MSG has already been linked to migraines, neurological disorders, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). And now, Dr. Northrup reports, there’s a link between monosodium glutamate (MSG) and obesity.

MSG is isolated from Kombu, a Japanese seaweed. It doesn’t have a taste of its own, but it intensifies the flavor of your food. In fact, it’s an ingredient that can make bland food pleasant tasting, so it’s used pervasively in processed foods, including those you get at fast food and chain restaurants. Often disguised by a pseudonym, MSG is even found in most commercially prepared canned and frozen foods.

What’s really happening, Dr. Northrup reveals, is the MSG is an appetite stimulant that “tricks” the “appestat” (the hypothalamic appetite center in the brain) and encourages overeating! It somehow clouds the “I’ve had enough” signal. So the more you eat, the more you want—hence the “I bet you can’t eat just one” tagline on snack foods.

And how about this: The Glutamate Association (a lobby group for the use of MSG) enthusiastically admits to MSG’s effect, saying that it’s necessary for some, like the elderly, to receive the appropriate amount of nutrition.

Numerous studies have shown MSG’s effects on rats. Inherently a normal weight, rats are literally treated with MSG as infants so scientific studies on obesity can be conducted. These MSG-treated rats are much more susceptible to insulin resistance. There is every reason to believe that the same result is being produced in humans every day. And these kinds of changes in glucose levels cause a cascade of other health problems, including diabetes.

“Ever since I learned this information about MSG, I’ve started to read labels more closely than ever. I’ve even noticed that one of my favorite foods, beef jerky, is loaded with MSG,” she adds. “As a result, I’ve been changing my snack foods to alternatives that are healthier. And I recommend you do the same.”

Obesity is now poised to overtake tobacco use as the leading underlying cause of premature death in the U.S. Currently, tobacco use is linked to 435,000 (18 percent of all) premature deaths. But obesity is a close second at 400,000 a year (or 17percent.) Sadly, 65 percent of the population is now considered overweight. And if the current rate of obesity continues, by the year 2020, there will be a 20 percent rise in the number of individuals ages 50-69 who experience difficulty bathing, dressing, and walking across a room.¹

P.S. Beware these pseudonyms or other food additives that contain MSG: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Plant Protein Extract, Calcium Caseinate, Yeast Extract, Textured Protein, and Hydrolyzed Oat Flour.

References

1. Balbo, SL, et. Al., 2002. Diabetes Metab, Parasympathetic activity changes insulin response to glucose and neurotransmitters (6 Pt 2):3S13-7; discussion 3S108-12.
   
   Gobatto, CA, et. al., 2002. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol, The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in obesity, 111(1-4):89-101.
   
   Guimaraes, RB, et. al., 2002. Brain Res Bull, Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats, 58(4):363-9.