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| Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Excitotoxins | |||
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| banpwong
Joined: 01/10/10 Posts: 24 |
Excitotoxins Posted Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 11:55 PM Many taste enhancing flavors found in ramen noodle soup packets are actually excitotoxins. Food manufacturers have very cleverly disguised MSG like substances under various different names like |
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| Mariberry
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 12:36 AM Hmmm...interesting about MSG being also called "yeast extract". My new cookbook (Vegan Cooking for One) has yeast extract in some of the recipes. I tried to find it today at the supermarket but couldn't find it anywhere. I looked in the baking section thinking it was a yeast, and in the spice section - where I would have found it had I known it was also called MSG. Since I rarely add salt to my recipes anyway I suspect I can live without yeast extract (aka MSG) A rose by any other name still has thorns.... All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance" |
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| banpwong
Joined: 01/10/10 Posts: 24 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 12:46 AM Yes the food manufacturers are a pretty tricky bunch. Yeast extract as the word extract tells you that they are extracting something from the yeast. But they fail to tell you that they are extracting the amino acid glutamate. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamate. |
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smday
 Location: Kansas City Posts: 52 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 11:22 AM Without trying to start an MSG war, there remains no credible scientific evidence that MSG, consumed with food, has any adverse effects (other than adding to total sodium intake). The main stream scientific position is that MSG does not cross the blood-brain barrier to cause any of the brain cell deaths that MSG causes when directly applied to brain cells. So don't stop your reading with Blaylock as he is far from the existing evidence on this one. People who say they experience "Chinese restaurant syndrome" after consuming MSG cannot tell whether they have consumed MSG with a meal when administered under double blind testing conditions. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8282275 There is a lot an anecdotal evidence that removing MSG is helpful for some migraine headache suffers. I still haven't seen any scientific studies demonstrating that MSG was the culprit. Bottom line is: MSG is a natural compound in certain foods but has been isolated and then regularly added to foods to enhance flavor for a long time without any identifiable adverse health impacts. You can choose to avoid MSG if you wish and many health nutritionists recommend you avoid MSG to be on the safe side. By preparing most of your own whole foods yourself, you will be reducing your MSG consumption dramatically (unless you choose to add it yourself). But fear of MSG is way overrated (IMO). |
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| txgirl
Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 3:14 PM smday wrote: People who say they experience "Chinese restaurant syndrome" after consuming MSG cannot tell whether they have consumed MSG with a meal when administered under double blind testing conditions. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8282275 There is a lot an anecdotal evidence that removing MSG is helpful for some migraine headache suffers. I still haven't seen any scientific studies demonstrating that MSG was the culprit. Growing up with my mom was proof enough for me! The fact that allergens transfer in oils & woks don't usually get washed between dishes, as well as the insane number of names that MSG can go by, made it very difficult to eliminate all those migraines but eventually she did get a handle on it. If only she learned those facts sooner it would have saved the rest of us a lot of migraine-related moodiness. I avoid them just because they're questionable. |
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| banpwong
Joined: 01/10/10 Posts: 24 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 3:35 PM It is foolhardy to believe that the blood brain barrier is impervious to amino acids or even larger molecules. While it does stop a lot of particles its integrity is compromised in a number of ways which includes but not limited to hypertension and oxidative stress. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter, therefor can cross the BBB, which have been implicated in activities ranging from learning and memory but if in excess can cause overstimulation and nerve death. Taking glutamate in the form of proteins ensure slow release of the glutamate for the brain function but if you take the free form as in MSG, you flood the brain causing excitatory death of the neurons. |
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| smday
Location: Kansas City Posts: 52 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 4:42 PM Jeff Novick's take on MSG and Dr. Blaylock "Yes, I am very familiar with the Dr Blaylock and his book. And, while I find it interesting, he has published nothing supporting his claims and there is nothing really published elsewhere to support it. I am not saying he is wrong, but if he is right, he is lacking the evidence to support it. I am also concerned about his other information that he puts out and his relationship to the supplement industry." http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5787 |
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| banpwong
Joined: 01/10/10 Posts: 24 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 5:00 PM Clearly no one has a monopoly on the whole truth. Jeff Novick is associate with Dr Mcdougall who benefits from the marketing of "Right foods" which is loaded with yeast extract (glutamate) which is the motivation for his defense of using glutamate. By inference it is clear you have not personally read the Blaylock book and check out some of the research papers that were cited for every chapter that talks about neurotoxicity of glutamate and aspartate. It took a long time for the medical community to accept that smoking is hazardous to health and those in that period who took the position that smoking is fine ultimately paid the price. Today vegan diet is still being questioned by a lot in the medical community as junk science. As for me I am convinced by what ever evidence exists that I will stay a vegan as well as avoid free glutamate. People are always free to choose to be a part of the statistics that will make this a non issue for the future. As for me I will choose to be on the abstaining group |
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| banpwong
Joined: 01/10/10 Posts: 24 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 5:27 PM I was once hooked on free glutamate (MSG) due to the taste. The way I got off is to use other taste enhancers that not only enhances the taste but are also clinically proven to be potent anti-cancer/antioxidants. The spice tumeric and curry are my favorite. I have also sweetened some savory food with cinnamon sticks as well. Others may not like those spices and have found their MSG substitute, please share what you have found. |
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| smday
Location: Kansas City Posts: 52 |
RE: Excitotoxins Posted Monday, January 18, 2010 at 6:13 PM Thanks for pointing out that the "Right Foods" contain yeast extract. I had missed that one. It is always important to consider a potential financial bias in evaluating any nutrition opinions. And yes, I have both read and listened to Dr. Blaylock's materials, your inference notwithstanding. |
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