I hate to complain. I really do. And I dislike jumping on someone else’s bandwagon, but this time, I’m considering joining those who are questioning the FDA’s integrity.
Today is day seven that I have been suffering from a severe allergic response to food additives, namely MSG and citric acid. I’ve known since childhood that I have a problem if I get too much citric acid, but I was always puzzled by this, because I can eat citrus fruits and I have no adverse reaction. This present reaction was so bad that I researched citric acid and found it is related to MSG and that many people who are sensitive to MSG have problems with citric acid and aspartame. I also learned that most citric acid that is used as a food preservative is not derived from citrus fruits, but from a corn mold/fungus that is actually a known carcinogen.
Further research into MSG left me feeling really angry at the FDA, the government body that is supposed to be protecting us all. MSG is a neurotoxin that excites the cells in your brain. It poses serious danger, particularly to children, and can even cause brain cells to die. It is thought to also contribute to obesity, migraines, chest pain, muscle problems, Lupus, Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia, and numerous other serious health problems. Since it was first introduced sometime in the 60’s, the amount that is now put into our foods has tripled. It is estimated that one-fourth of the population is MSG sensitive. Makes me wonder if all of the problems we are seeing more and more of, such as early impotence, diabetes, heart problems, nervous disorders, and bladder problems aren’t somehow related to all of the crap our government is feeding us, literally.
One of the websites I found that I thought was particularly informative is:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/nomsg.html
The home page of this website also has a link to several eye-opening U-Tube videos on MSG and Aspartame.
My own reaction included extreme chest and back pains, a full body rash, large hives, fatigue, nervousness, sleeplessness, extreme swelling, and my blood pressure shot up to 160/100. The itching is bone deep and I became so overcome by the itching in my hands one night, that in frenzy, I actually rubbed the skin off two of my fingers in my attempt to get relief. Pain at least provided some relief. I tried ice packs, ice water baths, Epson salt baths, heat, lotions, and nothing helped except scratching my skin raw with a hairbrush, which has ripped up my skin pretty badly.
I finally went to see a doctor. I was prescribed steroids to take, along with the over-the-counter benadryl I had been taking (and am still taking every four hours around the clock). Even with the steroids and benadryl, the itching is intense and becomes unbearably if the benadryl wears off. I just cannot believe that the FDA allows these toxins to be put into our foods… and you can find them in most of the daily items you innocently purchase from your local grocery and use on a daily basis because food and beauty product manufacturers can list these toxins under many other names.
Because my scalp was so itchy and swollen into a skullcap, I thought maybe my shampoos or conditioners contained citric acid. So, I began checking them all. Sure enough, out of 20 products, all contained citric acid. These products included Jergen’s body lotion, a scented body wash, Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner, and various other shampoos and conditioners.
I went into my kitchen and decided to read the labels on the foods I typically use. I found all my Campbell’s soups had either an MSG related ingredient or citric acid, also my dry Lipton’s onion soup mix, even my egg substitute. I read bread labels, juice labels, and everything I could find. I had just bought some of the much advertised “Activia yogurt,” and to my horror, it was sweetened with aspartame. That junk never leaves your body. It is so toxic. Do some research and you will see. Bad stuff! Anyway, I realized there was nothing in my kitchen I could eat without making my allergic reaction even worse. So, I dosed myself up on steroids and benadryl, then put on a long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses, a hat and gloves—so I wouldn’t scared the hell out of the other shoppers—and went to an organic market. I bought $100 worth of organic foods so I would have something I could eat that didn’t contain some type of synthetic, chemically manufactured toxin in it.
It appears that between the additive garbage in my beauty products and those put into the foods I had purchased, I was really getting slammed with toxins, topically and by ingesting them. Is that pathetic or what? No wonder my immune system finally blew.
The following paragraphs are excerpts from some of the web research I did. I am providing this information so that maybe someone else experiencing migraines or other chronic symptoms might consider the possibility that they too might be unknowingly reacting to the toxic additives the FDA is allowing greedy manufacturers to put into our foods and other products.
The UK Food Standards Agency publishes a listing of E numbers split into major additive categories (colours, preservatives, etc.). Copies are available on the Internet in pdf format at: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/elist_numbers.pdf
The numbering system is being adapted for international use by the Codex Alimentarius Commission who is developing an International Numbering System (INS). This largely uses the same numbers (but without the E).
