Learn Where MSG is Hidden

MSG has been used as an acronym for "monosodium glutamate" for years. MSG is a flavor enhancer and popular ingredient in many Asian cuisines. It is common enough knowledge that people can get MSG reactions that Chinese restaurants were advertising MSG-free on their food starting in the mid 1990s.  MSG reactions can include flushing, sweating, chest pain and weakness.   The most common symptom I see in my office are headaches or migraines.  Other symptoms include facial pressure, drowsiness, and numbness and tingling in the face, back, and arms.

MSG is a neurotoxin that is best to stay away from even if you don't notice any symptoms.  Actually we know it as MSG but it's more factual name is Manufactured free Glutamate or MfG.  Since it is common knowledge that we should not ingest MSG the food industry as come up with other names, 40 more names to be exact.  

One popular place where it can be found is in low fat or nonfat milk products and may diary products that contain carrageenan, guar gum and locust bean gum.  Protein powders contain glutamic acid, which , invariably will be manufactured with MfG.  Also if you see the word 'protein' by itself on any label it contains MfG.   Also hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed pea protein, hydrolyzed whey protein, hydrolyzed corn protein and tomato protein all contain MfG.

In sensitive patients reactions have been reported from soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners and cosmetics where MfG is hidden in ingredients with names that include the words "hydrolyzed," "amino acids," and or "protein".  Most sun block, spf lotion and insect repellents also contain MfG.  

According to the manufacturer, Varivax-Merk chicken pox vaccine contains L-monosodium glutamate and hydrolyzed gelatin, both of which contain MfG.  The vaccine has been shown to cause brain lesion ni laboratory animals and cause obesity and reproductive disorders later in life.  It would appear that most, if not all, live virus vaccines contain some ingredient that contains MfG.

Some people have reactions to MfG even if it's a small dose and others need a large dose to feel MfG toxicity.  A reaction can occur immediately after ingestion or up to 48 hours.  The time lapse between ingestion and reaction is typically the same each time for a particular individual who ingest an amount of MfG that exceeds his or her individual tolerance level.  

All of the following contain MfG:

Names of ingredients that always contain MfG:

Glutamic acid (E 620) 
Glutamate (E 620)
Monosodium glutamate (E 621)
Monopotassium glutamate (E 622)
Calcium glutamate (E 623)
Monoammonium glutamate (E 624)
Magnesium glutamate (E 625)
Natrium glutamate
Anything “hydrolyzed”
Any “hydrolyzed protein”
Calcium caseinate, Sodium caseinate
Yeast extract, Torula yeast
Yeast food, Yeast nutrient 
Autolyzed yeast
Gelatin
Textured protein
Whey protein
Whey protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate
Soy protein 
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
Anything “protein”
Anything “protein fortified”
Soy sauce
Soy sauce extract
Protease
Anything “enzyme modified”
Anything containing “enzymes”
Anything “fermented”
Vetsin
Ajinomoto
Umami
Zinc proteninate

Names of ingredients that often contain or produce MfG during processing:

Carrageenan (E 407)
Bouillon and broth
Stock
Any “flavors” or “flavoring”
Natural flavor
Maltodextrin
Oligodextrin
Citric acid, Citrate (E 330)
Anything “ultra-pasteurized”
Barley malt
Malted barley
Brewer’s yeast
Pectin (E 440)
Malt extract
Seasonings

*1 Glutamic acid found in unadulterated protein does not cause adverse reactions. To cause adverse reactions, the glutamic acid must have been processed /manufactured or come from protein that has been fermented.

*2 E numbers are use in Europe in place of food additive names.

The following are ingredients suspected of containing or creating sufficient processed free glutamic acid to serve as MfG-reaction triggers in HIGHLY SENSITIVE people:

Corn starch  
Corn syrup  
Modified food starch 
Lipolyzed butter fat  
Dextrose
Rice syrup
Brown rice syrup  
Milk powder 
Reduced fat milk (skim; 1%; 2%) 
most things “low fat” or “no fat”  
anything “enriched”
anything “vitamin enriched” 
anything “pasteurized”
Annatto
Balsamic vinegar
certain amino acid chelates (Citrate, aspartate, and glutamate are used as chelating agents with mineral supplements.)

