Ingredient Spotlight - MSG

Monosodium Glutamate:

• one of the most controversial and widely used additives in food
• hazardous
• improves taste of food from a 5th taste sensation called umami

This chemical is considered GRAS(generally recognized as safe) by the FDA even though it causes symptoms in possibly a third of the population.  I have talked to people who immediately have these symptoms as soon as they ingest MSG.

A common claim is that MSG is no different than the glutamic acid that occurs naturally in food.  Through studying organic chemistry we can understand this is false.

Glutamic acid in food exists as part of protein in the form L - Glutamic Acid. (6)  Free glutamic acid(D - Glutamic acid) has altered stereochemistry and is only produced artificially outside of the body. (6)  Therefore MSG and glutamic acid in food are not the same and do not produce the same results in the body.  A few studies noticed detrimental effects from MSG ingestion.  Retinal damage in rats as well as a change in concentration of neuropeptides in the hypothalamus of rats have been documented. (7, 9)

Why is this such a big deal?  I'm sure not too many foods actually have MSG right?  The following is a list of the different names of substances that contain MSG:

1. MSG
2. Gelatin
3. Calcium Glutamate (E623)
4. Monosodium glutamate
5. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
6. Textured Protein
7. Monosopotassium glutamate
8. Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)
9. Yeast Extract
10. Glutamate (E620)
11. Autolyzed Plant Protein
12. Yeast food or nutrient
13. Glutamic Acid (E620)
14. Sodium Caseinate
15. Autolyzed Yeast
16. Vegetable Protein Extract
17. Senomyx (Wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)
18. Any hydrolyzed protein
19. Calcium Cascinate
20. Magnesium glutamate (625)
21. Monoammonium glutamate (E624)
22. Soy protein, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate
23. whey protein, whey protein isolate (this really stuck out to me because I frequently ingest these in whey protein powder)
24. Natrium glutamate
25. Ajinomoto
26. Vestin
27. Anything hydrolyzed or autolyzed

(3)

1 Mayo Clinic
2 Howstuffworks
3 msgmyth.com
4 Dr. Mercola
5 FDA
6 Eden Organic
7 MSG and Retinal Damage
8 Symptom testing from MSG
9 Neuropeptides altered in rats by MSG