Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) by Mark Gold (5/8/95) -------------------------- Excitotoxins ------------ Excitotoxins are defined as amino acids such as cysteine, aspartate and glutamate which, when applied to neurons will cause them to become overstimulated and die. Glutamate is an important neurotransmitter, a chemical which allows neurons (cells) in the brain to communicate between each other. Normally, excess glutamate is pumped back in the the glial cells surrounding the neurons. However, when cells are exposed to excessive amount of glutamate, the neuron cells die. Glutamate opens the calcium channel in the neurons so that calcium can move into the cell. A number of chemical reactions occur within the cell which eventually leads to the release of chemicals which stimulate connected neurons and so on. One of the products of this chemical reaction in the neuron is arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid then reacts with two different enzymes causing the production of free radicals such as the hydroxyl radical. The hydroxyl radical, left unchecked can kill brain cells. Fortunately, the potentially destructive free radicals are absorbed by antioxidant vitamins such as C, E, and beta carotene. Magnesium, chromium, zinc and selinium are all very important protectors of neural cells. Magnesium normally blocks the calcium channel from opening. Glutamate removes this block and opens the calcium channel -- a normal reaction. However, when the glutamate levels become even slightly excessive, the calcium channels in some neural cells can get stuck open, leading to the destruction of those cells and adjacent cells. Not every nearby brain cell is affected -- only the cells with glutamate receptors. The pumping action to remove excess glutamate back into the glial cells takes an enormous amount of energy in the form of the chemical ATP (adenosine triphosphate). In addition, it is important that there is adequate magnesium, and vitamins C, E, and beta carotene in order to prevent cell damage. If brain energy or any of the proper vitamins or minerals are lacking, neural cell death can occur. In severe cases of lack of brain energy or vitamins or minerals, a normal glutamate level can lead to cell death. Normally, there is a blood brain barrier to prevent excessive glutamate levels from occuring in the brain. The blood-brain barrier is a system in the walls of the capillaries within the brain that is used to keep toxic substances from entering the brain. However, there are areas of the brain which are not protected by this barrier including the hypothalamus (a part of the brain which controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland), the circumventricular organ, a part of the brain stem, and the pineal gland (a gland which controls the production of the hormone melatonin and stops the release of the luteinizing hormone (LH) which plays a part in sex hormone control -- estrogen (females) and testosterone (males)). It has been shown experimentally that prolonged high levels of glutamate in the blood plasma, as might be the case if a person with eating three meals a day with excessive free glutamate, causes glutamate to seep through the blood brain barrier. In addition, the blood brain barrier is not fully developed during infancy and childhood allowing excess glutamate to be delivered to the brain. Finally, there are a number of conditions which can damage the blood brain barrier to some extent and allow excess glutamate levels in the brain: - head injuries - certain diseases (e.g., diabetes, poor blood oxygenation, alzheimer's, ALS, etc.) - hypertension - physical overexertion (which can also block glucose's availability to the brain) - severe low blood sugar - exposure to chemical toxins - infections - brain tumors - strokes or mini-strokes which happen frequently in the elderly - aging may cause a partial breakdown especially if there is poor health The amino acids glutamic acid and glutamine are converted to glutamate in the body. These amino acids are normally bound up in protein molecules in food. The proteins are slowly broken down into amino acids and absorbed. This slow process causes glutamate to be produced gradually. In MSG, the glutamate is not bound in a protein molecule. Similarly, some products such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein have large amount of free (unbound) glutamic acid in them (even before MSG is added to it). It has been shown experimentally that taking free glutamate (or glutamate precursors such as glutamic acid, glutamine) through the digestive system will increase the glutamate levels in the blood plasma significantly. When glutamate is taken with a meal the glutamate level increase is usually smaller in most people. Small, sudden increases in the glutamate levels are still a major cause for concern in persons with a chronic illness, children, elderly, pregnant mothers, and women of childbearing age. It is possible that the long-term use of excessive glutamate may also cause a gradual raising of the blood plasma glutamate levels especially if the bodily systems that control these glutamate levels are not functioning properly (due