MSG: Toxic Masquerade

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of the most common food additives in American processed foods.  It’s ubiquitous in asian food restaurants.  Even if you request “no MSG”, you are almost always still going to get a dose from the component ingredients used in the kitchen.  MSG today is unfortunately found in the majority of mainstream soups, broths, salad dressings, sauce mixes, frozen entrees, grocery store prepared foods, and chain restaurant foods you encounter.  It’s a misconception that MSG is a specific flavor or meat tenderizer.  It actually has very little taste at all, but when you eat MSG, you think the food you’re eating it in has more protein and tastes better. MSG does this by activating our fifth sense of taste on our tongues which is called umami, a Japanese term that loosely translates as savory “deliciousness”.

Why should you care?  MSG is one of several glutamate-based “excitotoxins” in our food supply (the artificial sweetener Check for MSG in prepared foodsaspartame is another one).  It is used to make food intensely and unnaturally flavorful which can simultaneously stimulate your brain to provide a surge of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter.  Consumers can thus become quickly addicted to foods containing MSG (not likely good for health but great for corporate profits).  But you have likely heard conflicting information about MSG in the health media.  And for good reason!  Let’s dive into this issue a bit more…

Glutamate is the most common amino acid in the entire body, normally included within most food sources of protein.  While we need large amounts of glutamate in the body for protein synthesis, the brain typically has a strong regulatory system in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to keep excessive glutamate out of the brain.  Many high-quality scientific studies have failed to discover consistent effects (or repeatable) excitotoxic or even inflammatory effects (e.g. “Chinese restaurant syndrome”) from ingestion of MSG (if you want references, let me know; I am happy to share).   However, on the other hand, elevated levels of glutamate in the brain have been identified in those with various chronic diseases (e.g. autism and multiple sclerosis).   In fact, blocking glutamate receptors in the brain has been found in pharmaceutical research to improve moderate to severe dementia and Alzheimers disease.

So why the discrepancy?   In fact, we do a lot of things in modern society that can increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier.  We know medically that significant or ongoing sources of inflammation and/or oxidative stress can both increase the “leakiness” of this important barrier.  the result?  Excess ingested glutamate can get into the brain and disrupt the delicate balance between  excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters.  If sustained over time, it can cause behavioral problems such as those seen in ADD/ADHD and kill brain cells through constant overstimulation.  Children’s brains are many times more vulnerable to this neurotoxicity.  Many people have allergies to and can experience severe headaches and nausea from even tiny amounts of MSG.

A rare dose here and there is no big deal.  But many of us are unknowingly consuming significant amounts of MSG every day.  Buyer beware!  Food manufacturers love MSG. It allows them artificially to beef up the flavor of cheap ingredients (e.g. white flour and refined vegetables oils) without investing in higher quality contents. Food manufacturers hide MSG on ingredient labels using a long list of seemingly benign names, even the phrase “natural flavors”. 
MSG sneaks into many common convenience foodsI recommend you avoid the following potential MSG sources in all of your typical grocery purchases: Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Yeast Extract, Autolyzed Yeast, Textured Protein, Plant Protein Extract, Textured Vegetable Protein, and Artificial Flavoring. 

Have a “pantry raid” in your own home. If you have children, teach them to look for harmful ingredients as well. They can enjoy some “where’s waldo” sleuthing to help you find products you want to avoid. The easiest way to avoid MSG is to reduce your intake of processed, convenience foods. I teach clients how to read labels and also how to make delicious food quickly and simply. You can do it yourself!  No neurotoxic powders required.