So in Korea and Japan I found one strange thing in common. The packages say MSG in bold letters with exclamation points! They have it on soup labels as if it is a key selling point. I had one cup a noodles where the package inside for the powdered sauce only said MSG! I thought this was strange seeing as I have heard terrible things about MSG so I looked into it a little. I found one website saying that people have complained about having symptoms of overeating, headaches, tightness of skin, fast heart beating, etc. but that the FDA had done tests and they have always been inconclusive. I then found this website that was a little scarier... http://www.holisticmed.com/msg/TheErbreportonMSGtotheWHO.pdf talking about MSG causing problems with epilepsy and ADD and heart problems then I went to this page http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/msgbroch.cfm and it says that MSG is not harmful at all!
Then I found this page which links MSG to obesity...
http://www.newstarget.com/009379.html
"But how does MSG cause obesity? Like aspartame, MSG is an excitotoxin, a substance that overexcites neurons to the point of cell damage and, eventually, cell death. Humans lack a blood-brain barrier in the hypothalamus, which allows excitotoxins to enter the brain and cause damage, according to Dr. Russell L. Blaylock in his book Excitotoxins. According to animal studies, MSG creates a lesion in the hypothalamus that correlates with abnormal development, including obesity, short stature and sexual reproduction problems.
Based on this evidence, Dr. Blaylock makes an interesting point about the American obesity epidemic, especially among young people: "One can only wonder if the large number of people having difficulty with obesity in the United States is related to early exposure to food additive excitotoxins, since this obesity is one of the most consistent features of the syndrome. One characteristic of the obesity induced by excitotoxins is that it doesn't appear to depend on food intake. This could explain why some people cannot diet away their obesity." "
Then this one on headaches and MSG http://www.newstarget.com/009379.html
And this last one that was especially scary...
http://foilliage.co.za/2007/12/14/msg-monosodium-glutamate-and-some-addadhd/
"Although traditional Asian cuisine uses flavour-enhancing ingredients which contain high concentrations of MSG, it was not isolated until 1907. MSG was subsequently patented by the Japanese Ajinomoto Corporation in 1909. In its pure form, it appears as a white crystalline powder; when dissolved in water (or saliva) it rapidly dissociates into sodium cations and glutamate anions (glutamate is the anionic form of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid).
The Ajinomoto company was formed to manufacture and market MSG in Japan; the name ‘Ajinomoto’ means “essence of taste
Here is some history on MSG
* The 1987 Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization placed MSG in the safest category of food ingredients.
* A 1991 report by the European Community’s (EC) Scientific Committee for Foods reaffirmed MSG’s safety and classified its “acceptable daily intake” as “not specified”, the most favourable designation for a food ingredient. In addition, the EC Committee said, “Infants, including prematures, have been shown to metabolize glutamate as efficiently as adults and therefore do not display any special susceptibility to elevated oral intakes of glutamate.”
* A 1992 report from the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association stated that glutamate in any form has not been shown to be a “significant health hazard”.
* A 1995 FDA-commissioned report acknowledged that “An unknown percentage of the population may react to MSG and develop MSG symptom complex, a condition characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:
o burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest
o numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back
o tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms
o facial pressure or tightness
o chest pain
o headache
o nausea
o rapid heartbeat
o bronchospasm (difficulty breathing)
o drowsiness
o weakness
o Sweating.”[6]
* A 2002 report from researchers at Hirosaki University in Japan found rats fed on diets high in MSG suffered eye damage. Lead researcher Hiroshi Ohguro said the findings might explain why, in eastern Asia, there is a high rate of normal-tension glaucoma.[7]
Monosodium glutamate has been shown to indirectly cause obesity in lab rats.
The link between MSG and ADHD now becomes even clearer - since glutamate in animal studies decreased dopamine.
In the December 2003 issue the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, it was reported that researchers found increased levels of glutamate in the brains of children who suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In those same children, levels of Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA), were decreased.
It is interesting to note that the body converts glutamate into GABA using an enzyme called Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD). This imbalance of the two neurotransmitters would suggest that the body is not converting glutamate properly.
GAD is mentioned elsewhere on this site. Children suffering from Type I diabetes often have an immune system which attacks GAD. It would seem that Type I diabetics may also be at higher risk from ADHD then, due to the body’s difficulty converting Glutamate to GABA.
GABA is created from MSG and may be addictive. GABA fits the same receptors in the brain as valium. Glutamate also stimulates the NMDA (N-Methyl D-Aspartate) receptors in the brain. These receptors are currently being investigated for their role in Long Term Depression. Taurine, which is adversely affected by glutamate has shown some promise in treating drug addiction. "
Here are some names for MSG that is uses to hide it. "Monosodium glutamate, sodium glutamate, flavour enhancer 621, EU food additive code: E621, HS code: 29224220 (IUPAC name 2-aminopentanedioic acid. Also known as 2-aminoglutaric acid), commonly known as MSG, Ajinomoto, Vetsin, or Accent, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is a food additive and it is commonly marketed as a “flavour enhancer“."
So why do they change the name of it to hide it some places and in Korea and Japan they advertise MSG as if it is a good thing??? Especially if there is all this research otherwise....
"Baby food manufacturers were forced to omit MSG from their formulas on the grounds that it was suspected of causing brain damage in infants."
