Our children are being poisoned by take-out meals, parents who work until 7pm but are lazy with their children, families who don't eat together, late-night high fat snacks, etc. Not a simple food additive. Imagine a child that was raised without MSG, but ate a normal, fairly healthy diet. Now offer this child two options for dinner: pizza and cake, or lean chicken, brown rice, and broccoli. What do you think he's going to choose? He will choose the pizza and cake, because these foods, especially to children, taste better. If he's allowed to eat these he will gain weight and will retain these eating habits to adulthood, regardless of MSG.
If you're worried about the MSG-laden potato chips making you fat, then try an apple instead. Sure, you'll go into withdrawal for a few days when you break your MSG addiction, but at least you won't be forced by evil government and greedy insurance companies to stuff your face full of MSG every day (and, I will remind you here, that MSG has been and is being used in Asian cooking...and Asians are known for being skinny. But then, Asians also have fewer cars per capita, walk a lot more, eat better, spend less time on the couch...).
In closing, there are a lot of fat people in America. But there are a lot of normal-sized and skinny people, too. Since MSG is apparently in everything, how do all these normal people manage to escape obesity while eating the same types of foods? Hmm…what an enigma! Maybe this is all part of the conspiracy? Oh, wait, I know it! They get more exercise, eat less (yes, it's possible to eat a few chips instead of the whole bag of chips...and it's possible to have a few squares of chocolate one day and not eat five chocolate bars the next day), and eat a little more of the good stuff and a little less of the bad stuff.
There. Now you know.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Catherine
CJ: Loved your humorous, biting look at this MSG non-issue. I"ve read the study and found it to be lacking in basic scientific merit (I'm a dietitian and actually do know how to look at a study critically). One of the biggies to me: the author's definition of "obese" is a BMI that most authorities consider "acceptable weight." Thanks for the chuckle and for pointing out how ludicrous the author's conclusions and the media hype on this is/was.
2 - Joanne Huspek
Damn, woman, that was one great article! And yes, I totally agree. But have you been inside a "regular" supermarket lately? Most of them have cut down their fresh meat and produce areas and filled the space with prepackaged garbage food. You almost have to grow your own, frequent farmers' markets or pay more at a gourmet market to get anything fresh these days.
3 - CJ
Thank you for the kind words!
I agree that there is a lot of pre-packaged "junk" food these days, but fortunately, they also tend to taste like junk (to me, anyway), which encourages me to continue to eat properly.
I frequent farmers' markets whenever I can, and I encourage anyone who is able to, to buy butchered meat directly from a farm. In my area, many families get together and purchase one slaughter animal that they know was raised healthily and humanely, and they split the butchered meat amongst each other.
4 - Sam
I think you need to read this.
I hate to say it... but your assessment is a bit off.
The MSG that Asians have been using is different than the MSG that is manufactured here in the states. The MSG manufactured here not only causes obesity, but a host of other problems (seizures, neuro issues, cardiac problems and is also a carcinogenic)
If you simply google MSG injected rats you will come up with numerous abstracts from scientific studies done concerning the effects of MSG on the brain and pancreas.
MSG makes trans fat look like an absolute angel in comparison... And I understand your ranting. That's why I'm commenting. I loved being able to have the occasional trans fat donut, but they are no longer available, because some people just don't realize that eating unhealthy foods is something you do as a "special treat" every once in a great while. If you eat unhealthy, it's common sense that you will BE unhealthy... I hate the trans fat ban. I think it is the result of a total lack of self control on the part of the average consumer. There's no reason that someone such as myself should be deprived of the occasional enjoyment of a food containing trans, simply because there are individuals out there that can't control themselves. It's like prohibition all over again...
But the MSG beef is valid. MSG manufactured the way it is in the states renders it a toxin. (And you really don't want to know how it is made... trust me. Google it if you like... One word : bacteria.) For some people it is actually lethal. It is not an allergan... It is a TOXIN. There is a significant difference.
5 - Roz
You say that there are NO studies in humans and that Asians have been using it for many years with no ill effect... then what about this study?
