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From the lens MSG is Evil! - Monosodium Glutamate Hiding in Our Food.

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  • LK995 Dec 25, 2011 @ 8:56 pm | delete
    I was disappointed to see MSG in pretty much any savory food, especially anything ranch flavored. Doritos, Hidden Valley, etc. I get terrible migraines and nausea from the stuff, along with my nephew and brother-in-law. Boo.
  • WayneDave Oct 14, 2011 @ 2:51 am | delete
    MSG hidden in foods is a big issue I think. Certainly in so many. Great information as it is definitely something people should be worried about. Going to try your Chex mix by the way, sounds good. Thanks for sharing.
  • .Linda (mother of two kids no longer blind, or seizing, and wife of a husband who is headache free) May 18, 2011 @ 10:17 am | delete
    Hi. Food research biologist mom here. 10 years in glutamate research. Stopped three cases of seizures, healed one legally blind child back to 20/20 vision, by taking this stuff out of the child's food for three years. Domestic violence, Headaches, heart palpation, runny nose... you name it. Your symptom, no matter what it is will be the result of nerves being over activated somewhere, head, nose, heart, etc. . The thing that seems to confuse everyone is why it causes so many different kinds of reactions. This appears to depend on the genetics. If your parents handed you nose nerves that are light on the protective glia cells, but they gave you lots of glia in your brain, you will get the runny nose but not the headache. If you have little glia in your brain, but lots in the nerves in your hands, you will get the headache, but not the sweaty palms. Glia distribution is different in different people. But make NO mistake. Look it up for yourselves and do NOT believe the food industry. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter, Google the terms glutamate and neurotransmitter.... THis means that glutamate is just like dopamine or serotonin, or any of the other more than 40 brain neurotransmitters. When you eat it, you get a case of brain/nerve chemical imbalance, whether you are aware of it or not. Then your body is either able to deal with it and rid your nerves of it... or NOT. And when not, wherever you have too few glia to handle it, you will get one or another of the symptoms as the glutamate over excites the nerves .... to death. And if you think it does not bother you, think again. Your motor nerves are not pain nerves, so if you are light on glia at the motor nerves, the Multiple Schlerosis will SNEAK up on you. By the time you know it, the damage will be done. Ever wonder why MOST heart attacks happen AFTER a meal????
    About 20 % of the population has insufficient glia to handle the metric tons being put in the food at this time... in their amygdalas. This is a part of the brain which controls emotion. The glutamate appears to be activating the flight or fight system in the amygdala and hippocampus, artificially, like the molecules doctors use to put you to atrificial sleep for surgery, All of this glutamate is causing artificial rage, panic and domestic violence is a direct result.. Psychiatrists will have you believe that these poor folks are "mentally ill". Well, yeah... artificial induction of mental illness. Again. Google Glutamate, AKA: glutamic acid, and the term neurotransmitter. Anyone want metric tons of serotonin or dopimine for lunch? How about lets load up the soup cans with prosac, or zoloft, and block a few neurotransmitters, and see what happens then. These food industry people tick me off. They have to know at least as much biology as I do. Then again, maybe they don't. But I know that the people who make MSG and Autolyzed whatever, and Hydrolyzed whatever DO know exactly what they are doing to our kids. (Really scary... children have no blood brain barriers complete until they are about 14. HUGE numbers of whining crying kids in the supermarkets suffering from migraines their parents do not know they have... so sad). Borderline personality disorder... Post Traumatic Stress Disorder... Rage Disorder... all of these show up as temporal lobe seizure of the amygdala or hippocampus when these so called mentally ill violent people get hauled to the hospital for an MRI. Poor brains are lit up like christmas trees in the amygdalas. When is the population going to figure out that the United States population is being DRUGGED?????? Intentionally as far as this biologist is concerned.
  • mark Jan 27, 2012 @ 9:31 pm | delete
    Linda your story is amazing, but it's all too common I am on a mission, after the crap
    in supermarkets dont offer much foods without msg ,autolysed free,gluten free
    products. If anyone needs good for you spices check this site out..
    http://nomsg.weebly.com
  • Nate Aug 21, 2010 @ 9:41 pm | delete
    I just had chex mix for the first time in what seems like for ever and for some reason I couldn't stop eating it. I ate the who bag last night. Now today I have had the biggest headache all day. Which is unusual because I almost never get headaches. Could be MSG I'm gonna stay from that stuff for a while.