to illness). It is very important, therefore, that persons with the following conditions avoid excess free glutamate: - infants and children - pregnant women - hypoglycemia - low brain energy / brain fog (Excess glutamate blocks passage of glucose into the brain.) - Obesity (Animal experiments show developing animals given MSG become overweight.) - mood or psychological disorders - learning disabilities - seizures - headaches or migraines (glutamate and aspartate are triggers) - immune system-related disorders - vitamin or mineral deficiency - women of childbearing age - hormone / endocrine gland - related disorders - asthma and allergies - tinnitus and Meniere's disease - disease of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease - most other chronic diseases - health-conscious persons MSG History ----------- The Japanese had used kombu, a very nutritious sea vegetable, as a taste enhancer for thousands of years. In 1908, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda succeeded in isolating the taste-enhancing chemical from kombu. It was "glutamate." Dr. Ikeda and a friend, Dr. Saburosuke Suzuki formed a company called Ajinomoto and began to market this "taste enhancer" in the form of monosodium glutamate (MSG). The Japanese began using MSG on a wide scale. However, it was not eaten in the large amounts it is today and the bulk of their diet was still relatively healthy compared to a Standard American Diet (S.A.D). In the 1940s, after discovering MSG during World War II, U.S. food manufacturers began adding it to their products. No significant safety studies were performed. Since the 1940s, MSG usage had doubled every decade. Before the 1960s, few scientists had suspected that MSG could be a health hazard. Throughout the last two decades, more and more scientific studies showed the damage that could be caused by MSG. During that time, the Ajinomoto company along with a dozen American food manufacturers formed a public relations group called the Glutamate Association. The International Glutamate Technical Committee was formed to fund studies that would defend the safety of MSG. In addition, during the last couple of decades, the Glutamate Association had used its influence to keep the term MSG or monosodium glutamate off of the labels. The FDA and the U.S. Government succumed to this pressure and abdicated its responsibility by allowing MSG to be put into foods in large quanities without it appearing on the label. MSG Today --------- Today, hundreds of thousands of metric tons of MSG are produced and added to food every year. MSG is listed on the label only if it is a *separate* ingredient in the food. In most cases, MSG is hidden by including it as part of other ingredients on the label. It can make up as much as 60% of these other ingredients. Below is an excerpt from "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" by Russell Blaylock, M.D. which lists possible sources of MSG: As discussed previously, the glutamate manufacturers and the processed food industries are always on a quest to disguise MSG added to food. Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins aspartate and L-cysteine are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require no labelling at all. Additives that always contain MSG: - Monosodium Glutamate - Potassium Glutamate - Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)* - Hydrolyzed Protein* - Hydrolyzed Plant Protein* - Hydrolyzed [Anything else]* - Plant Protein Extract - Sodium Caseinate - Calcium Caseinate - Yeast Extract - Textured Protein - Autolyzed Yeast - Hydrolyzed Oat Flour [*Made from "junk" vegetables selected for their high quantity of excitotoxins (e.g., glutamate). Vegetables are boiled in a vat of sulfuric acid for several hours and then the acid is neutralized with caustic soda. The brown sludge is scraped off the top and dried into a powder. The powder itself it high in glutamate, asparate, and cysteic acid (all excitotoxins). In addition, the powder contains known carcinogens. Finally, hydrolized vegetable protein contains dicarboxylic amino acid, the safety of which is unknown. MSG is often added to this powder. Finally, the powder is put into numerous foods, including baby food. Bon appetite!] Additives that frequently contain MSG*: - Malt extract - Malt Flavoring - Bouillon - Broth - Stock - Flavoring - Natural Flavoring - Natural Beef or Chiken Flavoring - Seasoning - Spices [* Often have between 30% and 60% MSG when it is added.] Additives that may contain MSG or excitotoxins - Carrageenan - Enzymes - Soy Protein Concentrate - Soy Protein Isolate - Whey Protein Concentrate Accent is a trade name for a common MSG seasoning. Natural food stores are fond of telling customers that their products do not contain "synthetic" MSG, only "natural" MSG. Do not buy it! Read the labels, even in natural food stores. When hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) is concentrated to 99% glutamic acid, it can officially be called MSG. If it is 50%, 75%, or 98% glutamic acid, it is just as bad (or maybe worse) because it contains an unnaturally high concentration of free glutamic acid *and* other excitotoxins due to the intense manufacturing