Did you even Google this subject at all? I'm not saying that there is some great "conspiracy" to make America fat, but there are less than scrupulous business leaders that will use any additive they can to make their products sell, even if the additive is not good for people. What, American politicians and FDA people can't be bought off? You must be joking, right?
Yes, Americans should eat food that is organically grown and cook it themselves. Everyone would be healthier. We should eat less fat and sugar, and more vegetables and fruits and lean meats.
Not everyone can afford that. Many can only afford the cheaper, boxed foods at a store. But if you Google all the names that MSG hides under and look at almost any item of pre-packaged food on a grocery shelf, you will almost always find MSG hiding there. It affects the hypothalamus (actually causes tumors), which is not protected by the brain blood barrier. It interferes with leptin which tells us when to stop eating. And this does not happen only with injected MSG, but with ingested MSG.
So, people get addicted and keep buying the foods that cause the addition. If you had ever been poor and addicted to something, you would be a little less superior in your tone and maybe gain a bit of understanding about how hard it is to get away from something that is truly addicting. And just where is the responsibility of food producers when it comes to putting potentially dangerous additives in food? This is not a simple subject, as you would make it out to be.
Do a bit more research before poo-pooing someone else's information.
6 - CJ
Yes, of course I researched it (actually, I read books, I didn't just "google" it).
In addition, you'll note that the study you posted was published the day AFTER I posted my article, so it was pretty much impossible for me to use that as information when writing the above. And, did you even read it? The last line states:
"MSG is not toxic,” he said. “But now the question is: Is it healthy? This study is a warning that we should be cautious.”
No offense, but that "study" isn't really backing up your claim that MSG is responsible for obesity, and if McDs avoided using MSG, we could all eat there every day and look like super models.
Is MSG linked to Obesity? Maybe. Is MSG really what's making people fat? No. People eating fat and sugar is what's making people fat.
And really, I'm sick of hearing "we can't afford good food," because unless you're feeding more children than you should have produced, it is quite possible to eat right on a low budget. I spend very little on food - I buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, I avoid foods that are expensive if there is a cheaper alternative (for example, I can buy a bag of cooking onions for half the cost of a bag of red onions), I consume little meat, I plan out my meals and purchase only what I need, I prepare small portions and bring anything leftovers for lunch, and I don't buy in bulk (tried it, ended up chucking half anyway).
I'm not slum poor, but I'm not rich. I've eaten a lot of bad food, particularly as a kid and teen, and yet I managed to avoid weighing 300 lbs by age 22, although I've never been skinny.
It's not a black-and-white issue, but I thought the article was long enough as it is. I stand by the fact that MSG is not making people fat. It may be "contributing" to obesity, just as one could say that white sugar is "contributing" to obesity; but if you eat a box of MSG and white sugar laden donuts, your biggest problem isn't the food additive MSG or the fact that the sugar is white and processed.
It's really not rocket science. Just eat properly and you'll have nothing to worry about.
7 - Brunelleschi
I wonder if its just a case of adding MSG to bad food makes bad food that tastes a little better.
I did a quick google and found this geeky Abstract that seems to back up the this article-
"Abstract
Umami taste appears to signal, at the gustatory level, the intake of proteins, therefore the working hypothesis was: does umami taste of a monosodium glutamate (MSG) solution elicit changes in both glucagon and insulin release, similar to those elicited by aminoacids, and consequently, changes in plasma glucose and in overall cellular metabolism? In a first experiment, rats were equipped with indwelling jugular and oral catheter and serial samplings were made in the free moving, undisturbed rat before and after an oral or IV infusion of MSG (0.05M). None of the plasma parameters showed any significant response. In a second experiment, energy expenditure was monitored by means of an original computer-based calorimeter capable of calculating, besides the classical parameters, resting metabolism in a moving animal (designated by background metabolism). The addition of MSG to a low calorie, low-protein meal did not modify background metabolism or respiratory quotient. Therefore MSG ingestion does not by itself affect plasma levels of hormones of glucose and protein metabolism, total metabolism rate, or nutrient utilization. However, examination of individual data and those from a pilot experiment for future work suggests that MSG becomes an efficient metabolic effector if added to a caloric diet, and so enhances proper thermogenesis of macronutrients."