  • Hector Jul 8, 2010 @ 10:42 pm | delete
    WhenI eat large amounts of MSG (such as on chinese food) I feel extremely depressed. Thats how I know that I ate MSG.
  • Ellen S. Mar 14, 2010 @ 6:35 pm | delete
    Too much MSG makes me sick as well and I try to avoid it (as hard as that is), but please don't call it evil. It's a naturally occurring compound in many foods, such as aged cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn, and, of course, seaweed where it was originally discovered. Some people are sensitive enough that they have to avoid these natural forms of MSG as well. I'm lucky that I only need to avoid getting overloaded on the isolated (& often synthetic) compound that's added to so much of the food we eat. Although the majority of the population can enjoy the flavor of MSG, many of us can't. I hope we can convince the FDA to require food manufacturers to notify customers when they've added MSG or something that has high amounts of it, like hydrolyzed protein, to the food so we can know which to avoid.
  • yano Aug 10, 2010 @ 8:58 am | delete
    there is no msg in tomatoes or corn my friend is highly alergic to msg to were it could kill her and she is able to eat those things however she can not have citrus fruits or anything with citrus since it is high in msg this also includes some types of berries and a lot of things may say msg free but they are not true almost everything that says it still finds a way to put it in there food without getting in trouble this is wrong that just because it is under the limits that they can call it msg free when it really is NOT.
  • Dolly S Mar 8, 2010 @ 4:42 pm | delete
    MSG is also found in anything with SOY, or any ingredient that says, Natural Flavoring, or idolyzed yeast. Also ingredients to stear clear of!
  • Good2bmsgfree Feb 17, 2010 @ 9:09 pm | delete
    Sounds like 'loves msg' is one of the people who are getting rich off the stuff.
    Of course free glutamic acid 'MSG' is completely dangerous and potentially fatal for at least 40% of all humans. It is used to create obese mice and rats, it is a drug that crosses the blood brain barrier and effectively overstimulates brain cell receptors, causing them to burn our and die within an hour after exposure. It is also addictive to most people, which is why they put it in food, to make you eat more, ergo buy more. It is scientifically proven to cause obesity and diabetes, which kills millions of people every year with ever increasing numbers. It is also known to cause brain injury to young children, and infants, yet they are now putting it into baby food. The FDA & the food producers dance around the subject finding loopholes in the wording they use to give the illusion of innocence. They fund their own research to say what they want or they hide the results.
    Anyone who has had health problems, usually serious enough health problems to prompt them to spend a great deal of time & money, on personal research, food shopping, and food preparation, will tell you that their health returned to normal after going to great lengths to omit free glutamic acid from their diets. NO thanks to the FDA or the EPA. Glutamic acid is fine in a naturally occuring setting [whole foods containing protein] but when it is synthesized into free glutamic acid it becomes a heinous drug that robs us of our health and our minds. I'm sure if you compared the increase in many diseases like diabetes, alzheimers, fibromyalgia, you'd see the increases coincides with the increased use of free glutamic acid in our foods since the early 60 from 17 grms/year/person to 400 gram/year /person. As for tasting great........It has NO taste, it only initiates an addictive response so you think it is delicious because you want to keep eating more and more. I didn't even remember tasting food until I got off MSG. Now I actually savor the flavor of the food and eat half as much without craving more. I actually choose to stop eating because I am full effortlessly for the first time in my life and I am 46. People should ban together and demand that this horrendous substance and others like it be removed or at least labeled properly in our food. They can hide free glutamic acid in other ingredients without listing it's presence.
  • Photahsiamirabel Nov 15, 2009 @ 4:33 am | delete
    MSG makes my heart race. Although it does natuarlly occur the refined and concentrated sort is dangerous!
  • KMB Nov 2, 2009 @ 6:35 pm | in reply to I love MSG | delete
    Try being sensitive to it. Mcdonalds breakfasts are filled wth MSG. After throwing up 9 times from their sausage and folded mystery egg, you realize that the chemicals are not what your body wants. Just because you are not sensitive to it today, does not mean you will not be sensitive to it a few years from now. There are plenty of foods w/o MSG to eat. I agree that if you go to crummy restaurants they use it on crappy meat and poultry for flavoring. If their products had natural flavor they wouldn't need MSG.
