If you ever doubted the safety of MSG, watch this video. Then, share my indignation at all the places MSG hides in our industrialized food supply. It’s in just about every processed food — even low-fat milk.
This is the first video in a four part series. Watch Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 3, and Part 4. These short videos go into greater details including the science behind the claim that MSG is an “excitotoxin,” how it is a silent killer (you can consume it without any noticeable side effects for years and then wake up dead one day because you reached your threshold), and the hidden prevalence of MSG in our food supply (it is not labeled as MSG in most of its forms).
What can you do about this? Take back your food! It’s a New Year, and the time for change is now. Avoid processed foods. Avoid pre-packaged foods. Consume healthy, whole foods. Eat Real Food. Start with The Basics, and move on from there.
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I knew MSG “hid” under different names — like hydrolized soy protein and food starch. But “natural flavors,” and “broth” sound so innocuous. Who’d have ever guessed how pervasive this additive is?
I’ve been aware of this MSG labeling loophole for a number of years, and bit-by-bit pared back on anything autolyzed, hydrolyzed, or contained “natural flavor” as I reduced the amount of convenience foods in my pantry and kitchen, even though I don’t necessarily see MSG as the biggest issue we need to worry about (industrial vegetable oils from soy and corn are a far bigger issue, IMO, and MSG is mostly an indicator of food that is more processed than is necessary). But my final holdout was “Better Than Bullion” concentrated chicken and beef stock, especially when they became available in an organic version. Then I started to source meat and poultry cuts with the bones and learned how easy it was to create my own delicious broth on a regular basis with my crockpot, so BTB no longer resides in my fridge. RIP.
Anna, I agree that unhealthy fats are one of the biggest problems we face. It’s why the very first video tutorial I’ve put together is on healthy vs. unhealthy fats! (It’s in the final stages of being edited. YAY.) I, too, mostly look to the presence of MSG as one more nail in the coffin of processed and pre-packaged foods.
Is maltodextrin related to MSG?
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this. Scary stuff!
.-= Laurie´s last blog post …Dreaming About Momma =-.
MSG is also a natural substance found on Kombu, which is a seaweed used to make many broths for soups in Japan–traditional soups. It is an important umami component in many tradiational Asian foods. I would caution against blanket hyper-reactive rants against something that has limited understanding in a Western context.
Great post, I think everyone needs to be aware of this, especially parents/parents to be.