG, he “unbound” or freed the glutamate from the amino acids in the Kombu. The result is processed free glutamic acid – the form of glutamate that, when ingested in excess, kills neuron cells.

Although other forms of processed free glutamic acids occur naturally at low levels in foods such as soy sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese, it's the concentrated, synthetic form that creates symptoms. For sensitive consumers, natural versions are also a problem.

Misleading labels hide the culprit
Food manufacturers savvy to skeptical consumers have wisely used other words on labels to mean processed free glutamic acid. These names include: autolyzed yeast; calcium caseinate; gelatin; hydrolyzed protein; hydrolyzed oat; flour sodium caseinate; yeast extractare; potassium glutamate; and hydrolyzed [anything else]. Don't be fooled. These ingredients cause the same symptoms as MSG, even when the label states "No MSG" or "No Added MSG".

According to many reports, lactose intolerance is actually a reaction to processed free glutamic acid. The following are the most common sources: ultra pasteurized dairy products; fortified milk, reduced-fat milk or powdered milk; yogurt with citric acid or aspartame; carrageenan (found in whipping cream, chocolate milk, buttermilk, cream cheese, ice cream). “Many MSG-sensitive people find that they suffer adverse reactions from domestic cheeses that use pasteurized milk in place of raw milk, and enzymes instead of rennet."

The common MSG Headache
The day after my MSG experiment, I woke up with a killer headache, the most common symptom due to MSG consumption. In 1968 when a doctor coined the phrase Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, he was trying to find the reason for his own headaches in relation to MSG. Since then, doctors have proven that over-exciting the brain cells with MSG on a regular basis has a devastating effect on the nervous system. From embryo to adult, regular use can weaken the blood-brain barrier in infants, induce the premature onset of puberty, and reduce sperm counts. MSG is one of the major suspects when it comes to degenerative neurological disorders like Lou Gehrig's Disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.

FDA admits safety concern
In response to the initial MSG studies, Dr. Ikeda formed a public relations group with a number of American food manufacturers called The Glutamate Association. When published studies confirmed MSG risks, the association defended MSG's safety. They even fought consumers who asked that labels be put on foods containing MSG.

When The National Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamate began its push for labels in the early eighties, the FDA finally passed laws that required meat and poultry with MSG to reflect it. It wasn't until recently that the FDA finally reviewed all available scientific data on MSG and tactfully confirmed what the public has suspected for years - MSG related symptoms might exist for a very small number of consumers.

If you suspect that a grocery product has MSG, contact the manufacturer and ask if processed free glutamic acid is in their product. The Association of Analytical Chemists provides a test to companies for $100.

MSG is hidden in so many foods that it's likely you'll get an accidental dose here or there. When it's impossible to wait until your symptoms go away on their own, it's good to have a bottle of powdered Taurine on hand (preferably free of additives or fillers). The amino acid basically prevents brain cell over-activity. Many MSG sensitive individuals have reported relief of irregular heartbeat, digestive problems, epilepsy, vision disturbance, and panic attacks from MSG consumption.

by Slash Coleman

Slashtipher J. Coleman, MA, LMT is a freelance writer, playwright, and author who resides in Richmond. www.slashtipher.com