$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')o strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so the scientists have to create them. They make these morbidly obese creatures by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates; causing rats (and humans?) to become obese. They even have a title for the fat rodents they create: "MSG-Treated Rats".
I was shocked too. I went to my kitchen, checking the cupboards and the fridge. MSG was in everything! The Campbell's soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavoured potato chips, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, Kraft salad dressings, especially the 'healthy low fat' ones. The items that didn't have MSG marked on the
product label had something called ''Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein'', which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate. It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff. They hide MSG under many different names in order to fool those who carefully read the ingredient list, so they don't catch on. (Other names for MSG: 'Accent' - 'Aginomoto' - 'Natural Meet Tenderiser' etc.) But it didn't stop there.
When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items had MSG. Employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use MSG. But when we asked for the ingredient list which they provided, sure enough MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere. Burger King, Mcdonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant, even the sit down ones like TGIF, Chilis', Applebees and Denny's use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG was in every chicken dish, salad dressing and gravy. No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin, their secret spice was MSG!
So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat?.. Is it a preservative or a vitamin? Not according to my friend John. In the book he wrote, an expose of the food additive industry called "The Slow Poisoning of America" he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the humanbody http://www.spofamerica.com
Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG at: http://wwww.msgfactscom/facts/msgfact12.html explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more.
PeakOil is You
THE Obesity Thread (merged)
MSG at the root of the USA Obesity problem?
by mmasters » Sun 11 Mar 2007, 15:46:10
Can read further at:
http://www.abetterlife.info/home/msgobesityalert.html
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Re: MSG at the root of the USA Obesity problem?
by I_Like_Plants » Sun 11 Mar 2007, 17:05:22
It's a good theory, but skinny Asians eat even more of the stuff - I grew up seeing "gift packs" consisting of nothing but a fancy box holding bottles of Aji, to be given to newlyweds 
It's the amount of food, and all the tons and tons and tons of carbs, especially high fructose corn syrup, which is ALSO in everything, and which is like alcohol as far as the liver and pancreas are concerned. Sodas like Coke were meant originally to be tonics, an occasional treat or pep-up. Now people are drinking them in place of water. Or they're trying to be "healthy" and drinking Snapple or something which is just as full of the high-fructose stuff.
The three major changes to the American diet/lifestyle over the last 100 years have been hydrogenatd oils, abundance of sugar (and then the high-fructose stuff about 20 years ago) and a steady increase of sendentariness. The most shocking increase has been the advent of the high-fructose corn syrup, that was in the 1980s, people have ballooned since then lol! HFCS allows goods to last a long time on the shelf without spoiling, which means tons and tons of baked goods, long-lasting bread and hamburger buns etc. The preservative qualities are why HFCS is put into everything possible.
It's the amount of food, and all the tons and tons and tons of carbs, especially high fructose corn syrup, which is ALSO in everything, and which is like alcohol as far as the liver and pancreas are concerned. Sodas like Coke were meant originally to be tonics, an occasional treat or pep-up. Now people are drinking them in place of water. Or they're trying to be "healthy" and drinking Snapple or something which is just as full of the high-fructose stuff.
The three major changes to the American diet/lifestyle over the last 100 years have been hydrogenatd oils, abundance of sugar (and then the high-fructose stuff about 20 years ago) and a steady increase of sendentariness. The most shocking increase has been the advent of the high-fructose corn syrup, that was in the 1980s, people have ballooned since then lol! HFCS allows goods to last a long time on the shelf without spoiling, which means tons and tons of baked goods, long-lasting bread and hamburger buns etc. The preservative qualities are why HFCS is put into everything possible.