8 - ScienceGal
BAH HA I Just got this email and immediately was in a rage that people might actually believe it and think to there selves that there is just 'nothing they can do' what else is there to eat. Then I found this delightful article and laughed and laughed. Thank you so much for not being an idiot and I commend you on actually attacking the wording that others fall for. "this study, that study" anyone can write a study, its the methods that count!!!!
Thanks again
9 - Kevin
Nice try, but no cigar.
Your psuedo intellectual article does a subpar job of debating MSG's safety for the public. You fail to mention that MSG equals not just Monosodium Glutamate, but Processed Free Glutamic Acid, which goes unlabled in many food and beverage products. If MSG is safe, then why isn't it labeled when its a compenent of other ingredients such as citric acid, maltodextrin, autolyzed yeast, malted barley, natural flavor, etc...? You also neglected to mention that to determine the % of the population who are sensitive to MSG, the FDA still relies on a study from the late 1970's that limited the number of symptoms to 3 that had to be simulataneous and the study itself just lasted a few hours. If you think that study is reliable, then the pope is Jewish. Nonetheless, 2% of the public is roughly 12 million people. Don't those 12 million people deserve to know when they're comsuming MSG?!? Also, one of the studies the FDA relies upon to "claim" MSG's safety is one that's fraudulent because it used placebos with aspartame. Why is there a Glutamate Association or an Internation Glutamate Technical Committee? Why are food and drugs regulated by the same administration and not separate ones? Hmm...I wonder!
[Personal attack deleted by Comments Editor]
10 - CJ
If you say so, Kevin. Keep chasing conspiracy theories; it helps the rest of us confirm out sanity.
If you want to bring forward accurate, well thought out points of debate, I am more than happy to read and consider them. But a bunch of alarmist questions with no real point, and that don't really say anything? Yeah right. Thanks, my eyes needed a good roll.
11 - Seamus
Wow it seems the author has some real issues other than these studies. You lash out at people with children and seem to have way too personal a view on what as a scientist should be objective criticisms. This whole article reeked of knee jerk reactionary rantings so much so that I could not even get all the way through the article. I would suggest perhaps writing articles on subjects that aren't so infalmmatory to your psyche, you seem to be overly emotionally invested to be worth reading. Why are you so angry and in need to make people at fault in their obesity? I would love to see this mentality in the forum of cancers or Auto Immune Deficiency disorders despite those conditions being very often self inflicted as well, but my guess is your slant would be a great deal more forgiving and lenient. Please don't think of this as an attack but were you or are you obese yourself?
12 - CJ
Had you finished the article, Seamus, you might have realized that my "rantings" were directed towards people who blame others for their problems. If someone wants to be obese due to overeating or have, say, lung cancer due to a lifetime of smoking, that's fine. Just don't blame everyone else for your problems.
Anyone lamenting the fact that they are overweight because of the MSG they consume via chips, gravy, hamburger helper, not to mention every fast-food restaurant the author mentioned, is opening themselves up to ridicule.
I am not obese, not have I ever been. I eat LOTS of MSG, but also lots of fruits and veg, and I get a decent amount of exercise. I must be some sort of miracle ;)
Might I suggest that the sarcasm you perceived as anger in my article might be a reflection of your own frustrations at being obese? If you feel that badly about it, get off the computer and eat an apple instead of looking for a scapegoat.
13 - SoonaOrlata
Personal attacks are not allowed so i am not even goin to start on ur attitude. Is that to say i cannot attack your words also? Please people if ur looking for info on stuff like this be wary of conflicts of interest(these ppl link to bacterial defacation(MSG) for ur food). Conflicts of interest are so rampant these days its hard to find any truth. Whose loosing money from MSG being put into foods? Is there somethin that would compete with MSG? my guess noone and nothing. So its about making money putting it into food? partly. Lets look at another angle, if u wanted to have unconsented control over ppl would you want them healthy and strong physically and mentally? NO!! Would u lace their food and water with mood, mind, and body altering drugs?YES!! MSG, aspartame, gm foods/animals, fluoride, xenoestrogens, bisphenol A,etc.... If we dont get a handle on these corporations and government they will destroy the world, tell us its our fault and then proceed to 'take care of the problem' if u know what im sayin. At some point(like when everything points to it but wont be admitted, and they talk to u like a child, flaunting their worthless pieces of paper showing you they had a 'refined education') conspiracies need to be considered. If u try to fight something that isnt there nothing will fight back, right? go ahead give it a try, become a thorn in their side, great things will be said in ur eulogy!!