process. It is anything but "natural." As an example, the U.S.'s largest chain of natural foods supermarkets, Whole Food Market (which owns Bread & Circus, Mrs. Gooch's, Wellspring Grocer) is an excellant place to shop, yet they perpetuate the myth of "natural" MSG being safe. By accepting foods that include HVP (and other excitotoxic products) and passing them off as "natural," they are, in this instance, contributing to the poor health and ignorance of the American consumer. By not labeling these products as containing large amounts of excitotoxins, they are being irresponsible, in my opinion (and you can tell them I said that). Tests have shown that tomatoes and mushrooms contain a very small amount of *free* glutamic acid (despite what the Glutamate Association claims). It is not a highly concentrated excitotoxic product like HVP and presents no problems when eaten in reasonable amounts except for individuals highly sensitive to MSG. MSG Scientific History ---------------------- MSG was added to food without any significant scientific testing. In 1957, D.R. Lucas and J.P. Newhouse, two ophthalmology residents were testing MSG and aspartate on infant and adult mice with an eye disorder. All of the animals that had been given MSG had most of the nerve cells in the inner layer of the retinas destroyed. The infants were more damaged than the adult mice. Damage was also found in mice which took aspartate, which is one of the main ingredients of Nutrasweet(tm). The research went unnoticed by the scientific community. In 1968, Dr. John W. Olney, a neuroscientist at Washington University in St. Louis repeated the experiment of Lucas and Newhouse and found severe damage to the neurons in the animals retinas. He also found enormous destruction of neurons in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a very important part of the brain which controls the release of hormones by the pituitary gland. There was also damage found in other areas of the brain. Once again, the infant mice had considerably more damage. Dr. Olney hypothesized that the infants had more damage because at that age, they did not have a well-developed blood-brain barrier to protect the brain from toxic substances. The blood-brain barrier is a system in the walls of the capillaries within the brain that is used to keep toxic substances from entering the brain. Major medical journals neglected to publish Dr. Olney's study, so it was published in a basic science journal which was not read by most physicians (Science, 165(1969): 719-271). Dr. Olney's experiments were repeated on animals of different species with similar results. It was also shown that some of the detrimental effects on the infant animals did not show until that were much older. Thanks to Dr. Olney's testimony before the U.S. Congress in 1969, MSG was removed from baby foods. Unfortunately, there was no warning for pregnant mothers to avoid MSG. In addition, MSG was beginning to be hidden in so many other products that babies were being fed MSG without the mother's knowledge. In 1974, Dr. Olney showed that pregnant Rhesus monkeys which were fed MSG had offspring which had some brain damage. Other researchers had similar results with rats. It had been shown in scientific research that humans concentrate glutamate in the blood plasma to a much greater extent than other species. Children's brains are much more sensitive to excitotoxin damage and since they tend to consume much more junk food, they are exposed to large amounts of glutamate (and now asparate from Nutrasweet). In the 1970's, the International Glutamate Technical Committee (IGTC) became involved in funding studies that would defend the safety of MSG. Unfortunately, most of these studies had numerous major flaws. Yet, so many of these studies were done, they were able, to some extent, drown out the concerns of many reputable scientists. In 1971, Dr. W.A. Reynolds attempted to repeat Dr. Olney's experiment on infant monkey. Even though the monkeys were fed large doses of MSG, Dr. Reynolds did not find any toxic effects on the monkeys' brain. In a typical example of flawed research, Dr. Reynolds did not include in the published article two very important facts. The monkeys were given so much MSG that they had vommited, so that little MSG was absorbed. The monkeys were given the anesthesia phencyclidine. Phencyclidine was known to prevent the toxic effects of glutamate. These facts did not come out until four years after Reynolds' initial experiment. The same major mistake of using phencyclidine was repeated over and over in other glutamate-related experiments performed by W.A. Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds' flawed studies are even today used as "proof" of the safety of MSG. As Russell Blaylock states in his book, "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills:" "This powerful anesthetic agent [phencyclidine] is also one of the most potent antagonist of glutamate receptors known. .... Therefore, their entire experiment was invalid from the beginning. It is hard to believe that they were unaware of this protective effect of phencyclidine." Since the 1970s, researchers have implicated excess glutamate as a contributing factor in learning disorders Parkinson's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer's Disease, seizures, hypoglycemia, AIDS dementia, and brain tumors. There is also concern that the damage to the hypothalamus effects the function of the pituitary gland and other endocrine glands. It is the very gradual destruction of neural cells from excess glutamate that can contribute to the above-mentioned diseases. Excess MSG has also been linked to an acute condition called "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," named after symptoms commonly experienced by persons consuming restaurant food. The symptoms include numbness, palpatations, weakness, headaches, sleep problems, abdominal pains and cramps, change in vision, etc. There have been countless anecodotal reports of these symtoms from persons who have eaten the large amounts of MSG that is put into some restaurant food. As research and countless reports began to link the use of MSG to acute symptoms in some persons, the International Glutamate Technical Committee began funding research to defend the safety of MSG. They funded so many flawed studies that appeared to show MSG is not linked to acute reactions, that the reasonable quality studies were ignored by the news media. Many of these same flawed studies and research reviews were performed more than once by the same researcher and published in the same scientific journal. The "Food and Chemical Toxicology" is a particularly good place to look for flawed studies about Chinese Restaurant Syndrome funded by the International Glutamate Technical Committee. A example is the recent study published in "Food and Chemical Toxicology" (Vol. 31, No. 12, pp. 1019-1035, 1993) entitled "Monosodium L-Glutamate: A Double-Blind Study and Review" by L. Tarasoff and M.F. Kelly. This study is a typical example of how bad research can get when it is funded by the International Glutamate Technical Committee. The published study summary is as follows: 71 healthy subjects were treated with placebos and monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) doses of 1.5, 3.0 and 3.15 g/person, which represented a body mass-adjusted dose range of 0.015-0.07 g/kg body weight before a standardized breakfast over 5 days. The study used a rigorous randomized double-blind crossover design that controlled for subjects who had MSG after-tastes. Capsules and specially formulated drinks were used as vehicles for placebo and MSG treatments. Subjects mostly had no responses to placebo (86%) and MSG (85%) treatments. Sensations, previously attributed to MSG, did not occur at a significantly higher rate than did those elicited by placebo treatment. A significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation between MSG dose and after-effects was found. The profound effect of food in negating the effects of large MSG doses was demonstrated. The common practice of extrapolating food-free experimental results to 'in use' situations was called into question. An exhaustive review of previous methodologies identified the strong taste of MSG as the factor invalidating most 'blind' and 'double-blind' claims by previous researchers. The present study led to the conclusion that 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' is an anecdote applied to a variety of postprandial illnesses; rigorous and realistic scientific evidence linking the syndrome to MSG could not be found. From reading the summary and the countless press releases that followed its publication, the average person might conclude that MSG is really not the cause of the acute reactions that some people were experiencing. However, a look at the way the experiment was designed reveals that the poor experimental design virtually guaranteed this result. Some of the more glaring errors in the design of the experiment are as follows: 1. Aspartame was used in the placebo. Aspartame contains 40% aspartate, an excitotoxin which has been show to act in a similar fashion to glutamate and produce similar acute reactions. This has been pointed out in the past (since 1978), yet the researchers continue to repeat this same mistake. The International Glutamate Technical Committe supplied the placebo and non-placebo mixtures. This major error would tend to make the experimental and control (placebo) groups have very similar reactions. 2. All persons with pre-existing conditions including allergies, asthma, and aspirin sensitivity were excluded from the experiment. It has been shown that persons with allergies and especially asthma tend to have acute reactions to excess MSG. The researchers decided to limit the population to persons who most likely would not have acute reactions. This major error would tend to significantly reduce the number of acute reactions. 3. The patient interviews occured two hours after consuming the MSG or placebo. It has been shown through previous research that MSG reactions can be delayed for as much as 72 hours. Two hours is not nearly enough time to measure adverse reactions. In addition, the meal appeared to be high in fat which would delay gastric emptying. If the fact that persons with allergies and asthma were excluded didn't reduce the number of reactions enough, this would tend to reduce the acute reactions even further. 