PLEASE see my post in allergies section. I inform you about the link to asthma with the additive msg, which is in foods now under the names (vague names) "spices", "natural flavors" whey, hydrolyzed protein, citric acid, and of course those who react to this additive also react to sodium benzoate, metabisulfites, sulfur dioxide, and fermented foods. For some reason an epidemic of sensitivity to these substances is occuring. It is not known if it is related to vaccination contaminants, or a virus that seems to be moving all over. Anyway, the symptoms of sensitivity include asthma, add, panic, hives,allergies, migraines, heartburn, diarrhea, arthritis, palpitations, rashes and more. The more one consumes the sicker the person. The additive is a flavor enhancer that is addictive. According to Neurosurgeon who is on to this, Russell Blaylock, it effects the same part of the brain as nicotine. So eliminating it is very difficult. Do you love Doritos, hotdogs, tuna, BBQ, ketchup, just read the labels. Look for "spices" "natural flavors". Read Blaylock's book "Excitotoxins"
You will be shocked. Oddly the same companies making these toxic additives are making the drugs needed to treat the ailments suffered by it. Also the vaccines which I suspect. Sounds crazy, but I am a nurse and I am seeing people cured of their ailments once they learn the alias names of these substances to avoid. Hope this helps

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 11-26-2002).]

Companies in the United States are required by federal law to properly label their food. Under current FDA regulations, when MSG is added to a food, it must be identified as "monosodium glutamate" in the label's ingredient list. Each ingredient used to make a food must be declared by its name in this list.

It is for this reason that Monosodium Glutamate or Glutamic Acid is always under the name name MSG or, in 1993, the FDA proposed adding the phrase "contains glutamate" to the common or usual names of certain protein hydrolysates that contain substantial amounts of glutamate. It's not like they don't know about this. It's not your FDA that's shooting this down.

It is NOT misrepresented as 'natural flavors' as it is not a flavor, 'whey', as whey is a component in milk and not a specifically derived, refined, and potent chemical, or citric acid as citric acid is an acid in its own right (an organic acid, not a glutamic acid, let's not make me look up chemical compositions.)

Please further your research next time instead of linking .com advocacy sites that are hosted not only on the same service provider, but nay, off of the same COMPUTERS. It is confusing, and misleading. You can't believe everything you read on the internet. Check for credentials.
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/msg.txt is a document put together by the FDA concerning MSG, which details the way MSG plays a role in our neurological functioning, and explains the concept of present use compared to elevated use, as well as the difference between the general public and hypersensitive individuals.

As in, for starters, the fact that it is not drug companies that make MSG, but rather food-industry companies, who make it by a fermenting process involving sugar beets, sugar cane, starch, or molasses.

This is also to point out that Glutamate itself is present naturally in our bodies and in protein-containing foods, such as cheese, milk, meat, peas, and mushrooms, tomatoes, and certain cheeses.

I would like to take a moment to explain that no particular substance can "cause" asthma -- the cause of asthma itself is idiopathic, though it has been found that individuals with severe, poorly controlled asthma worsened after consuming even small amounts of this product.

Migraines are also caused by a physiological effect that is known to be genetic -- a specific vasoconstriction in the brain. But that's an argument for another board.

The FDA lists side-effects of MSG consumption in susceptible people as:
-burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest
-numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back
-tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back and arms
-facial pressure or tightness
-chest pain
-nausea
-tachycardia
-bronchospasm in MSG intolerant people with asthma (does not CAUSE asthma)
-drowsiness
-weakness
-headaches (not migraines)

The five-year study these figures are quoted from also found no statistical evidence to correlate MSG with Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's Chorea, Amylotrophic lateral sclerosis, AIDS dementia complex, or any other chronic or long-term illness.

It also found that dietary MSG added through hydrolyzed proteins is indistinguishable in effect from naturally occurring glutamate naturally found in foods.

Wrin,
I am simply information sharing and the info is in the form of credible studies. Doctor,s scientists, cellular biologists beg to differ with your beliefs. Like the Tobacco companies there will remain those who attempt to argue the safety of the substance in question.. What is your interest in MSG? Mine is simply to inform the consumer that it is present in foods by other names. Those who get asthma, or other reactions to it should know what other names represent it on labels.
Industry need not use names like "spices" What exact spices?
And know that citric acid which sounds like healthy doses of OJ can really be the substance left behind after hydrolyzing corn! Now who, with corn allergies, would have guessed that? Let us stop playing with lives and be straight up with people. It is a matter of life and death for many. There are many other products off the market now since people learned of their dangers. Some learned too late.
Let's not let the consumer get in the middle of an argument between big money food industry and health conscious human advocates. There will always be arguments over money and health issues.
Let's just encourage consumers to be informeed and look at the studies, then make choices they feel are best for their children, and families. I will opt on the studies supporting it, since I am dealing with my family's lives. Just as I question the safety of other items- said to be safe- that are no longer on the market. I am glad I opted on the safe side.
Last, the "natural" occurring glutamic acid that you say is in all proteins is not the substance I refer to in this issue.
It is the flavor enhancer which is created purposely by texturizing, modifying, hydrolyzing, fermenting, proteins. They are different and the body reacts differently to them, Just as the commercial saying Aspartame is natural because it is made from sugar. That sugar is changed, altered, genetically different. Our body does not recognize it as sugar, and is stressed by this.
With Glutamic acid, the two forms are L- GLUTAMIC AND GLUTAMIC ACID. Educate yourself. There is a difference.
Take care and I hope you will reconsider.

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 11-27-2002).]

Originally posted by nancyrn:
Wrin,
I am simply information sharing and the info is in the form of credible studies. Doctor,s scientists, cellular biologists beg to differ with your beliefs.

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 11-27-2002).]

If you had read the link I posted to, the FDA in the United States knows that MSG can cause neurological damage in high doses. I never said it didn't.

I only asked that you did not misrepresent that citric acid, aka Vitamin C, causes asthma. It can cause a significant response in asthmatics, which happens to represent around one percent of asthmatics, or one quarter of one percent of the american population, which, of course, is "Many". Many is anything from 5 to a million, depending on whether you're counting jellybeans or gunshot wounds.

I digress, but I also maintain, asthma's cause is idiopathic. There is a difference between bronchospasm and "THIS PRODUCT WILL GIVE YOU TEH ASTHMA".