Dr. (Robert) Bob Marshall creator of Peak Energy Science and Quantum Nutrition shares a report on the Toxicity of MSG/Natural Flavors...

With the market flooded with new products this is a MUST read...the long term dangers of MSG are very real!

The Toxicity of MSG

MSG (monosodium-glutamate) is a brain neurotoxin. Most people understand that MSG is not healthy, so manufacturers have changed the name to "Natural Flavors". You will see this term or terms like "Natural Strawberry Flavor" or "Natural Vanilla Flavor" on many food and juice labels, even products that are called "nutritional". If the product actually had "strawberry", the label would simply say "strawberry", not "natural strawberry FLAVOR". The word "natural" means nothing. Everything is "natural" since everything has to come from something that was originally "natural".

The other issue is that manufacturers can say to you "There is no MSG in this product" as long as the MSG is a "constituent of an ingredient", ie. "natural flavors". This is very deceptive. At our clinic, we have had clients ask us the question: "What is the difference between the glutamic acid found in protein and the potentially harmful manufactured glutamic acid we refer to as MSG?"

This is a good question, and here is the answer:

Glutamic acid is an amino acid found in abundance in both plant and animal protein. In humans it is a non-essential amino acid, i.e. the body is capable of producing its own glutamic acid, and is not dependent upon getting glutamic acid from ingested food.

What is MSG?

Outside of the body, glutamic acid is produced commercially in food manufacturing and chemical plants. Its use in food began in the early 1900s as a component of a flavor enhancer called "monosodium glutamate." Unfortunately, any glutamic acid that is produced as an individual amino acid outside of the body for use in food, drugs, dietary supplements, cosmetics, personal care products, fertilizers, or other, can cause or exacerbate brain lesions, neuroendocrine disorders, learning disabilities, adverse reactions, neurodegenerative disease and more in humans. Glutamic acid that is produced commercially in food manufacturing and chemical plants is known as "MSG."

Although an extract of seaweed had been used by oriental cultures to enhance food flavor for over 1,000 years, it was not until 1908 that the essential component responsible for the flavor phenomenon was identified as glutamic acid; and it was in 1910 that industrial production of glutamic acid designed for use in the food additive "monosodium glutamate"

commenced. From 1910 until 1956, the process underlying production of "monosodium glutamate" was slow and costly. However, in 1956, the Japanese succeeded in producing glutamic acid by means of bacterial fermentation; and after considerable research to identify suitable strains of microorganisms for starting the requisite cultures, large-scale production of glutamic acid (and food additive "monosodium glutamate") through fermentation began.

The first published report of an adverse reaction to MSG appeared in 1968 (Kwok, R.H.M. The Chinese restaurant syndrome. Letter to the editor. N Engl J Med 278: 796, 1968). The first evidence that MSG caused brain damage in the form of retinal degeneration was published in 1957 (Lucas, D.R. and Newhouse, J. P. The toxic effect of sodium-L-glutamate on the inner layers of the retina. AMA Arch Ophthalmol 58: 193-201, 1957); and the first published report of brain lesions, obesity, and other disturbances with monosodium glutamate was published in 1969 (Olney, J.W. Brain lesions, obesity, and other disturbances with monosodium glutamate. Science. 164: 719-721, 1969).

Since God created man, he has eaten food in the form of protein. We understand a fair amount about human protein digestion and subsequent metabolism at the present time. As part of protein digestion, protein is broken down into its constituent amino acids, one of them being glutamic acid. In the human body, the ingested protein is broken down (hydrolyzed) in the stomach and lower intestines through the action of hydrochloric acid and enzymes--both of which are found naturally in the human body. In a healthy human, the body controls the amount of glutamic acid converted from protein in this way, and disposes of the "waste." Humans do not store excess glutamic acid as such.

However, processed free glutamic acid (MSG) introduced as such into the body is not subject, at all, to the processes of digestion, including the processes of elimination of excesses of which are ingested. There are a number of methods presently used for producing MSG. Multiple studies show that MSG produced by every one of these methods can kill brain cells, cause neuroendocrine disorders, cause or exacerbate neurodegenerative disease, and cause adverse reactions in both animals and humans.

In its early editions of the Code of Federal Regulations, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) distinguishes between two classes of commercially manufactured glutamic acid when glutamic acid is to be used as a food additive (Code of Federal Regulations Food and Drugs 21: Parts 100-169, 1990; Code of Federal Regulations Food and Drugs 21: Parts 170-199, 1989).

Class I. When glutamic acid is refined to approximately 99% glutamic acid, the FDA requires that the ingredient/product containing the 99% pure glutamic acid be identified on food labels as "monosodium glutamate."

