MSG and Free Glutamate: Lurking Everywhere

A while in the past, on a visit to British Columbia, I ate in a neighborhood restaurant. When consuming out, I all the time attempt to order one thing easy, and not using a gravy or sauce, since these sauces are certain to include MSG.

So, I ordered a plain crab cake with rice and greens — no sauce, no mayo. Boy, did that crab cake style good! About midnight I knew why. I wakened with a dry mouth, a horrible thirst and a headache. The following day I felt sore throughout, like I’d been in a struggle. My palms felt like that they had arthritis.

Luckily, since I don’t eat meals containing MSG fairly often, the signs cleared by the subsequent day. Sadly, I attended a reception that night, and since I had skipped lunch and was hungry, I ate issues I shouldn’t have, together with a peanut sauce I’m positive got here from a can. That night time, the identical factor occurred, and the subsequent day I used to be stiff and sore from head to toe.

After all, I knew the rationale why and simply resolved to be extra cautious going ahead. However suppose I used to be an individual who ate a variety of processed or restaurant meals and didn’t know in regards to the risks of MSG. I might really feel terrible on a regular basis: headache, dry mouth, extreme thirst, and aches and pains like arthritis.

I could be instructed I had the illness du jour: fibromyalgia. However there isn’t any remedy for fibromyalgia so I might in all probability be handled for the runner-up illness du jour: Lyme’s illness. The remedy for Lyme’s illness is programs of antibiotics, which might in all probability make my situation worse.

If I complained to the physician in regards to the dry mouth and thirst, I might be examined for diabetes; and if I sought remedy for complications, I’d find yourself on some fairly highly effective ache killers.

Which brings us to the query: might all these situations, particularly the rheumatism-like achiness that plagues so many individuals, be as a result of MSG and related substances added to nearly all processed meals?

Glutamine Versus Glutamate

For instance, MSG permits meals producers to make one thing that resembles gravy — which we make at residence with good drippings, flour and real bone broth — with water, a thickener, synthetic coloring and synthetic flavors, particularly MSG.

Apologists for MSG level out that it derives from glutamine, an amino acid wanted for protein synthesis, immunity, liver well being, detoxing and upkeep of acid-alkaline stability, amongst many different roles.

Our our bodies could make glutamine; nonetheless, in instances of speedy development or therapeutic — particularly therapeutic of the intestine — we’d like extra glutamine than we are able to make and should get it from meals. Do-it-yourself bone broth is a superb supply, one rationalization for bone broth’s status as a therapeutic meals.

Glutamine is a precursor to glutamate, an essential neurotransmitter, for which now we have receptors within the mind and everywhere in the physique. Apologists for MSG argue that the additive isn’t actually completely different from glutamate (or its cousin glutamic acid).

For instance, journalist Liz Roth-Johnson writes, “Regardless of their completely different names, glutamate, glutamic acid, and monosodium glutamate are primarily the identical molecule and behave the identical manner in our our bodies.” She supplies the next diagram.

Roth-Johnson notes that ripe tomatoes and aged cheese include excessive ranges of glutamate, so what might be the issue with MSG? The issue is that most individuals don’t get complications and arthritis-like signs once they eat ripe tomatoes and aged cheese.

One rationalization is that the sodium molecule added to glutamate makes it a really completely different molecule — in any case, including chlorine to sodium to make nutritious salt makes chlorine very completely different from toxic chlorine gasoline! Small variations in molecules could make big variations within the physique.

Free Glutamate Can Overload Your System

Free glutamate is shaped throughout fermentation — of milk into cheese, of soybeans into soy sauce, and many others. That’s what provides these meals their scrumptious meat-like umami style. Most individuals can eat small quantities of slowly and naturally fermented soy sauce with out drawback, however react strongly to low cost soy sauce made by speedy protein hydrolysis with added MSG.

One other distinction: a lot of the glutamate in our physique doesn’t come from free glutamate in our meals however from the breakdown of protein into its separate amino acids. It’s assumption that these enter the bloodstream extra slowly than MSG added to meals, and even to glutamate naturally shaped in meals, in order that their transformation into neurotransmitters is extra managed.

Consuming meals containing MSG or a variety of added free glutamate, can overwhelm the system, so to talk. And free glutamate is in every single place, I imply in every single place, normally not labeled however lurking in different meals components.

Components That Comprise Free Glutamate

Right here’s an inventory of substances that include free glutamate in a single type or one other:

And these are meals that may include a variety of free glutamate shaped throughout processing:

And these are meals that extraordinarily delicate folks have reacted to:

Fermented Meals Could Set off Reactions if You’re Delicate

Moreover, these delicate souls have to keep away from something fermented, together with pure cheese, naturally fermented soy sauce and home made sauerkraut, and even tomato paste.

Curiously, the late Jack Samuels, creator of truthinlabeling.org (which created the above lists), instructed me that he might eat cheese made with old school animal rennet with out drawback, however reacted strongly to cheese made with vegetarian rennet (which is produced by genetically modified micro organism).

I all the time buy natural herbs and spices, usually not studying the labels. However I appeared fastidiously on the label of some natural chili powder I not too long ago purchased and was shocked to learn that it contained “natural rice focus.”

Rice focus isn’t in any of the above lists, however it’s clearly a processed ingredient and why would the corporate add it to chili powder except it contributed some type of zip to the flavour? Simply exhibits you possibly can’t be too cautious! All the time learn labels!

However again to the primary level: in case you are affected by any type of continual ache or discomfort, strive limiting your self solely to complete pure meals that you’ve ready your self. I’m betting you will notice an enchancment with out taking any medication.

Concerning the Creator

Sally Fallon Morell is writer of the best-selling cookbook “Nourishing Traditions” and lots of different books on food regimen and well being. She is the founding president of the Weston A. Value Basis (westonaprice.org) and a founding father of A Marketing campaign for Actual Milk (realmilk.com). Go to her weblog at nourishingtraditions.com.