4. The meal given to both groups included *flavored* milk. Why include flavored milk??? Such a product often contains some form of glutamate (if not more aspartate). 5. Persons who experienced an aftertaste (13 people, 11 of whom took MSG, two took placebo) were excluded from the results. However, it is certainly possible that persons who have more acute reactions from MSG also tend to experience an aftertaste. The researchers' excuse for eliminating this group of people did not make sense. 6. The subjects were asked to fast before taking the MSG or placebo. In a small percentage of people, fasting can bring on acute reactions. (See the Cleansing Symptoms section of the "Detoxification" chapter for more information.) This would tend to make the percentage difference in acute reactions between the experimental and the control (placebo) group smaller. 7. The researchers were very careful not to suggest "sensations" to the subjects. They simply asked if any "sensations" were experienced. Since the subjects did not know that they were testing for adverse reactions to MSG, they may have felt some sensations (e.g., headache), but simply ignored it and not mentioned it to the researchers. This study was bad almost to the point of being fraudulent. It is hard to understand how this study could have passed peer review -- unless one takes into account the fact that the editor of "Food and Chemical Toxicology," Dr. Joseph F. Borzelleca and his associate have received grants from the International Glutamate Technical Committee. It is important to understand that this hopelessly flawed experiment was only intended to test for acute reactions to MSG. It was not testing for long-term chronic diseases such as that described above. Most recent MSG-related experiments seem to be only concerned with acute reactions like the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. An expert in research design submitted a letter to the publication ("Food and Chemical Toxicology") challenging the flawed design of the experiment. The letter was accepted for publication. However, shortly therafter, the publication changed its mind and decided to not publish the letter to avoid stirring up adverse MSG publicity. After several months of discussion between the publication and the author of the letter, it was decided that the letter will be published in the January 1995 issue. This will be more than one year after the letter was submitted and after all of the news agencies have already reported on the supposed safety of MSG. Another example of industry-sponsored, flawed research comes in studies of asthmatics who were given MSG. Without going into detail the industry sponsored study (which was following a study that showed MSG causing asthmatic reactions) used asthmatics who were stabalized on pharmaceuticals during the experiment. They also shortened the observation period and changed the concentration of MSG. Finally, it is important to watch out for flawed reviews of recent research. Often the reviewers do not even mention studies showing adverse effects (or they discount them) and mostly mention flawed, industry-supported studies to "prove" the safety of the product. This was the case in the recent review of glutamate and asparate safety in the article "Dietary Amino Acids and Brain Function" by John D. Fernstrom, Ph.D. (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol. 94(1): 71-77). Dr. Fernstrom based the safety of glutamate on the flawed experiments by W.A. Reynolds discussed above. The rest of his glutamate review was wishful thinking as to why glutamate should be safe. MSG Current Status ------------------ In 1993, the FDA contracted with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) to perform a research review of MSG and glutamate products. In July 1992, FASEB had issued a report stating that pregnent women, infants, children, women of childbearing age, and people with mood disorders avoid taking L-glutamic acid suppliments (a glutamate precusor). Four of the eight experts on the FASEB study panel have a conflict of interest according to one insider. In addition, preference is being given to industry-sponsored studies. FASEB sent a final draft of their report to the FDA in December 1994. The FDA returned it to FASEB asking for an enormous number of clarifications. This is a trick used by the FDA to avoid publishing damaging results about MSG. In 1978 a FASEB study was submitted to the FDA which raised questions about the safety of MSG. The glutamate industry arranged a conference to present "scientific finding." The FDA used these findings to delay the final report and send it back to FASEB for updating. The damaging statements about MSG were removed from the f inal report. Since the FDA returned the draft to FASEB, the International Glutamate Technical Committee funded numerous (8) double-blind studies of MSG. Some of these protocols included what can only be described as the fraudulent use of aspartame in the placebo. The delay in the release of FASEB's report has given the International Glutamate Techniques Committee time to change the