14 - CJ
I'm not sure what you're trying to say but it sounds insane. I'm not even sure if you're agreeing with me or not.
Look, I don't LIKE things like HFCS, MSG, aspartame. I wish that our diets could be simplified to exclude things like Doritos and McDonalds. BUT, MSG is not what's making the food unhealthy (it was already plenty unhealthy before MSG got here), and MSG is not what's making people fat (that would be all the sugar and fat and lack of exercise).
I want people to be healthy, but if they choose to be lazy and eat a lot and are 300 lbs, that is their own fault, not MSG's fault.
I think I've addressed your concerns, but as I said, most of your post didn't make sense. Enjoy your conspiracy theories.
15 - SoonaOrlata
Ohh i forgot vaccines and its nice to see such a fast response =) why does it sound insane? i think ur a little touched if u cant understand that im totally disagreeing with u
16 - SoonaOrlata
and apparently its ok to attack me personally =)
17 - CJ
I'm not attacking you, I just can't understand what you're trying to say; that's a fact, not an attack. I think it was something to do with conspiracy theories and being against vaccines and the government "getting rid of people".
If you care to clarify and bring a forward a reasonable (e.g. no conspiracy theories) argument, I would be happy to further debate this. Otherwise, like I said earlier: enjoy your conspiracy theories.
18 - SoonaOrlata
I think ur under the impression that conspiracy theories are always false...have you researched theses things(maybe y they sound crazy?) sorry for the attacking part i agree upon further thought that u indeed were not attacking me and i apologize further for my lack of compunction regarding my delivery and arena. No need for further debate thank you for your time.
19 - Bob Aran
I'm trying to research this subject and draw my own conclusions. This article and the writer's self-righteous attitude provided no help at all. Other commenter's intelligent dissenting questions were dismmissed out of hand. The sarcasm did a very poor job of posing as witty insight. I wish I could say I learned something from the read other than not to waste so much time when an article is apparently going nowhere.
20 - aurumgirl
Oh, honey, there are many more than just one study about MSG's effects on the brain, pancreas, neurological system as a whole, weight gain, and even genetic changes caused in animals fed msg (in quantities that I think are far smaller than what most North Americans eat every day). I read your article just looking for one (1) article, somewhere, from a legitimate, independentally funded (from sources other than Big Food or Big Pharma, cause remember, MSG is in vaccines, too) and I cannot find a single one. The one you're tearing up--as well as hundreds of others, spanning several decades--are in many bona fide scientific and medical journals published all over the world.
Bottom line: MSG, and all its multitude of "cousins", but basically all free-glutamic acid food additives, are just a cheap chemical which makes you feel like the taste of a certain food is intensified, when it simply doesn't contain that food at all. It's a very cheap substitute for real food tastes, which comes from real ingredients like meat and vegetables and real spices (not just "spices" or "natural flavours"). You're being ripped off because you're not getting the real food--and since you're not getting the real food but a cheap substitute, you're also not getting the real food nutrients, either.
Anyone who doesn't see the direct link between eating nutrient free foods, an increased need to eat and eating in quantity that leads to obesity is just willingly blind; that is indisputable in itself, even if you want to ignore the fact the stuff alters the metabolism to create obesity in humans and other animals.
21 - CJ
"Anyone who doesn't see the direct link between eating nutrient free foods, an increased need to eat and eating in quantity that leads to obesity is just willingly blind; that is indisputable in itself, even if you want to ignore the fact the stuff alters the metabolism to create obesity in humans and other animals."
