Technically there is no such thing as an MSG allergy. Research at John Hopkins Medical University has determined that MSG can create an asthma response, but the immune system does not respond as if MSG is an allergen. However, MSG does have substantial impact on the body.
MSG does cause a reaction in the body. It's just not an MSG allergy that occurs. It's a different biological response, but it is very real. Technically, it would be called a 'food sensitivity', except MSG isn't really a food. It's a chemical and it damages the body. And because the damage may take years to manifest it is rarely connected to the consumption of MSG.
True food allergies only affect about 5% of the population. With a true allergy, the immune system would respond with antibodies. MSG does not trigger an immune response, but call it what you will, MSG most definitely causes a physical reaction. People who believe they have an MSG allergy are actually simply more sensitive to it.
Shorthand for Monosodium Glutamate, MSG is a highly refined vegetable protein use in food processing as a flavor in enhancer. On the chemical level, it resembles the natural glutamate in the body which is required for many bodily functions. However, MSG can easily throw the body's glutamate balance out of kilter.
Artificial glutamate is not the same as the glutamate the human body makes and can damage the tissues. It is particularly damaging to nerve tissue. Regardless of claims of an MSG allergy, the reason food manufacturers add MSG to their products is precisely because it excites the nerves associated with taste. Like a drug, it triggers hunger by stimulating the nerves.
MSG affects the hypothalamus, which in turn controls the pituitary. Because of this relationship MSG appears to affect hormone production throughout the body. Glutamate triggers nerve cells to fire and an excess of glutamate will cause nerve cells to die by over-stimulation.
The bottom line is MSG will make you fat. This clearly is not the same as an MSG allergy, but it is the result of MSG interacting with the body. MSG fools the taste buds and the brain. It creates the illusion that you are eating something nutritious when actually you're not.
A lot happens when the body is fooled by MSG, but the simplest way to understand it is to realize that MSG defeats your body's mechanism for feeling satisfied with a meal. MSG makes you want to keep eating. That's why you can't eat just one chip, or cookie, Moonpie or whatever. That's why we're fat and getting fatter.
MSG does cause a reaction in the body. It's just not an MSG allergy that occurs. It's a different biological response, but it is very real. Technically, it would be called a 'food sensitivity', except MSG isn't really a food. It's a chemical and it damages the body. And because the damage may take years to manifest it is rarely connected to the consumption of MSG.
True food allergies only affect about 5% of the population. With a true allergy, the immune system would respond with antibodies. MSG does not trigger an immune response, but call it what you will, MSG most definitely causes a physical reaction. People who believe they have an MSG allergy are actually simply more sensitive to it.
Shorthand for Monosodium Glutamate, MSG is a highly refined vegetable protein use in food processing as a flavor in enhancer. On the chemical level, it resembles the natural glutamate in the body which is required for many bodily functions. However, MSG can easily throw the body's glutamate balance out of kilter.
Artificial glutamate is not the same as the glutamate the human body makes and can damage the tissues. It is particularly damaging to nerve tissue. Regardless of claims of an MSG allergy, the reason food manufacturers add MSG to their products is precisely because it excites the nerves associated with taste. Like a drug, it triggers hunger by stimulating the nerves.
MSG affects the hypothalamus, which in turn controls the pituitary. Because of this relationship MSG appears to affect hormone production throughout the body. Glutamate triggers nerve cells to fire and an excess of glutamate will cause nerve cells to die by over-stimulation.
The bottom line is MSG will make you fat. This clearly is not the same as an MSG allergy, but it is the result of MSG interacting with the body. MSG fools the taste buds and the brain. It creates the illusion that you are eating something nutritious when actually you're not.
A lot happens when the body is fooled by MSG, but the simplest way to understand it is to realize that MSG defeats your body's mechanism for feeling satisfied with a meal. MSG makes you want to keep eating. That's why you can't eat just one chip, or cookie, Moonpie or whatever. That's why we're fat and getting fatter.
About the Author:
MSG is everywhere. It's in processed food and it's in take-out food too. And MSG goes by many different names so a take-out or food industry can legally claim they do not use MSG in their foods when actually they do. To learn more about MSG visit: MSG Allergy. To watch a video describing the impact of MSG on your brain see: MSG And Your Brain.
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