Month: August 2010

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Excitotoxins

When a food ingredient is 99 percent pure MSG it is called “monosodium glutamate” by the FDA and must be labeled as such. However, when a food product contains less than 99 percent MSG, the FDA doesn’t require that the MSG be identified. So it often appears on labels in various disguised forms, such as “hydrolyzed vegetable protein,” “spices” and “natural flavoring.” Here’s a quick list of potentially suspect ingredients to watch for (when in doubt, call the manufacturer to inquire).
* Ingredients that may contain 30 to 60 percent MSG: hydrolyzed vegetable protein; hydrolyzed protein; hydrolyzed plant protein; plant protein extract; sodium caseinate; calcium caseinate; yeast extract; textured protein; autolyzed yeast; hydrolyzed oat flour; Accent.
* Ingredients that may contain 12 to 40 percent MSG: malt extract; malt flavoring; bouillon; broth; stock; natural flavoring; natural beef or chicken flavoring; seasoning; spices.
* Ingredients that may contain some MSG: carrageenan; enzymes; soy protein concentrate; soy protein isolate; whey protein concentrate; some soymilk.
Sources:  In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome, by George R. Schwartz, MD.

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Fizzy Drink Risk

In a study that followed 6,000 regular consumers of fizzy drinks, for four years, those who drank just one or more fizzy drinks each day were nearly 45 per cent more likely to develop obesity, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure.