It goes by one name, sounding harmless, but it's really something quite different, and not harmless at all. Hydolyzed vegetable protein, the subject of yesterday's article about the mass food recall, is really monosodium glutamate, or MSG.
MSG is that chemical that everyone knows Chinese restaurants use. Why do they use it? Simple: to make the food taste better; more appealing, so you want to eat more of it, more often. But that added flavor comes with a high price.
Many natural health practitioners and some conventional doctors and researchers, as well, believe that MSG falls into the category of "excitotoxins". In the 1960's, a neuroscientist named John Olney discovered two neurotransmitters, glutamate (MSG) and aspartame, which overly excite brain cells, causing brain damage. Moreover, the age of a person seems to be an important factor, with very young infants and children and the elderly being at higher risk.
There's much more that can be written about this topic, but the main facts have been presented here. MSG deserves attention as Americans scrutinize food and its production processes more carefully. It has been liberally added to many common foods since the 1940's when it began to appear even in baby food. Many people report severe headaches, rashes, breathing problems, and other symptoms when eating foods containing MSG. There are two sides to this issue and you will find people who say it's not a problem. However, if you study the chemistry of it, and listen to reputable people, using common sense, you will probably agree with those that suggest caution and even elimination. Is brain damage worth the risk? Could food possibily taste delicious without chemical additives?
To be fair to the "conventional" medical community, a link to the Mayo Clinic's assessment on MSG has been provided here. Do the research--read opposing views, and then you be the judge; it's your health.
Where can you enjoy good, healthy Chinese food in Salt Lake City if you want to avoid MSG? Here are three restaurants who do not use MSG: Sampan, Asian Star Chinese Cuisine, and Kwan Downtown Chinese Restaurant.
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