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Nutrition Information |
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MSG: If Its Safe, Why Do They Disguise It On Labels?
Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, was thought of as a "miracle food enhancer" when it was first introduced to the public over five decades ago. More than just a seasoning like salt and pepper, MSG could actually enhance the flavors of foods, making processed meats and frozen dinners taste fresher and smell better, salad dressings more tasty, and canned foods less tinny. It wasn't until people started having side effects after eating foods with MSG that some began to question whether this miracle flavoring was too good to be true. Today, many more question its safety, but others insist it's safe. How Much MSG are Americans Eating? Americans associate MSG with Chinese food. In fact, MSG Symptom Complex, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identifies as "short-term reactions" to MSG, was for some time (unfairly) referred to in the United States as "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome." But MSG is in many more foods than Chinese food, and is listed under many other names than MSG. So while many Americans are aware that MSG has been linked to some negative side effects, or have experienced them personally, and believe they are avoiding it in their diets, many have been misled. Food manufacturers, who realize that many people would prefer NOT to have MSG in their food, have adapted by using so-called "clean labels." These ingredient labels hide MSG under names that consumers won't recognize, such as hydrolyzed soy protein. Some manufacturers have also gone so far as to list "No MSG," "No Added MSG," or "No MSG Added" on product labels when MSG is still present, but exists only as a constituent in another ingredient! MSG is Always In: * Autolyzed yeast MSG is Often In: * Barley Malt What Does the Government Say? The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), a group of scientists the FDA asked to review the safety of glutamate, released a report in 1995 that found the following: * When consumed at usual levels, MSG is safe for the general population. * No evidence of any connection between MSG and serious long-term reactions. * No evidence linking dietary MSG or glutamate to Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, or any other long-term or chronic diseases. * No evidence suggesting that dietary MSG or glutamate causes brain lesions or damage to nerve cells in humans. However, the study did find that MSG Symptom Complex did occur in some people, particularly those who ate a large dose of MSG and those with severe asthma. According to the FDA, MSG Symptom Complex can result in: * Numbness Estimates of just how many Americans are sensitive to MSG vary widely: from 1.8 percent to 50 percent of the population may be affected. However, these estimates may be conservative. Symptoms related to MSG may present immediately or several hours after eating a food, so attributing them to MSG can be difficult. In terms of labeling requirements, the FDA says that "monosodium glutamate" must be listed on the label only if MSG is added to a food. However, it's misleading for a manufacturer to list "No MSG," or "No Added MSG" on foods if sources of free glutamates, like hydrolyzed protein, exist, they say. Further, items listed as "flavors," "natural flavors," or "flavorings" may not include MSG, hydrolyzed proteins or autolyzed yeast. The Other Side Other experts are not so convinced of MSG's safety. For instance, Dr. Russell Blaylock, an author and neurosurgeon, recently explained a link between sudden cardiac death, particularly in athletes, and excitotoxic damage caused by food additives like MSG and artificial sweeteners. Excitotoxins are, according to Dr. Blaylock, "A group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die." Said Dr. Blaylock: "When an excess of food-borne excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed protein soy protein isolate and concentrate, natural flavoring, sodium caseinate and aspartate from aspartame, are consumed, these glutamate receptors are over-stimulated, producing cardiac arrhythmias. When magnesium stores are low, as we see in athletes, the glutamate receptors are so sensitive that even low levels of these excitotoxins can result in cardiac arrhythmias and death." Further, many consumers have personally experienced the ill effects of MSG, which leave them with a headache, nausea or vomiting after eating MSG-containing foods. Said Cathy Evans Wisner in her article "The MSG Myth," "I know from personal experience that the chemical is not as harmless as vinegar or salt. When I ingest a fair amount of MSG, I immediately have nausea, stomach cramps, "spaciness," heart palpitations and a "pins-and-needles" headache, followed the next day by lethargy and overall weakness." Headaches are one of the most commonly reported side effects of MSG, which may occur because it can increase blood flow to the brain. According to Ann Turner, director of the Migraine Action Association, "Food additives can be triggers [for headaches]. MSG, although still not fully understood, may be a culprit ? " Which Foods Contain MSG? MSG is much more prevalent than many people realize. Below is a list of some common food items that contain it from MSGTruth.org, but remember to look for the "hidden" MSG names (listed above) on all processed foods you buy. * The Following McDonald's Items: Your best bet as a consumer looking to avoid MSG, for whatever your personal reasons may be, is to be diligent in reading processed food labels. In general, the more highly processed a food is (or the more ingredients listed on its label), the more likely it is to contain MSG. Meanwhile, try to limit the number of processed foods you eat overall and you'll inevitably reduce your chances of eating MSG, too. --------------- Sources From the FREE SixWise.com e-newsletter, the Web's #1 most read newsletter with original articles in all 6 areas of life leading to complete wellness.
