Tt post aug 6, 2017

http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/213189/Inside_Scoop

"Why do people like Chick-Fil-A's chicken sandwiches so much? Because they have MSG! Artificial flavor enhancement plays a role in their success."

That applies to a ton of food producers. And MSG goes by many other names. If you check an ingredient list and think, "Good, no Monosodium Glutamate" that might be false. The product may and probably contains MSG, but it's listed under a different name.

In testing, MSG makes rats fat. It's possible that it contributes to health issues among humans because MSG is alleged to be addictive. It's why fast food businesses use it.

Looking further, we find that it is a well kept secret since the late 1970's, that food researchers have known that MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), added to virtually all junk foods, is addictive.

MSG is considered a natural substance in the same ways salt and sugar are, as it is derived from seaweed or corn. Healthy, you might think.

The story of MSG is well documented by John Erb, a former researcher at the University of Waterloo in Canada, in his book The Slow Poisoning of America.

The fact that MSG appears under many names can lead to confusion, as many of the names sound safe. Erb reports that MSG appears as the terms natural flavouring, hydrolyzed or textured vegetable protein, Accent, calcium caseinate, autolyzed yeast extract and gelatin.

When I mention MSG to people they generally think of its use in Chinese food.

However, when you start to look, you'll find it in the coffees you buy at your favourite coffee shops and it's even injected into turkeys, to make them plump.

Erb encourages us to look closely at a wide range of foods, from Campbell's Soups, Hostess Doritos, Lays flavoured potato chips, canned gravies and frozen dinners, to Kraft salad dressings.

MSG is in fact everywhere; the list is virtually endless.

MSG is virtually everywhere in processed foods and is generously used in all restaurants, especially fast food places.

The best way [to avoid MSG] is to stay away from packaged and processed foods.

Remember, just because a restaurant says they do not add MSG, it is almost always lurking in the soup and sauce bases they purchase from manufacturers.

More alleged claims about the negative side of MSG:

Obesity is not the only health issue MSG is linked to, as Dr. George Schwartz in his book, In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome Complex, identifies research that links MSG and the dramatic rise in cases of asthma, ADHD, migraines, Parkinson's disease and heartbeat irregularities too.

Ingesting MSG can result in a wide range of symptoms like facial flushing and headaches, with gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety
and depression reported by individuals as well.

On the flip side, the industry espouses the positives of MSG.

The food industry and food processors do know the impact MSG has on the human body. The glutamate industry website, www.msgfacts.com talks of the positive impact on food consumption in the elderly.

"Studies have found that adding MSG to certain foods, such as soup and mashed potatoes has been successful in increasing the food intake of institutionalized elderly populations."

Mmm. Marijuana might increase food take too, and it's probably healthier than the food industry's version of MSG. But the food industry buys politicians.