Food additives are the only foodstuffs that are given E-numbers. But not all food additives are included. Evidently, very few of the food additives/ingredients that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG) are considered additives for the purposes of assigning E-numbers. Note, also, that food additives are classified according to the use or function for which they have been declared. There are many ingredients and food additives that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG) and cause adverse reactions in MSG-sensitive people, additives/ ingredients like gelatin, autolyzed yeast extract, and hydrolyzed soy protein, for example, that are not identified as additives and, therefore, are not on the E-number list. Others, which may be identified as additives, are not identified as (classified as) flavorings. The following are six additives with names that clearly indicate that they contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG):
- E620 Glutamic acid
- E621 Monosodium glutamate
- E622 Monopotassium glutamate
- E623 Calcium diglutamate
- E624 Monoammonium glutamate
- E625 Magnesium diglutamate
Aspartame contains neurotoxic aspartic acid. Aspartic acid and L-cysteine are neurotoxic amino acids as potent or more potent than the neurotoxic glutamic acid found in MSG. People who react to processed free glutamic acid (MSG) typically react similarly to aspartame, and vice versa, provided that they ingest amounts that exceed their individual tolerances for the substances.
- E951 Aspartame
- E920 L-Cysteine [Added in October 1998 by Directive 98/72/EC]
Carrageenan causes MSG-reactions in great numbers of MSG-sensitive people. There are various forms of carrageenan. It is still unknown whether carrageenan contains MSG or creates MSG during processing.
- E407 Carrageenan
Disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate do not contain MSG, but work synergistically with free glutamic acid. When disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate are found on a food label, consumers can be fairly certain that the labeled product contains some hidden processed free glutamic acid (MSG). Disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate are relatively expensive food additives that would not be cost effective if they were not used in the presence of MSG.
- E627 Disodium guanylate
- E631 Disodium inosinate
People with little tolerance for processed free glutamic acid (MSG) report reactions to pectin and to citric acid. Most of the citric acid used in formulating food ingredients comes from corn rather than from citrus fruit.
- E440 Pectins (i) pectin (ii) amidated pectin
- E330 Citric acid
- E331 Sodium citrates (i) Monosodium citrate (ii) Disodium citrate (iii) Trisodium citrate
- E332 Potassium citrates (i) Monopotassium citrate (ii) Tripotassium citrate
- E333 Calcium citrates (i) Monocalcium citrate (ii) Dicalcium citrate (iii) Tricalcium citrate
- E380 Triammonium citrate
- E472c Citric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E1505 Triethyl citrate
The E list includes a number of starches. These ingredients may include small amounts of processed free glutamic acid (MSG) that may cause reactions in MSG-sensitive individuals who have very little tolerance. Such highly MSG-sensitive people should also avoid E1200 Polydextrose.
The E list also includes a number of ingredients that include the word “phosphate.” Although phosphates do not seem to contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG), some MSG-sensitive people with little tolerance for MSG react similarly to phosphates. Although the reason(s) for such reactions are not known, we do know that phosphates affect calcium and magnesium levels in the body. Calcium and magnesium are involved in the metabolism of glutamic acid.
These ALWAYS contain MSG
- Glutamate (E 620)
- Glutamic acid (E 620)
- Monosodium glutamate (E 621)
- Monopotassium glutamate(E 622)
- Calcium glutamate (E 623)
- Monoammonium glutamate (E 624)
- Magnesium glutamate(E 625)
- Gelatin
- Calcium caseinate
- Sodium caseinate
- Textured protein
- Anything “hydrolyzed”
- Any “hydrolyzed protein”
- Yeast nutrient
- Yeast extract
- Yeast food
- Autolyzed yeast
- Vegetable protein extract
- Vetsin
- Ajinomoto
- Natrium glutamate (natrium Latin/German for sodium)
These OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing
- Carrageenan
- Maltodextrin
- Malt extract
- Natural pork flavoring
- Citric acid
- Malt flavoring
- Bouillon and Broth
- Natural chicken flavoring
- Soy protein isolate
- Natural beef flavoring
- Ultra-pasteurized
- Soy sauce
- Stock
- Barley malt
- Soy sauce extract
- Whey protein concentrate
- Pectin
- Soy protein
- Whey protein
- Protease
- Soy protein concentrate
- Whey protein isolate
- Protease enzymes
- Anything protein fortified
- Flavors(s) & Flavoring(s)
- Anything enzyme modified
- Anything fermented
- Natural flavor(s) & flavoring(s)
- Enzymes anything
- Seasonings (the word “seasonings”)
These ingredients work synergistically with MSG to enhance flavor
(If they are present for flavoring purposes, so is MSG)
- Disodium 5’-guanylate(E 627)
- Disodium 5’-inosinate (E 631)
- Disodium 5′-ribonucleotides (E 635)
The following substances contain some factory created free glutamate in varying amounts. Please note that some food labels list several of these items, which can add up to a considerable and dangerous amount in one product:
- Malted Barley (flavor)
- Natural Flavors, Flavors, Flavoring
- Modified food starch
- Barley malt
- Reaction Flavors
- Rice syrup or brown rice syrup
- Malt Extract or Flavoring
- Natural Chicken, Beef, or Pork, Flavoring
- Maltodextrin, dextrose, dextrates
- Soy Sauce or Extract
- Lipolyzed butter fat
- “Low” or “No Fat” items
- Caramel Flavoring (coloring)
- Soy Protein
- Stock
- Soy Protein Isolate or Concentrate
- Citric Acid (when processed from corn)
- Broth
- Cornstarch fructose (made from corn)
- Milk Powder
- Bouillon
- Flowing Agents
- Dry Milk Solids
- Carrageenan
- Wheat, rice, corn, or oat protein
- Protein Fortified Milk
- Whey Protein or Whey
- Anything enriched or vitamin enriched
- Annatto
- Whey Protein Isolate or Concentrate
- Protein fortified “anything”
- Spice
- Pectin
- Enzyme modified proteins
- Gums (guar and vegetable)
- Protease
- Ultra-pasteurized dairy products
- Dough Conditioners
- Protease enzymes
- Fermented proteins
- Yeast Nutrients
- Lecithin
- Gluten and gluten flour
- Corn syrup and corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup
- “Seasonings” (Most assume this is salt, pepper, or spices and herbs, which sometimes it is.)