placebos. However, there remain numerous major flaws in these protocols. Once these new "scientific" studies are published, it is likely that the FASEB report will be changed (just like in 1978) so that MSG appears to be safe. As more and more people are catching on to these unethical practices and have documented proof, the International Glutamate Technical Committee will be unable to hide the dangers of MSG. The FDA is currently under-reporting acute adverse reactions to MSG. Since 1993, FASEB itself has received over 200 letters of adverse reactions, yet the FDA currently reports only 24 in 1994. FASEB is required to forward these reactions on to the FDA Adverse Reaction Monitoring System, yet something fishy seems to be going on at the FDA. In addition, since MSG is often not listed on the label (thanks to the FDA), most people complaining of Adverse Reactions have no idea that MSG may be the cause. On 12/13/94, the Truth In Labeling Campaign filed a petition to the FDA to required food products to be labeled with amount of free (not bound in proteins) glutamic acid/glutamate. The petition also requests that this be identified on the label as monosodium glutamate so that people who are familiar with the term can avoid the product should they choose to. The FDA has 180 days to act upon it -- one way or the other. MSG -- How to Learn More ------------------------ Books ----- "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. Health Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, c1994 ISBN 0-929173-14-7 Dr. Blaylock is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi. One of the best books available on excitotoxins. Well worth reading! "In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome" by George R. Schwartz, M.D. Health Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, c1988 Dr. Schwartz is the Editor of "Principles and Practice of Emergency Medicine" and a Visiting Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. Articles -------- "The MSG Convtroversy" / "MSG Cautions Advised" / "Monosodium Glutamate Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" March/April 1994 issue Informed Consent Magazine P.O. Box 1984 Williston, North Dakota 58802-1984 (701) 774-7760 or (701) 859-3002 "How Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetener? Part Three: Book Review -- Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" November/December 1994 issue Informed Consent Magazine P.O. Box 1984 Williston, North Dakota 58802-1984 (701) 774-7760 or (701) 859-3002 MSG: The Truth & Consequences by Jack L. Samuels and Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D. Search For Health Magazine September/October 1993 issue Valentine Communications Corp. P.O. Box 11089 Naples, FL 33941-1089 (813) 263-8614 Excellent Article!!! I strongly recommend getting a copy! This article will help you cut through the myths that are often perpetuated about MSG and HVP. Reprints are $6.00. Organizations ------------- NOMSG (National Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamate) P.O. Box 367 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 (800) 232-8674 Truth In Labeling Campaign P.O. Box 2532 Darien, Illinois 60561 More detailed List of MSG and Glutamate Products ------------------------------------------------ Contact Jack L. Samuels, (312) 642-9333. MSG Conclusion -------------- It is important to remember that the damage from taking regular excesses of excitotoxins (e.g., free glutamate) is slow and cumlative. Dr. Blaylock estimates that 80% or more of the neurons in a particular area of the brain have to be killed before clinical symptoms appear. I feel that the a much lower percentage of killed neural cells can lead to symptoms that are not easily tracable to brain malfunction. For example, if the hypothalamus is not functioning properly, the symptoms may appear as an endocrine disorder since the hypothalamus controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland. The effect of damage to the hypothalamus and other areas of the brain may not show up for years. The lucky people are those who have acute reactions to MSG products and avoid them before they silently cause other damage. The Glutamate Association including MSG manufacturers and numerous large food manufacturers have an enormous amount of money tied up in the production and use of glutamate. For example, low-fat meals bought in grocery stores, which are the current craze, are fairly bland unless glutamate is added. The same goes for many soups and broths. This organization will fight tooth and nail to convince consumers that MSG and other glutamate products are safe. They will also fight to keep information off the labels. Before most people finally give up MSG and glutmate products there will likely be more flawed studies and press releases "proving" its safety. Please don't buy into it. In a sense, we have been used as "lab rats" for a number of years. Please, please find your way out of this dangerous experiment and avoid MSG and glutamate products. I hope you will pass this on to others and to natural food store owners and manufacturers if you notice that they are producing/selling a product that contains a form of MSG.