  • I love MSG Aug 31, 2009 @ 11:38 am | delete
    You guys are all wrong. MSG is derived from corn, not soy. It is a synthesized form of glutamic acid, a necessary amino acid that occurs naturally in a lot of the foods we eat. MSG is a flavor enhancer. It is fantastic stuff used in moderation. With the exception of the very few people that are truly allergic to it, all the other symptoms are psycho-symatic. Oh, and most mayo does not contain it. Try regular hellmans. If you want the good stuff loaded with it. try Kewpie mayonnaise.
  • EJ Feb 11, 2010 @ 10:11 am | delete
    Considering my epileptic husband has seizures when he injests MSG (and more lately as his tolerance for MSG is going down) and I get migraines when injesting it, I hardly think the symptoms are psycho-symatic. MSG isn't needed to enhance flavor. People just need to make healthier choices and get rid of additives that aren't needed.
  • christina Jul 10, 2009 @ 4:32 pm | delete
    Check out Supersize my aspertaime by trillion on YOUTUBE. It has products that has the chemical and msg in it. Also check out the 700 club website; We are UNder attack in our foods. It talks about the different MSG names that are beinging used to trick you into thinking they are not there when thaey really are. Also I STRONGLY URGE YOU to check out Sweet Misery on you tube also shown on the documentary channel. It is an hour long and at times boring but it is in depth of,(aspartame and MSG same thing) of the effects on humans!!! Please note that they do not have to list MSG or aspertame in our products. Home made is the best and safest!!!!!!!!! www.youtube.com has everything you need to know.
  • Michelle Jun 9, 2009 @ 8:17 am | delete
    Iris, I share your outrage!! I'm doing my best to turn to whole foods and organic fruits and veggies because of the Auxigro crap. Unfortunately, though, that means I pretty much have to shop at three different stores to get what I need. Not being in pain, tired, and confused all the time worth it, though. Also, I bought a fruit and veggie wash from Trader Joe's that is supposed to remove all residues on fruits and vegetables like pesticides and waxes. Maybe worth a try for you if organic is not a viable option?
  • msgrookie May 3, 2009 @ 12:39 pm | delete
    Is there some sort of site where a search engine is available to check what has msg?
  • jakebud Feb 16, 2009 @ 8:48 am | delete
    I am so there with you!
    I lost my colon becasue of MSG - but my family is MSG Free now
    See my lens to read what happened- Top 10 Hidden Sources of MSG
  • Iris Jan 6, 2009 @ 1:40 am | delete
    I am absolutely infuriated! I work SO hard to eat well and stay in shape -- avoiding trans fats like the plague as well as refined sugar, dairy, corn, wheat, and preservatives wherever possible -- and then I realize that citric acid is NOT a harmless derivative of fruit, that "natural flavors" are bull, and that my grapes and mushrooms are likely being sprayed with neurotoxins! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD? It's one thing to poison 95% of the national food supply. It's one thing to use MSG in food that is already nutritionally useless. IT IS A WHOLE OTHER STORY TO USE IT ON MY F*CKING VEGETABLES. I feel like I have no control over what I eat anymore. It's like I'm being forcefed a drug that makes me feel dumb, gives me ADD, keeps me up all night, and tortures me with throbbing migraines. I gave up MSG a year ago -- or so I thought -- because of these symptoms, and my condition improved immensely, but now I know why they've never completely stopped.
  • gettingwordout Jan 3, 2009 @ 9:28 am | delete
    I have a genetic disorder called Hemiplegic Migraine which is controlled in most part by blood pressure medication. The only thing that seems to cause my symptoms now is MSG. It causes stroke like symptoms - flashy lights (aura), mental confusion, numbness of the limbs (sometimes one whole side of the body), sensitivity to light.. nausea...and of course extreme headache pain.
    If you suffer from similar attacks I suggest you ask your GP about it and where possible AVOID ALL MSG.
    I've suffered from this for 20 years now and I wish the information had been more openly available to me earlier.
  • Arnie1108 Dec 9, 2008 @ 8:02 pm | in reply to Mara | delete
    Mara,
    I have watched for MSG all my life but didn't know it was in everything, my mayo, my mustard, my vitamin supplements. When I quit them last month I started getting better within 8 days the pains started to go away. And let me tell you they were numerous, throughout my whole body.