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Re: MSG at the root of the USA Obesity problem?
by jdumars » Sun 11 Mar 2007, 20:20:56
When it comes to MSG, you're not likely to find someone more serious about it than my wife and I. My battle began 14 years ago when I reached a critical intolerance threshold for it. I was eating my daily cup of ramen for lunch when suddenly I felt dizzy and faint. I had to lay down for fear of passing out. I didn't make the connection to the food until a few lunches later of having the same reaction. I was lucky enough to be working with a licensed nutritionist at the time who quickly spotted "Chinese restaurant syndrom," and told me to lay off of MSG for a while and see how I did. Back then, good information on MSG was as rare as hens teeth, so there was a lot of frustration, especially since it wasn't public knowledge yet that it was hidden in virtually all processed food. Since that time, I have undergone a radical personal transformation as a result of completely avoiding MSG and related excitotoxic compounds.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that MSG is a major factor in obesity, degenerative neurological disorders, diabetes and a host of other maladies. Another major set of side effects are mood and personality disorders. These things have been eloquently and scientifically written about by Drs. Blaylock and Schwartz (see: http://msgfree.dumarsengraving.com/books.html). But I can testify personally about many of these issues in my and my wife's bodies.
I could go on for hours about the process I went through to get MSG-free, but I'll cut to the chase instead. The answer is either growing your own food, or knowing the person that does and exactly how they grew/raised it. Anything short of this, and you're getting MSG. Period.
When I finally cut it completely out of my diet, I lost 40+ pounds, my blood pressure (which was high) dropped to normal, my blood sugar normalized (I had mild hypoglycemia), and the depression and other mood disorders I had battled for years came to a stop. The change was startling! I even started looking younger and younger, and in fact look younger now than I did 10 years ago. I didn't increase my exercise, I didn't start working out. All I did was change my diet to: local, seasonal, grown with no sprays or man-made fertilizers.
Now, I have heard this "Asians aren't fat" argument, but it simply doesn't hold up:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')ore than 1.2 billion people in the world are now officially classified as overweight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since the publication in the British Medical Journal of new standards for evaluating children's weight, health officials around the world have begun estimating their childhood obesity rates. The Chinese government calculates that 1 in 10 city-dwelling children are now obese. In Japan, obesity in nine-year-old children has tripled. The WHO reports that approximately 20 per cent of Australian children and adolescents are overweight or obese.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that MSG is a major factor in obesity, degenerative neurological disorders, diabetes and a host of other maladies. Another major set of side effects are mood and personality disorders. These things have been eloquently and scientifically written about by Drs. Blaylock and Schwartz (see: http://msgfree.dumarsengraving.com/books.html). But I can testify personally about many of these issues in my and my wife's bodies.
I could go on for hours about the process I went through to get MSG-free, but I'll cut to the chase instead. The answer is either growing your own food, or knowing the person that does and exactly how they grew/raised it. Anything short of this, and you're getting MSG. Period.
When I finally cut it completely out of my diet, I lost 40+ pounds, my blood pressure (which was high) dropped to normal, my blood sugar normalized (I had mild hypoglycemia), and the depression and other mood disorders I had battled for years came to a stop. The change was startling! I even started looking younger and younger, and in fact look younger now than I did 10 years ago. I didn't increase my exercise, I didn't start working out. All I did was change my diet to: local, seasonal, grown with no sprays or man-made fertilizers.
Now, I have heard this "Asians aren't fat" argument, but it simply doesn't hold up:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')ore than 1.2 billion people in the world are now officially classified as overweight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since the publication in the British Medical Journal of new standards for evaluating children's weight, health officials around the world have begun estimating their childhood obesity rates. The Chinese government calculates that 1 in 10 city-dwelling children are now obese. In Japan, obesity in nine-year-old children has tripled. The WHO reports that approximately 20 per cent of Australian children and adolescents are overweight or obese.
The truth is, every country that begins the conversion to processed foods will begin suffering these same woes. In countries where poverty and disease are prevalent, the effects are mitigated by the much more serious issues of hunger and malnutrition. You can't overeat if there isn't enough food. Also, some dietary norms, like the consumption of antioxidant-rich teas, may mitigate the neurological effects.
Excitotoxins and the "unami" taste sensation have a biological purpose that goes back to our primitive ancestors. It's primary function is to make unpalatable things like spoiled meat "taste good to us" and encourage us to eat while it's there. If we didn't have this capability, we wouldn't have been able to scavenge for carion. Unfotunately, what was once an advantage is now being turned into a huge disadvantage by the greedy food/drug industry. By concentrating it into all foods, it makes lousy/substandard ingredients "taste good" -- and even better for commerce -- it makes us overeat. This is followed by all of the common gastric disorders, diarrhea, etc. Just watch commercials and keep this information in mind. Drug companies and food companies even make jokes about it. The joke is on anyone who eats processed food.