Class II. When protein is broken down into its constituent amino acids, and refinement results in an ingredient/product that is less than 99% pure glutamic acid, the product is referred to as a "hydrolyzed protein product" (HPP). This is typically stated on labels as "Natural Flavors".

The manufacturer can say "There is no MSG in our product" as long as the MSG is less than 99% of the ingredient listed.

Olney and others have demonstrated that HPP, like "monosodium glutamate" causes glutamic acid type hypothalamic lesions and neuroendocrine disorders. HPP contain not only processed free glutamic acid (MSG) but other amino acids, including aspartic acid and L-cysteine, which are known to exert the same or similar neurotoxic effects as glutamic acid. (Olney, J.W., Ho, O.L., and Rhee, V. Brain-damaging potential of protein hydrolysates. N Engl J Med 289: 391-393, 1973; Schainker, B., and Olney, J.W. Glutamate-type hypothalamic-pituitary syndrome in mice treated with aspartate or cysteate in infancy. J Neural Transmission 35: 207-215, 1974).

Humans who suffer adverse reactions to the ingestion of monosodium glutamate also suffer adverse reactions to ingestion of HPP (Schwartz, G. R. In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome Santa Fe: Health Press, 1988, pp 7-10). Similarly, they will suffer adverse reactions to ingestion of reaction flavors.

FDA regulations require that products that contain MSG inits "monosodium glutamate" form must be labeled with the words, "monosodium glutamate." Similarly, FDA regulations require that products that contain MSG in its HPP forms must be labeled with their individual unique "common or usual names." However, the FDA does not require, and has refused to require, that the MSG in products that contain any source of MSG be identified. The rationale given by the FDA for this refusal is that FDA code does not require that constituents of an ingredient be disclosed to the consumer. The MSG in hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, sodium caseinate, etc., is considered, by the FDA, to be a constituent, and therefore does not need to be disclosed. Thus, very often, nothing on the label of a product containing MSG reveals that the product contains MSG.

The FDA goes even farther in allowing MSG to be "hidden," even more surreptitiously, in food. When many MSG-containing ingredients are added to "flavor," "natural flavors", "flavoring," "natural flavoring," "stock," or "broth," not even the "common or usual names" of those particular MSG-containing ingredients need to be disclosed.

It is extremely important to the glutamate industry that consumers should believe that processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is identical to the glutamic acid in intact protein and in higher organisms (like the human body). The glutamate industry continues to deny that exposure to free glutamic acid found in processed food (MSG) causes adverse reactions including hives, asthma, seizures, and migraine headache; causes brain damage, learning disorders, and endocrine disturbances; and is relevant to diverse diseases of the central nervous system such as addiction, stroke, epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and degenerative disorders such as ALS, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Central to their argument is the lie that the processed free glutamic acid used in processed food and in pesticide and fertilizer products is identical to the glutamic acid found in unprocessed, unadulterated food and in the human body. Central to the success of their argument is the fact that this glutamate industry lie has never been challenged by a legislator, agency of the US government, or the Courts. When sued by those who have legitimate claims for damages caused by MSG, perpetrators of the lie settle out of court and leave no public record. Legislators and the Courts defer to the FDA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the FDA, EPA, and USDA refuse to respond.

Most of the glutamic acid with which consumers come in contact is found in protein where it is connected to (or bound to) other amino acids in long chains. There are two forms of glutamic acid found in nature: L-glutamic acid and D-glutamic acid. When glutamic acid is found in protein it is referred to as bound glutamic acid. The glutamic acid found in protein is L-glutamic acid, only. Eating protein (which will contain bound glutamic acid that is L-glutamic acid, only) does not cause either brain damage or adverse reactions.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, industrialists began to manufacture free glutamic acid. Manufactured/processed free glutamic acid (MSG) always contains D-glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and various other contaminants in addition to L-glutamic acid. Manufactured/processed free glutamic acid (MSG) causes brain lesions and neuroendocrine disorders in laboratory animals. Manufactured/processed free glutamic acid (MSG) also causes adverse reactions which include skin rash, tachycardia, migraine headache, depression, and seizures in humans.

This information should be sufficient to demonstrate that processed free glutamic acid used in processed food, drugs, cosmetics, personal care products, dietary supplements, and in pesticide and fertilizer products is not identical to the glutamic acid found in unprocessed, unadulterated food, and in the human body. Truly natural glutamic acid does not contain contaminants. Processed free glutamic acid (MSG) does.

by Quantum Nutrition Center -formulators of the AMAZING Peak Energy Science product line

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Dorothy Minichiello

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