MSG: a 20-year debate continues

Article Abstract:

The amino acid glutamate is often added to processed foods as the flavor-enhancer, monosodium glutamate (MSG). In the brain, glutamate is released by certain nerves and can increase the activity of other nerves. However, excessive amounts of glutamate have the toxic effect of stimulating nerve cells until they die. In 1969, a Washington University scientist, John Olney, showed that when MSG was given to monkeys or rats certain nerves in their brains were destroyed. He also found that infant animals were much more sensitive to the toxic effect of glutamate than adult animals. Based on these findings, he urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban MSG from children's food. Although his efforts were not successful, baby food manufacturers voluntarily stopped putting glutamate into their products. Olney also has urged the control of the artificial sweetener aspartame, because it contains the amino acid aspartate, which has similar actions to glutamate. However, after review of the scientific literature, the FDA concluded that glutamate and aspartame are both safe. Discrepancies in the literature regarding the safety of glutamate may be due to differences in the methods used to study glutamate toxicity, or to differences in the sensitivity of people to glutamate toxicity. If certain subgroups in the population are sensitive to these excitotoxins, these people might be endangered by the absence of an FDA ban of MSG or aspartame. It is thus suggested that the FDA require labelling of food products containing excitotoxins.

Aspartame, Olney, John

---

Amino acids: how much excitement is too much?

Article Abstract:

The amino acid glutamate is often added to processed foods as the flavor-enhancer, monosodium glutamate. In the brain, glutamate is released by certain nerves and can increase the activity of other nerves. However, excessive amounts of glutamate have the toxic effect of stimulating nerve cells until they die. In 1969, a Washington University scientist, John Olney demonstrated the toxic effects of glutamate in animals, and unsuccessfully urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban glutamate from children's food. Baby food manufacturers voluntarily stopped putting glutamate into their products. Other excitotoxic substances similar to glutamate occur naturally in some foods. In December 1987, about 150 Canadians became ill after eating mussels, containing a glutamate-like substance, domoic acid. Four Canadians died and 12 others suffered memory loss, similar to that in Alzheimer's disease. The chickling pea, a plant eaten by people in Asia and Africa, contains the naturally occurring excitotoxin, beta-oxaloamino-alanine, which destroys nerves and causes a disease characterized by spastic movements. A type of seed eaten by people on Guam contains the excitotoxin beta-methylamino-alanine which causes symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. Glutamate appears to play an important role in the pathogenesis of neurological disease, and this must be taken into consideration by the FDA in their regulation of food additives such as glutamate.

---

How much pain for cardiac gain?

Article Abstract:

Federal authorities have officially adopted the report of a panel of exercise researchers stating that moderate levels of moderate exercise are sufficient to maintain health. However, some scientists maintain research does not support this policy.

Evaluation, Prevention, Physical fitness, Heart diseases, Exercise, Medical policy, Health policy

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: 21st century SST. A plane for land and sea. Should the Osprey fly
• Abstracts: Past and present cocaine epidemics. Wake-up call for sleep research
• Abstracts: Maine case deals blow to DNA fingerprinting. Brown turns up the heat on pork. House puts its stamp on the budget
• Abstracts: Marijuana receptor gene cloned. Leishmania susceptibility puzzle gets another twist. Key piece found for immunology puzzle?
• Abstracts: Genome backlash going full force. NF's cancer connections. Disease and death in the New World

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.