MSG - Chinese Restaurant Syndrome
Forty years ago, my earliest experience with MSG during medical school was a headache after eating at a chinese restaurant. The MSG causes the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.(3) Since my old medical school days, MSG has been added to thousands of products at the supermarket, and virtually all forms of fast food. Much of this MSG is hidden and does not appear on the label.
MSG and the Obesity Epidemic
MSG stands for mono sodium glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and upregulation of the Glutamate pathway leads to neuron cell damage and cell death. MSG is associated with lesions in the hypothalamus (11), directly causes obesity (4), and a host of somatic and neurological symptoms.
Image: MSG causes obesity (right rat). Normal rat on left. Courtesy wikimedia commons
Hidden Sources of MSG - It's not on the label.
Virtually All Fast Foods Contain Large Quantities of MSG
A new problem with MSG is that many of the sources are hidden. In other words, the processed food contains MSG in some form, yet the name MSG does not appear on the label. MSG is present in in all Fast Foods, including Burger King, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizzas, Wendy's etc. Doritos and Flavored Chips are also heavily laden with MSG.
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Aspartame and MSG - Fibromyalgia Double Whammy
Both Aspartame and MSG are excitatory neurotoxins.(6) When aspartame and MSG are consumed together, as commonly found with fast food and diet sodas in the same meal, there can be a double whammy effect. A 2001 report describes four patients with fibromyalgia syndrome unresponsive to medical treatment.(7) These four patients noted complete resolution of chronic pain upon removing aspartame and MSG from the diet.(7)
In addition, a lengthy list of medical and neurological symptoms are associated with MSG and aspartame. One syndrome includes slurred speech which looks like a TIA (transient ischemic attack). This usually resolves after elimination of MSG and aspartame from the diet.
MSG - an Epidemic of Thyroid Disease
A 1981 study by Dhindsa showed that MSG administered to lab rats caused marked hypothyroidism with striking histology changes in the thyroid gland.(10)
BVO- Brominated Vegetable Oil
Bromine (BVO) is a toxic substance added to sodas such as Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Powerade, Pineapple and Orange Fanta, Sun Drop, Squirt and Fresca. Bromine directly competes with Iodine in the body causing thyroid problems and Iodine deficiency states.
BVO has been banned in India.
What About the FDA ?
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