Natto, The Ultimate Bone-Building Superfood

Natto is a Japanese food that is fermented soybeans.  For those of you who know me, you know I am not a soy fan but when soybeans are fermented most of soy's negative attributes are changed to be healing.  During the fermentation process soy's toxic phytate and antinutrient levels are eliminated along with it's thyroid inhibiting qualities as well.  Once fermented, soybeans are the most powerful bone building superfood on the planet.  Samurai are said to have eaten natto everyday.  But I will tell you now, if you don't already know, natto is slimy and smells foul and yet 7.5 billion packages of natto are consumed in Japan yearly.  For those of us who are not used to it that's why I provide it in pill form for my patients.

Natto's superfood abilities comes from a high vitamin K2 concentration.  So if you don't muscle test for the natto I then test you for a vitamin D3 and K2 supplement.

Habitual intake of natto was associated with a significant and beneficial effect on bone health in elderly men and this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of natto was concluded in Osteoporos Int. 2012: 23 (2).

Women who ate 4 packets of natto a week reduced bone mass loss on the thigh bone by 80% according to Journal of Nutrition 2006: 136

Those in the highest third of vitamin K2 intakes were 52% less likely to develop calcification of arteries according to Artherosclerosis. 1995: 226 Also Menaquinone (Vitamin K2) is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Journal of Nutrition 2004: 134 (11)

Vitamin K is proven to help rebuild bone and protect against heart disease but there are two kinds.  Vitamin K1 is the type found in dark leafy vegetables and for a long time I recommended them as a high source of vitamin K.  However, studies show now that we only absorb 10% of K1 from dark leafy vegetables.  Research has now turned to more effective vitamin K2.  Vitamin K2 is hard to get from food other than natto so next time you are at a Japanese restaurant or section of the grocery store try it.  It's an acquired taste as sometimes healthy things are!

The Terror of GMO

Some of my patients have heard of genetically modified foods and some understand that they are harmful to our health while others have heard of it but have limited understanding of their harm, while some patients don't have a clue about it which is okay because that's how our government would like to keep it. I'm writing now to get the word out and make the gray areas more black and white so you can make better health food choices.

I'm going to expose two GMO crops of America now, wheat and soy. America's wheat was genetically modified in the 1970s from a long stalk to a bush with many shorter stalks that created 3 times the amount of wheat gathered per acre of wheat harvest. Sounds great but this genetic modification included 3 times more gluten in the wheat and I believe this to be the cause of all the gluten sensitivities/allergies. 'Heritage wheat' as it is now called is the non-GMO kind which is the type Standard Process harvests when making their whole foods supplements. Can you believe that? Wheat is the GMO kind and they came up with a new name for the original wheat.

When it comes to GM soy it was fed to rats for 15 months and showed significant changes in their uterus and reproductive cycles, compared to rats fed organic soy or no soy at all confirmed from Jeffery Smith, the director of the Institute of Responsible Technology. Dr. Stanley Ewen, a United Kingdom pathologist, says something in the GM soy was "wrecking" the ovaries and endometrium of the rats and strongly suggested one possible cause is the weed killer used on the beans. Further testing would have to be done to differentiate whether the hormonal problems were coming from the fact that the seeds have been genetically modified or from the fact that they were grown in soil poisoned with glyphosate. Monsanto, however, has a history of not allowing outside testing on their patented seeds.

Where there is GMO soy there is glyphosate. Monsanto's version of glyphosate is called 'roundup' and their genetically modified soybeans are called 'roundup ready'. The seeds have a bacterial gene inserted which allows the plants to survive a normally deadly does of Roundup Herbicide. Jeffery Smith further states that there is so much glyphosate in GM soy beans that when they were first introduced to Europe, the regulatory agencies had to increase their allowable glyphosate residue levels by 200 fold!

Europe changed their laws about GM soy for the worst and America's laws aren't great either. America's laws don't make food companies label GMO food but there are conscious food companies out there that will use the NON-GMO label

so for right now that is our best bet until Michael Taylor leaves the FDA. He is the Deputy Commissioner for Foods at the FDA and wrote the policy on genetically modified food in 1992. The Policy reads: "The agency is not aware of any information showing that food derived by these new methods differs from other foods in any meaningful or uniform way." This policy remains intact for the past 20 years despite strong vocal opposition from the FDA's own scientists.

Now here's the clincher. Michael Taylor was an attorney at Monsanto prior to writing the FDA policy on GMO's in 1992. He then left the FDA to return to Monsanto in the role of vice president and is now back at the FDA serving as the man in charge of our food safety. Such lack of integrity in government agencies is nothing new but buyer beware!

And JUST LAST WEEK Oregon lost the vote to label GMO foods by 3/4ths of a 0.1% and a recount is being pushed. So people are aware and fighting but we aren't winning yet. So if you know of any ways to support labeling of GMO foods please do not hesitate!