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What Foods Have MSG in It?
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Summary: What foods have MSG in it can be difficult to determine. MSG may be listed on the package in the ingredient list, but what foods have MSG in it may not be apparent because the term "free glutamic acid"...another name for MSG...is not required to be listed. Other terms can clue us in to whether or not there is MSG...or free glutamic acid...in the food.
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What Foods Have MSG in It?
What foods have MSG in it is a larger list than you might think. MSG is also known as monosodium glutamate as well as the little known term, "processed free glutamic acid".
What foods have MSG in it might be thought to be apparent from the ingredient list as there are foods that list MSG, but more importantly, there are ingredients not named MSG that contain "processed free glutamic acid" in our food and you have no way of knowing what foods have free glutamic acid in it without a proper list of those terms.
MSG, or free glutamic acid is well known for being an excitotoxin, meaning there are negative consequences for your central nervous system and especially the brain for some, if not all who ingest it. The reason is nature is very smart. Amino acids bound together with other amino acids in the protein we eat (whole foods) compete for receptor sites throughout the body and especially in the brain and central nervous system. Free amino acids such as free glutamic acid, overwhelm the receptor site because they have no other amino acids to compete with, over-exciting the cells and create negative consequences.
It is my opinion that staying away from MSG is important health advice. This same concept is why the artificial sweetener is dangerous as it also contains two free amino acids called phenylalanine and L-aspartic acid.
Glutamic acid is a "non-essential" amino acid...one of the building blocks of all proteins. The term "essential" refers to nine of the 22 amino acids that are "essential" because they must be obtained from food where the others are "non-essential" as they can be synthesized from other compounds depending upon the needs of the body.
Without a long boring discussion about chemistry, glutamic acid is made into MSG through a process that separates the glutamic acid (freeing it) from the other amino acids present with it in food.
Free glutamic acid tends to excite the taste buds and free glutamic acid has been used for decades as a flavor enhancer. The problem with free glutamic acid is that it acts differently than those occurring in whole foods where glutamic acid is present, but in natural ratios with other amino acids.
What foods have MSG in it needs to be known as the free glutamic acid is in a concentrated form compared to what is found in nature. This presents a problem for the brain and central nervous system.
Studies have shown that human blood levels
of MSG or free glutamic acid increase as much as 20 times with use and these high blood levels are transferred
into the human brain. Remember that as free amino acids, there are negative consequences that are not seen from the individual amino acids found in natural ratios in food as those amino acids compete for receptor sites in the central nervous system and brain at normal rates, not the overloading that occurs with free amino acids or free glutamic acid.
The blood-brain barrier contains
glutamic acid receptors and at these concentrations, the barrier can open allowing high levels of free glutamic acid to enter
the brain.
What foods that have MSG in it can only be known by understanding a list of food additives that always, often or are suspected of having free glutamic acid in them. This list is not complete and may not always be accurate...it depends on the philosophy of the manufacturer of the food.
Companies not known for "healthy" food must always be suspected of having no appreciation for the health concerns coming from free glutamic acid or MSG.
Even so called "healthy" food manufacturers...even those manufacturing organic products...might use free glutamic acid as it is not required to be listed in an ingredient list and they may view it as an acceptable food additive.
Note that none of the names in the lists below contain the words "free glutamic acid" or "MSG". Therefore if asked, the manufacturer can say accurately that there is no MSG in the product. They may not be able to say there is no "free glutamic acid" in their products. Are they being truthful?
If you want to find out if there is processed free
glutamic acid (MSG) in a product, you must ask the manufacturer for information
about "free glutamic acid." Don't ask about "MSG."
Manufacturers find it convenient when speaking to consumers, to tell them that
there is no "MSG" in their product, meaning that there is no
ingredient called "monosodium glutamate." Even if a
manufacturer tells you there is no MSG in a product, there may be autolyzed
yeast, hydrolyzed pea protein, carrageenan, sodium
caseinate, enzymes, and a whole slew of other ingredients that contain or
create processed free glutamic acid (MSG) during manufacture.
If you are told that all of the MSG in a product
is "naturally occurring," thank the manufacturer for that meaningless
information, but explain that all processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is
referred to as "natural" by the FDA, so "natural" tells
you nothing. In fact, as the word "natural" is defined by the
FDA, the food ingredient "monosodium glutamate" is
"natural."
Ingredients that ALWAYS contain processed free glutamic acid (E numbers are used in Europe in place of food additive names):
Glutamic acid (E 620)2, Glutamate (E 620)
Monosodium glutamate (E 621)
Monopotassium glutamate (E 622)
Calcium glutamate (E 623)
Monoammonium glutamate (E 624)
Magnesium glutamate (E 625)
Natrium glutamate
Yeast extract
Anything “hydrolyzed” such as “hydrolyzed protein”
Calcium caseinate, Sodium caseinate
Yeast food, Yeast nutrient
Autolyzed yeast
Gelatin
Textured protein
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
Whey protein, whey protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate
Ingredients that OFTEN contain or produce processed free glutamic acid:
Carrageenan (E 407)
Bouillon and broth
Stock
Any “flavors” or “flavoring”
Maltodextrin
Citric acid, Citrate (E 330)
Barley malt
Pectin (E 440)
Protease
Anything “enzyme modified”
Malt extract
Soy sauce
Soy sauce extract
Anything “protein fortified”
Anything “fermented”
Seasonings
Ingredients SUSPECTED of containing or creating sufficient processed free glutamic acid to serve as MSG-reaction triggers in HIGHLY SENSITIVE people:
Corn starch
Corn syrup
Modified food starch
Lipolyzed butter fat
Dextrose
Rice syrup
Brown rice syrup
Milk powder
The following work synergistically with MSG to enhance flavor. If they are present for flavoring, so is MSG.
Disodium 5’-guanylate (E 627)
Disodium 5’-inosinate (E-631)
Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides (E 635)
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