Some good links can be found here: http://msgfree.dumarsengraving.com/links.html
And, before I just gave up on commercially prepared food, I developed the following list that might help you cut some of it out of your diet: http://msgfree.dumarsengraving.com/the_list.html
I think MSG is on par with Peak Oil, climate change and pollution. It's one of the most far-reaching problems in the world today, and has as much or more money riding on it as energy.
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Re: MSG at the root of the USA Obesity problem?
by mmasters » Sun 11 Mar 2007, 20:59:14
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jdumars', 'I') could go on for hours about the process I went through to get MSG-free, but I'll cut to the chase instead. The answer is either growing your own food, or knowing the person that does and exactly how they grew/raised it. Anything short of this, and you're getting MSG. Period.
Thank you for your post jd.
I've been wondering myself how to have a diet that minimizes MSG, but I dunno that that's possible living in NYC especially after reading your post and the result of all your research.
Is it possible to have a diet of commercial food minimizing MSG? It looks like completely eliminating it is beyond practical.
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Re: MSG at the root of the USA Obesity problem?
by I_Like_Plants » Mon 12 Mar 2007, 00:38:13
Jdumers good post!
It's still not good to eat the stuff, and it is used in a lot of things. I think raising kids on Top Ramen is child abuse and I know whereof I speak - your brain kinda goes dead when you're starving.
Basically, it's really best to stick to "whole" foods as much as possible - if you can't imagine it on an Amish table, better not find it on your own.
It's still not good to eat the stuff, and it is used in a lot of things. I think raising kids on Top Ramen is child abuse and I know whereof I speak - your brain kinda goes dead when you're starving.
Basically, it's really best to stick to "whole" foods as much as possible - if you can't imagine it on an Amish table, better not find it on your own.
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Re: MSG at the root of the USA Obesity problem?
by jdumars » Mon 12 Mar 2007, 01:21:08
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mmasters', '
')Thank you for your post jd.
')Thank you for your post jd.
You're very welcome! I really like to help people out of this deadly spiral if at all possible.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')I've been wondering myself how to have a diet that minimizes MSG, but I dunno that that's possible living in NYC especially after reading your post and the result of all your research.
Is it possible to have a diet of commercial food minimizing MSG? It looks like completely eliminating it is beyond practical.
Well, your situation is pretty tough, but there are ways to get around it. I'll give you my quick urban survival guide, but first an important warning. Once you cut it out of your diet, even a little, you will begin to notice when you get it. There's a considerable detoxing effect associated with this. Also, when you make the firm connection between your moods/health and what you eat, you will become even more sensitive to it. So.... do not tread lightly on this path. Winter is an absolute biatch when you eat seasonally. It's cabbage, arrugula and meat for 4 months straight. So, be prepared.
First step... study the list I linked to. It's a great place to start.
Next, begin reading labels and seeing how many of the ingredients are either straight or mostly MSG. You won't believe how many foods are virtually nothing-but! Begin cutting back on these and substituting for foods with real ingredients. A great source on the Internet is localharvest.org, which has links to tons of farms that grow completely naturally. When you talk to farmers or suppliers, make sure they: 1.) do not spray anything on their crops that they didn't mix themselves 2.) do not use manure unless the animals that produced it were 100% grass and not grain-fed 3.) do not use "fish emulsion" or other processed "organic" fertilizers. You'd be amazed at what certified organic growers can and do spray on their vegetables.
The rule to live by is that good food is slow. If it's convenient, it's probably bad.
Lastly, begin using honey in lieu of sugar. Sugar is processed with bone meal, which is loaded with MSG. Honey is not only tastier, but it's way better for you. I recommend ebeehoney.com. We don't use anything but honey for sweetening.
If you use meat, make sure it is grass fed and grass finished. No grain!!
I know there are farmers markets in NYC, so search online to see if you can find one in the spring. Make sure you ask those questions before you buy any produce.
So, there's a start. You can e-mail me any time for "tech support" if you need help figuring things out.
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