Danger: MSG Is Making You Fat

I was stunned to discover this afternoon a little-known fact about MSG (monosodium glutamate), the food additive that is added to everything these days from fast-food hamburgers and chicken to yogurt to soda to canned foods. MSG causes the body to increase its production of insulin! This makes us more hungry, leading to overeating and obesity. But a second, more pernicious, method of MSG causing obesity is as follows: the MSG causes a boost in insulin, and insulin shunts fat and glucose from the blood into the thighs and abdomen, causing obesity. Insulin also increases clogged arteries, leading to more heart attacks and strokes. One more good reason to avoid MSG. This includes any product with hydrolyzed protein (a codename for MSG) and "artificial flavor," another codename that often indicates MSG is present. In fact if a food is labeled "no MSG" it probably contains MSG in one of these codename forms.

Researchers said: "Ingestion of the MSG solution also elevated plasma insulin levels; maximal values were obtained within 20 min of ingesting the solution, remained elevated until 60 min, and then declined to placebo values by 135 min." (p. 186).

Reference

1. John D. Fernstrom, Judy L. Cameron, Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Claire Mcconaha, Theodore E. Weltzin, and Walter H. Kaye. 1996. Short-Term Neuroendocrine Effects of a Large Oral Dose of Monosodium Glutamate in Fasting Male Subjects. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Vol. 81, No. 1. 184-191.
2. MSG and Obesity.
3. MSGTruth.org. (All about the harms of MSG.)
4. MSG - Slowly Poisoning America. ) "MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates.")
5. Statement by John Erb. (Contains the most authoritative research on the harm of MSG, including numerous studies showing that it increases insulin levels.)
6. The Slow Poisoning of Mankind: A Report on the Toxic Effects of the Food Additive
   Monosodium Glutamate Presented by John Erbof Canada to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee On Food Additives. August 2006.