    I also have a lot of allergies(so I thought) until I found that MSG is in almost everything in a can, box, or package under one name or another. I spent over 20years in bed in so much pain I couldn't walk most of the time until I found out about MSG. I make my own bread and I am also gluten sensitive so I make my own with spelt flour. It is an ancient wheat(can't eat wheat either) the only thing I can figure is the difference is the diploids(wheat) and hexaploids(Spelt). If your interested in the recipe email me at larry44wlrd@yahoo.com. For anyone interested I am making a blog with more info. I'll be back later with the address.
    God Bless all, Good luck and good health
  • Mara Oct 26, 2008 @ 8:19 am | delete
    Is there any type of bread that does not contain MSG? My body is on MSG overload. It began gradually many years ago with stomach cramps & diarrhea, then I began with tiny red blotches on my nose, then years later it came on my forehead, and now it has spread to my cheeks & chin. I have other symptoms, too, that have developed, such as irregular heartbeat and headaches. There should be laws banning MSG and other preservatives! They are deadly!
  • thrivingmom Oct 13, 2008 @ 2:13 pm | delete
    A lot of people don't know this bug MSG is made from soy beans. I'm allergic to soy, so I have a true MSG allergy and not just a sensitivity. Also, a lot of people don't know that soy allergy is actually the most common food allergy second only to peanuts. Surprised? I was too when I got food tested. Then my doctor explained that all beans are legumes, as are peanuts. Peanuts are in the same food family then as beans and not as almonds and other nuts. You are providing some very important information here.
  • webseitler Sep 18, 2008 @ 10:03 pm | delete
    The topic of this lens is geared more towards MSG more than the 40 other ingredients that contain MSG or were made with MSG. So, if you know that Chex has MSG hidden in it, avoid it! I have the strongest reaction to MSG itself; I've never noticed a reaction from autolyzed yeast, maltodextrin, sodium caseinate, etc. so I'm not reporting on those--just MSG labeled as MSG.
  • kim Sep 18, 2008 @ 9:14 pm | delete
    Can you please tell me what brand of Corn Chex, Rice Chex and Wheat Chex you are using that don't contain MSG? Also, pretzels and bagel chips? Every brand I've looked at contain MSG (hidden of course).
    Thank you so much!!!

    Kim
  • Charlene Aug 4, 2008 @ 12:47 pm | delete
    I love your cream of ___ soup recipe. Thanks for that!
    Chex has barley malt (right? I don't have a box in front of me, but I think that's the standard in cereals) so DH just avoids Chex Mix completely. Sad though :(
    If you want a couple restaurants that are almost completely clean: Outback Steakhouse, and Chuck E. Cheese!! Just avoid the salad dressings. Those are another "almost always horrible" category.
    It's sad when we have to avoid most commercial salsas, tortilla shells...things that seem pretty "natural!"
    Oh, answering your question at the top of the page: the most surprising thing to give DH an MSG-reaction? Kashi cereal. I don't remember which one, but we just won't buy them at all now.
  • webseitler Jul 26, 2008 @ 12:16 pm | delete
    Thanks, Liz. There are MSG-free alternatives. I'll make a note for readers to check for MSG. :)
  • Liz Jul 26, 2008 @ 11:52 am | delete
    I just wanted to let you know that your Chex Mix recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce, and that has MSG in it! Not cool! Remove it from the recipe, or find a new recipe please! It is not okay to have people consuming Worcestershire sauce, thinking it is safe because it was on your site, not knowing it has MSG in it!
  • Amanda Jul 18, 2008 @ 11:43 am | delete
    I would also like family meal ideas that are msg free. I have not found very many that are actually msg free.
  • Kelly Jun 30, 2008 @ 7:53 pm | delete
    I am trying to find a recipe for oriental brocolli salad. The kind I used to make uses ramen noodles and the seasoning packet, which is full of MSG. Thanks!
  • alicia Jun 19, 2008 @ 10:59 am | delete
    I would love to find any meal recipes without msg, my condition has just worsen and i cannot have any msg at all. And checking lists of dont's
    im beginning to feel what food is left we can eat.

    Lish
  • me! haha May 27, 2008 @ 6:15 pm | delete
    mmcgee, i hear mayo is so easy to make. google it.