- Protein powders: whey, soy, oat, rice (in protein bars shakes and body building drinks)
- Amino acids (as in Bragg’s liquid amino acids and chelated to vitamins)
- Algae, phytoplankton, sea vegetable, wheat/ barley grass powders
In ADDITION…
The not so new game is to label hydrolyzed proteins as pea protein, whey protein, corn protein, etc. If a pea, for example, were whole, it would be identified as a pea. Calling an ingredient pea protein indicates that the pea has been hydrolyzed, at least in part, and that processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is present. Relatively new to the list are wheat protein and soy protein.
Disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate are expensive food additives that work synergistically with inexpensive MSG. Their use suggests that the product has MSG in it. They would probably not be used as food additives if there were no MSG present.
MSG reactions have been reported from soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics, where MSG is hidden in ingredients that include the words “hydrolyzed,” “amino acids,” and “protein.”
Low fat and no fat milk products often include milk solids that contain MSG and/or contain Carrageenan, guar gum, and/or locust bean gum. Low fat and no fat versions of ice cream and cheese may not be as obvious as yogurt, milk, cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc., but they are not an exception.
Protein powders contain glutamic acid, which, invariably, would be processed free glutamic acid (MSG). Amino acids are not always listed on labels of protein powders.
Drinks, candy, and chewing gum are potential sources of hidden MSG and/or aspartame and neotame. Aspartic acid, found in neotame and aspartame (NutraSweet), ordinarily causes MSG type reactions in MSG sensitive people. Aspartame is found in some medications, including children’s medications. Neotame is relatively new and we have not yet seen it used widely in the United States. Check with your pharmacist.
Binders and fillers for medications, nutrients, and supplements, both prescription and non-prescription, enteric feeding materials, and some fluids administered intravenously in hospitals, may contain MSG.
Healthy Vegetarian meals also add MSG
They hide the ingredient in another ingredient called “yeast extract“, then they put yeast extract in the product and list “yeast extract” right on the label. So this is the scam: all sorts of natural health products and vegetarian products are using chemical taste enhancers in the form of yeast extract but failing to disclose to consumers that they actually contain MSG. And if you look around at the natural health products in health food stores and grocery stores, you’ll find that yeast extract is a rather prominent ingredient. It’s used in soups, in vegetarian mixes, in some tofu mixes, and even so-called natural frozen foods.
Here is a link to companies claiming their food is MSG free but are not:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/nomsg.html
This site explains what MSG does in the body:
http://books.google.com/books?id=UxDNkhvIc…qDkVbrdH-X-fsTc .
Here are some other websites that were provided by truthinlabeling.org site:
http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm
http://www.msgtruth.org/sulfite.htm
http://www.msgtruth.org/whatisit.htm , http://www.msgmyth.com/discus/messages/247/247.html
http://www.msgtruth.org/why.htm
Good luck, friends. My hope is that my little, rather lengthy blog here will keep someone else from going through what I have been experiencing. All I can say is read labels and don’t trust the FDA. I don’t think they are on the side of the consumers. If they were working in our best interests, then I wouldn’t be sitting here doped up and holding a hairbrush at 4:00 a.m., writing this blog.
Tags: Allergy, Aspartame, Citric Acid Allergy, FDA failure, Food Additives, Greedy Manufacturers, Itching, MSG, MSG and Fibromyalgia, MSG and Lupus, MSG and Migraines, MSG Neurotoxin, Toxins in Beauty Products, Toxins in Foods
