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(NaturalNews) It was 1994 when seven tobacco industry executives stood before the House Commerce Committee and swore that nicotine in cigarettes was not addictive. Could it be that we're being told again that a chemical, in our food this time, is non-addictive when there's evidence showing otherwise? And could it be causing the massive obesity epidemic engulfing our country today?

John Erb was a developmental research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It was while reviewing medical journals for a book he was writing called The Slow Poisoning of America, that he found something alarming. His theory and supporting research posits that the ubiquitous food additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG), is addictive and a direct cause of Obesity, Diabetes, Autism and A. D. Hyperactive Disorder. Needless to say controversy abounds.

Animal studies dating from the 1970's show that monosodium glutamate induces obesity along with a long list of unsavory ailments, but the FDA states that MSG is a safe food ingredient for the general population. They have no set limits on how much is allowed in foods and claim that regardless of the amount added to foods, it is safe. In addition, the International Glutamate Technical Society recruited researchers and medical schools to study the issue and concluded that there was no evidence that MSG was anything but safe; the logical assumption being it is harmless and has no effect on the human body..

MSG is a sodium salt of the non essential amino acid, glutamic acid, and was first introduced in the United States in 1947 as Accent Flavor Enhancer. In its pure form it appears as a white crystalline powder. Used by almost every fast food restaurant and food manufacturer you can think of to enhance the flavor of their food, MSG has many an esoteric name whereby it might be hard to recognize. Most of us are clueless that MSG is hidden in a product when it is listed on the label as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sodium caseinate, Aginomoto, autolyzed yeast extract, soy protein extract or natural meat tenderizer.

Hundreds of studies and research have been conducted around the world by renowned doctors and scientists who have published vast amounts of information about the deleterious effects of MSG. Though it may not be a health hazard to everyone there are segments of the population whose health seems to be drastically affected by this additive.

In 1992, 60 Minutes rebroadcast a segment first aired in 1991 showing the toxic effects of MSG, but the pressure and back lash from Industry and others was so great that any mention of MSG by major media sources has virtually been nonexistent since then.

The findings of John Erb, that MSG addicts people to those products containing the additive and consequently makes them choose that product over others, might explain why manufacturers are adding MSG to foods in ever growing amounts and why we're getting fatter; we're addicted so we eat more and more. MSG has scientifically been proven to cause obesity in studies such as:

"Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats:
An animal model of multiple risk factors." Iwase M. Yamamoto M. Iino K. Ichikawa K. Shinohara N. YYoshinari Fujishima. Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar

"Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity." Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K Kusunoki. Exp Neurol. 1978>Oct.

Of these two studies highlighted, notice the date of the latter. Interestingly the obesity/MSG connection apparently isn't new. Go to the National Library of Medicine (www.pubmed.com) and read the rest of the 115 medical studies for yourself.

Until next time, your health mate,
Deanna Dean

Coasttocoastam.com/guests/980.html

Truthinlabeling.org/enemy.html

Jane McRae, Advertising Sales, Daily Herald-Tribune Grande Prairie, Alberta

Laleva.org/eng/2004/03/autism_and_adhd_linked_to_addictive

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