Month: April 2008

I just came across a great artist. You can check out her blog and her website:

Laurel Sherrie's Art

I had done some research several years ago on MSG and thought I had taken it completely out of my diet. But more research had to be done. Please note below, vegetable protein also includes soya protein. So, if you think you are getting a product with protein in it, well, read on...

Monosodium Glutamate is in pretty much every packaged food that you can possibly purchase.  

There is a great book by John Erb, who was a research assistant at the University of Ontario. He wrote: “The Slow Poisoning of America”, as one of the many people blowing the whistle on MSG.

I spent a lot of time on the road some years ago.  I worked trade shows (Home Shows, Sportsman's Shows, etc.)  I tried to get hotels that had kitchenettes or kitchens.  This wasn't always possible.  I spent almost an hour in a grocery store somewhere near Seattle one evening after a show.  I was in the frozen dinner section.  I spent the time reading.  I'm sure I read the ingredient list of at least 20-30 different packages.  Some that were purported to be 'healthy'.  I was completely unable to find any product in that section without this horrible additive: monosodium glutamate.  Under at least one of the names below.

If you look, you will find MSG in one of its many names in processed foods, canned, frozen or boxed. Restaurants and fast food chains are the worst. You will even find it in some vitamin supplements.  If you are looking at a label for the words "MSG" or "monosodium glutamate" you will in all likelihood not find them.  

Below is a list of terms.  These products are MSG or have MSG in them.  

- Monosodium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, glutamic acid

If any of these terms are used, then the product listed is MSG:

• hydrolyzed (such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein)
• Autolyzed
• natural flavor, or flavors, natural flavoring, flavorings
• Soy protein, wheat protein, whey protein, anything fortified protein

(They fool you by using the words Vegetable, Soy and Protein.)

- Calcium caseinate

- Sodium caseinate

- Yeast extract

- Seasonings

- Textured protein

- Carrageenan

- Gelatin

- Soy sauce

- Worcestershire sauce

- Bouillon, pork, chicken, beef

- Barley malt, malt extract, maltodextrin

- Enzymes

- Corn syrup, corn starch, dextrose

- Citric acid

These labels are technically legal.  

Rats are used a lot for testing food.  Rats do not naturally get fat.  Diet research companies using rats, need to use MSG to get them fat.  MSG somehow bypasses that full feeling and they want to keep eating.  Once they rats are fat, then these companies can test their diet products.  Go figure. This all has to do with the relationship of taste receptors and messages to your pancreas.  And insulin.  All gets sent haywire and you want to keep eating.  

Find natural foods.