Comments on: MSG: The Most Savory of Poisons http://joegoldfarb.com/health/the-most-savory-of-poisons better living through simplicity Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:35:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Dr Joe http://joegoldfarb.com/health/the-most-savory-of-poisons#comment-224 Dr Joe Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:37:27 +0000 http://joegoldfarb.com/health/the-most-savory-of-poisons#comment-224 Um - you might want to check some of the studies that you mention. The early studies on neurotoxicity involved the direct injection of MSG into the subjects - achieving a much higher plasma glutamate level than is ever achieveable if MSG is consumed orally. This is analogous to potassium chloride - consume it in a diet, and it's fine. Inject it - you're dead! The rat study that you mention is really bad science. The researchers force fed 2.5 or 5g of MSG daily to these rats. This was 10% or 20% of the dry weight of their daily diets!! All this achieved was malnutrition (less regular food) and extreme thirst due to sodium intake! Remember the old adage - the dose makes the poison As far as MSG goes, perhaps you are sensitive to it - or perhaps you are sensitive to one or more of the other ingredients that were in the seasoning. Flavors and preservatives can cause issues with people. Natural flavors can contain a host of flavor chemicals that flavor houses want to keep proprietary knowledge. You also need to be critical of what you read in blogs - posting of some sensational information might have alterior motives - like selling their books on the website! Um - you might want to check some of the studies that you mention.
The early studies on neurotoxicity involved the direct injection of MSG into the subjects - achieving a much higher plasma glutamate level than is ever achieveable if MSG is consumed orally. This is analogous to potassium chloride - consume it in a diet, and it’s fine. Inject it - you’re dead!

The rat study that you mention is really bad science. The researchers force fed 2.5 or 5g of MSG daily to these rats. This was 10% or 20% of the dry weight of their daily diets!! All this achieved was malnutrition (less regular food) and extreme thirst due to sodium intake!
Remember the old adage - the dose makes the poison

As far as MSG goes, perhaps you are sensitive to it - or perhaps you are sensitive to one or more of the other ingredients that were in the seasoning. Flavors and preservatives can cause issues with people. Natural flavors can contain a host of flavor chemicals that flavor houses want to keep proprietary knowledge.

You also need to be critical of what you read in blogs - posting of some sensational information might have alterior motives - like selling their books on the website!

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