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MORE RESOURCES: Judge stops Hermosa enforcement of short term rental ban easyreadernews.com Maui’s vacation rental conversion bill remains in limbo The Garden Island Newspaper A stormy season for short-term rentals on Nantucket Rhode Island Current No appeal of ruling for vacation rental program Anna Maria Islander Vacation Renters Waste $2 Billion in Food Each Year ScienceBlog.com Newman-Dailey Resort Properties Celebrates Summer Road Trips to Florida with its Extra Happy Late Summer Promotion for Stays in Destin Vacation Rentals The Manila Times Why People Are Turning Their Homes into Vacation Rentals Right Now The North Star Monthly Maui Panel Starts Deliberations On Short-Term Rental Phase-Out Honolulu Civil Beat Inside The ‘Out-Of-Control’ Debate Over Axing Maui Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat A novel idea for Maui’s housing crisis: Using vacation rental profits for residents’ down payments Maui Now Maui Council hears another 70 testifiers on vacation rental phase-out bill; still more to come Maui Now Capital One Travel Adds Vacation Rentals — And You Can Earn 5x Miles on Venture Cards Upgraded Points Maui Backs Off Rental Ban As Tourism Stalls Out Beat of Hawaii Maui vacation rental bill continues to draw passionate testimony from both sides Hawaii Public Radio Maui Gets $1.6B—Can Vacation Rentals Survive What’s Coming? Beat of Hawaii Plan To Convert Maui Vacation Rentals To Long-Term Housing Delayed Honolulu Civil Beat Honolulu Sees Doubling Of Vacation Rental Registrations Under New Rules Honolulu Civil Beat Study: Maui Should Be Cautious In Phasing Out Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Honolulu Hasn't Fined Airbnb, Vrbo for Illegal Short-Term Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Here’s Why Honolulu Doesn’t Enforce Law Against Short-Term Rental Companies Honolulu Civil Beat Key amendments proposed for vacation rental phase-out bill ahead of Council committee hearing Maui Now Spain, Italy, France, Portugal Join Forces in Crackdown on Airbnb Rentals: The Domino Effect Begins Travel And Tour World Vacation Rental Study in Goleta Tells More About the Neighbors The Santa Barbara Independent Chase Travel Launches Vacation Home Rentals — What To Know Upgraded Points New state law requires vacation rental and hotel managers, other workers have training in human trafficking awareness Island Free Press Maui Council To Take Up Bill Phasing Out Vacation Rentals This Summer Honolulu Civil Beat Board recommends new education programs, property management rules for vacation rentals The Palm Springs Post Emotions Are High As Maui Considers Phasing Out Short-Term Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Opinion | Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide The Washington Post Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Millions; Riverside DA Launches Investigation After Public Outcry NBC Palm Springs Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Property Owners, Renters Over $1 Million NBC Palm Springs Couple who owns Manasota Key vacation rentals welcomes first renters since Hurricanes Helene, Milton FOX 13 Tampa Bay Supreme Court: cities cannot limit vacation rentals based on owner occupancy Idaho Public Television Vrbo offers last minute deals on vacation rentals Short Term Rentals - News Community invited to briefing about proposed registration process for short-term vacation rentals Big Island Now City has no mercy for illegal vacation rental operators Hawaii News Now Fire district wins vacation rental assessment lawsuit Anna Maria Islander Uncertain Economy Contributes to Slow Summer Rental Bookings The Vineyard Gazette Santa Cruz County moves to rein in vacation rentals Lookout Santa Cruz Oahu officials encourage people to report illegal vacation rentals spectrumlocalnews.com How to tell if your Oʻahu vacation rental is legal Hawaii Public Radio No More Vacation Rentals In Maui. Here's How The Mayor's Plan To Strip The Island of Short-Term Rental Will Affect The Economy Yahoo Finance Maui mayor's plan to phase out vacation rentals would increase housing but shrink the economy AP News Housing panel looks at new rules for rent-setting algorithms, vacation rentals - Evanston RoundTable Housing panel looks at new rules for rent-setting algorithms, vacation rentals Evanston RoundTable Vacation rentals may face new taxes as WA lawmakers eye housing fix The Center Square Hawaiʻi County Council seeks more oversight with passage of vacation rental bill Hawaii Public Radio The Short-Term Rental Hosts Spending Big to Trick Out Their Vacation Properties The Wall Street Journal Everything You Need to Check in Your Vacation Rental Before Unpacking a Single Bag Better Homes & Gardens Resources for Vacation Rentals for Springs Protection Alachua County Committee votes 5-0 against couple’s vacation rental request advancing Evanston RoundTable The Best Vacation Rental Travel Insurance for 2025 U.S. News & World Report Manatee County Commission votes to pursue regulation of short-term vacation rentals Sarasota Herald-Tribune Aspiring vacation rental hosts in Mission Beach may have a shot at getting a coveted license San Diego Union-Tribune What to Bring to Make Your Vacation Rental Kitchen Feel More Like Home The New York Times Combatting human trafficking: New training, reporting requirements for hotels, vacation rentals WRAL.com It's Not Your Imagination: Palm Coast Homes Used as Vacation Rentals Increase by 70% in 2 Years, to Over 500 FlaglerLive |
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