  • mmcgee May 16, 2008 @ 12:43 pm | delete
    I make my ranch dressing from scratch but haven't been able to since I can't find a mayo that doesn't have MSG in it. Do you know of any?
  • Jillian May 9, 2008 @ 5:37 pm | delete
    I love boar's head products; especially the turkey. Is there other kinds of brands of turkey that have no MSG in them. I love turkey with my salads. Please help
  • bdkz Apr 1, 2008 @ 11:18 am | delete
    I hate MSG! Great lens. 5 Stars and a Squid Angel Blessing!
  • site-builder Mar 22, 2008 @ 11:30 am | delete
    Great lens on MSG. I have a lens on toxins in food by the name of 'foodingredients'. I was going to add a module on MSG but I found your lens and decided to link directly to yours. Thanks and High Five to you.
  • libby Mar 18, 2008 @ 10:34 am | delete
    msg is actually a naturally occurring compound. they discovered it could be isolated, and from there worked out how to manufacture it, and it is now added to almost everything.
    as it ocurrs naturally, one needs to eliminate those foods which it occurrs in from their diet including grapes spinach broccoli tomatoes chilli, basically most fruits and veges with a strong colour or flavour. you need to be careful with things containing vegetable gums/acids/oils as well. any aged or cured meats are also high in it, as are many herbs and spices. fresh cheeses are ok (eg ricotta) but others are risky. on packaging any flavour enhancer with a number starting with a 6 beside it is msg,
    it can also cause hives mouth ulcers and eczema, which i suffered from for years before i took it out of my diet, and since then i've not had one break out!
  • Ewa Mar 17, 2008 @ 1:38 pm | delete
    Worcestershire sauce contains MSG. Even when you are making Chex Mix at home, you are not avoing the MSG.
  • eccles1 Feb 23, 2008 @ 2:01 am | delete
    Manufacturers can therefore use inferior ingredients to make a mediocre product seem tastier' I always wondered about this white powder its a chemicle they add to our food to make it taste better we are addicted to chemicles you are right what happen to eating real food not from a can or a box.
  • kelly Feb 11, 2008 @ 10:53 am | delete
    Sally, i found a ketchup recipe here: http://www.msgmyth.com/
  • Roxanna Jan 20, 2008 @ 9:34 am | delete
    I'm so confused. My son gets migraines and I am trying to eliminate MSG. Only from what I have been reading, are the recipes above really MSG free? It's in Worcestershire sauce. Rice chex contains barley malt extract, which contains MSG. Even butter now lists an ingredient as "natural flavoring" which may contain MSG. HELP!
  • Barkely Jan 13, 2008 @ 1:12 pm | delete
    You have some great info, and recipes here. I think we're just at the tip of the iceberg on finding out all the bad stuff manufacturers put in our food. MSG, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, genetically altered food, ugh!
  • Sally Jan 8, 2008 @ 7:40 am | delete
    I'm looking for a recipe to substitute for Ranch dressing. Also ketcup and mustard.
  • gmss Jan 3, 2008 @ 2:14 pm | delete
    OK, this is scary. I still don't get completely why MSG is bad but I'll get there. Anyway, we do a lot of home canning and usually use Mrs. Wages mixes. I bet they're loaded with MSG! So now I want to do our stuff from scratch but don't know where to go. Suggestions?
  • sherie Aug 19, 2007 @ 9:21 pm | delete
    i just found out that i am allergic to msg, so bad that it has caused three other major health issues. i need to know where i basically start. i am now afraid to even eat. can you help? anybody? sheriejw@hotmail.com
  • L-May Jul 31, 2007 @ 12:18 am | delete
    What a great lens! I've been trying to avoid MSG, too. My mom gets the most awful headaches from it.. If she eats it just one time she will have a headache for days :( Even worse though is that for years she had no idea what caused them. I wish Nalley Chili would get ride of the MSG. Oh well.
  • Jodoula Jun 18, 2007 @ 11:45 am | delete
    I would like to see some recipies for dressings! I am highly sensitive to MSG and I have gone to eating food w/o chemicals in general. I don't touch anything that says "Natural Flavors(ings)" But there are some hard to replace items...B-B-Q Sauce and Ketchup. Thxs for the cream base for soup!

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