I see the link, sure. Just like there is a link between artificial sweeteners and obesity (e.g., increased consumption of zero-cal sweeteners is increasing everyone's sweet tooth, leading us to consume more real [white, refined] sugar now than we did before aspartame and co. were widely used.)
However, saying that any of these things directly cause obesity is like that saying that TV causes obesity because it encourages us to sit on our butts all day.
I'm really sorry for the fatties that can't manage to eat right or exercise but... no, I'm not sorry for them. Everyone is weak, everyone is a victim, and everyone ELSE is to blame for our faults.
NO.
Eat right, get some exercise, and you will not be obese, regardless of whether you consume MSG. My point is, if you're eating enough crappy food and getting enough MSG that it's affecting your weight that much, you are eating TOO MUCH JUNK FOOD and would be fat anyway (MSG or not).
If you don't like my sources because they don't support your position - well, sorry. Feel free to post your own articles, I will be happy to read them (seriously).
Oh, and Bob - sorry if my awesomeness offended you. If you want a lack of personality in your reading material, pick up a dictionary.
22 - CJ
Bob Aran - Are you confused about what site you're on? "Blogcritics". CRITICS.
My article isn't objective and neither my opinion. I'm guessing that something in my article offended you (maybe you're obese, have too many children and can't afford good food, heck if I know), because, well, I'm right.
I'm not a scientist, but I can tell you definitely that if you are eating enough MSG that it's affecting your health that much, you're also eating WAY too much pre-packaged food (i.e., sugar, fat and sodium in a wrapper) and THAT is what is making you (the royal "you") fat. There's no way I'm wrong about that.
Secondly, the e-mail "forward" that I'm criticizing (remember the website you're on, now) was awful. Just awful. The only person who may not agree with me here is the author of that stupid book she's pedaling.
Don't eat MSG if you don't want to. Think it's bad for you if you want to - it certainly isn't GOOD for you, but don't get upset at me because I've painted an accurate picture of Western society - fat 'n lazy.
23 - wietog
CJ: You assume that those who may see a link between the chemicals in our food and the growing obesity problem are idiots who are too simple to understand the concept of eat less and exercise more.
You do know that most people who are obese have been on severe, restricted diets at some point, right? And that a majority of those who have had major surgery (stomach stapling) gain their weight back? Do you really think a person who is capable of either is "lazy"?
You also seem rather rabid and self-satisfied to fault those who are overweight with said laziness.
Have you ever worked as a hotel maid? If you have (as I have), you'd know the work is BRUTAL. Yet, many low-wage workers who WORK HARD like that are severely overweight. Hmm. Wonder how that happens.
It is the QUALITY of our food that is at issue.
US citizens who spend extensive time in certain European countries such as Spain often return in awe of the quantity of good food they were able to consume without GAINING WEIGHT! Do you know how people ate during the 50's? Full-fat dairy, lots of meat, white starches...yet little obesity. The plot, I mean waistline thickens...
Just because the issue of obesity may be a wee bit more complicated than your wittle bwain can handle, don't play the jerk card by calling others willing victims.
24 - Scott
you go CJ! Most of these people are crazy. I love the occasional sane article when I find it. People will do anything to blame others for their weight problems. Anything, that is, except for eat right and exercise ...
25 - neal hightower
He’s right, we’re fat because we eat too little and don’t move enough but smoking cigarettes, drinking diet cokes, dosing with High Fructose Corn Syryp, refining our flour until it’s whiter and finer than talcum powder and shoveling down MSG are not working in our favor. I, for one, will take every advantage I can give myself when standing infront of an 800lb gorilla that I have tried fighting my whole life. I have certainly learned to leave the gorilla alone and stop convincing myself that I can beat him this time and just walk away. So I’m not making excuses, but I’m not ready to stick my head in the sand and ignore the facts.
I’m telling you, as Ms. Lieberman said 4 decades ago…it’s all killing us softly…..(now there’s a good ending for you)
Nealon Hightower
author, Six Simple Truths to Fat Release; How I Let Go of Over 100lbs the Easy Way