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 Page i

In Bad Taste
The MSG Symptom Complex
How monosodium glutamate is a major cause of treatable and
preventable illnesses, such as headaches, asthma, epilepsy, heart
irregularities, depression, rage reactions, and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder.

George R. Schwartz, M.D.

Foreword by Kathleen A. Schwartz, President of NoMSG

Health Press
P.O. Box 1388, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
http://www.healthpress.com
 Page ii
© 1999 by George R. Schwartz, M.D.
Foreword by Kathleen A. Schwartz
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Published by Health Press
PO Box 1388, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
http://www.healthpress.com
ISBN 0-929173-30-9
Library of Congress Card Catalog Number
Printed in the United States of America
 Page iii

Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Foreword vii
Preface to New Edition ix
Chapter 1 1
Introduction to MSG
Chapter 2 5
MSG History
Chapter 3 11
No Laughing Matter
Case Histories (migraine, arthritis-like symptoms
dizziness, slurred speech, diarrhea mood swings, rash,
depression, chest pain and others) MSG Intolerance in
Children (headaches, vomiting, hyperactivity, ADHD,
shudder attacks, seizures) Asthma Depression Headaches
Hiding MSG Ritalin Aging Women's Cycles Prostate
Symptoms Schizophrenia Rage Reactions Obesity Atrial
Fibrillation Genetics
Chapter 4 45
The MSG Syndrome: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
Chapter 5 51
MSG Symptom Analysis
Chapter 6 57
MSG: Bad Taste
Actions on Nerve Plexi, GERD Disease
(Gastroesophageal Reflux) Mitral Valve Prolapse
Pharmaceutical Companies
 Page iv

Glutamate as a Neurotransmitter MSG-Toxicity Killing

Dogs Neuroexcitatory Effects: ALS, Alzheimer's and
Treatment with Anti-Glutamate Substances Glutamate as
a Neuroexcitor The Mystery of Free Amino Acids in
Human Milk Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease)
Huntington's Chorea Parkinson's Disease and other
NeuroDegenerative Diseases Animal Studies of MSG:
Implications for Humans Obesity Hormone Changes
Seizures and Infertility Huntington's Chorea and
Alzheimer's Neuroendocrine Effects Endocrine Effects
and Obesity Epilepsy and Convulsions Hypertension
Hypotension with Syncope Glutamate in Stroke Helping
the Heart, Hurting the Brain Cancer, AIDS and Glutamate
Food and Drug Administration United States Department
of Agriculture Contaminants: The Case of Tryptophan
(EMS Syndrome) Food Manufacturers Lobby
Organizations Anti-MSG Organizations
Chapter 7 84
Living Without MSG: MSG-Free Cooking at Home
Easy Food Shopping Tips
Substitutions
Chapter 8 89
Shopping Smart and Reading Labels
MSG and Food Labeling Federal Code of Regulations
Commonly Used Aliases Labeling Requirements for
Imported Foods Alert Regarding Fresh Vegetables and
Fruits MSG and the Supermarket
 Page v

Chapter 9 105
Restaurant Guide to Food Containing MSG
Spices and Seasonings Fast Food Restaurants
Restaurants and Cafeterias Airplanes and Trains
Chapter 10 115
Conclusion
MSG as a Drug
Appendix 1 119
Recipes
Appendix 2 129
Account of Our First Observations of MSG Asthma (Dr.
Gary Baker)
Appendix 3 131
Responses to the First Edition of In Bad Taste: the MSG
Syndrome
Appendix 4 149
More about Hydrolyzed Protein
Appendix 5 151
Selected References
Index 171
About the Author 179
 Page vi

Acknowledgments
As with any project spanning decades, the people who have
assisted number in the many thousands. However, there are some
whose intensity and passion for public health deserve special
recognition and thanks.
Kathleen Schwartz, president of the National Organization
Mobilized to Stop Glutamate (NoMSG) consumer group has been
instrumental not only in the updating of this edition, but in the
editing of much of the basic work from the first edition.
The Board of Directors of NoMSG has been tireless in its efforts
to educate consumers about monosodium glutamate, or MSG.
Their hard work and the willingness of the members to share
their case reports have made the task of revising In Bad Taste
much easier.
In addition, the following individuals have made enormous
contributions of time and effort to the cause: Adrienne Samuels,
Ph.D. and Jack Samuels; Sam, the industry informant; Dorothy
Oppenheimer; John Olney, M.D.; Judith DuCharme and the
University of New Mexico Library staff; and Russell L. Blaylock,
M.D.
Also, countless others, including scientific researchers,
physicians, attorneys, consumers, friends, and family membersfar
too many to be personally namedover the years have encouraged,
informed, and kept this important message moving forward.
 Page vii

Foreword
After the first edition of In Bad Taste was written Dr. Schwartz
and the NoMSG group were inundated with more than 20,000
letters and calls from consumers concerned about the toxic
effects of MSG in our foods. Many were angry and upset that
they had been suffering for so many years without knowing the
cause of their symptoms, and once they discovered MSG to be
the culprit their lives were forever changed.
The National Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamate
(NoMSG), a not-for-profit consumer group, was founded more
than ten years ago to help educate consumers and to provide a
networking and support environment. I have worked with them
since they were founded, and am currently serving as President
of the group. I have spoken with far too many people who have
been emotionally shattered, financially devastated, and had their
life paths altered by adverse reactions to monosodium glutamate.
I believe that the current epidemic of diseases, such as
fibromyalgia, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and
chronic fatigue syndrome, and huge rises in reported cases of
neurodegenerative diseases, migraine symptoms, asthma, and
gastrointestinal diseases are all directly related to the rise in MSG
consumption.
This is not only true for the United States, but also for individuals
worldwide. Consumers are at the mercy of the glutamate industry
with very little protection from their respective government
agencies.
In my view change will not come from the governmental
authorities, but from the people. People joining together,
combining their talents and focus, have already begun to make an
impact. Their message is gaining momentum supplemented with
the research that is emerging and the new technology, such as
magnetic resonance imaging
 Page viii
and positive emission tomography scans (MRI and PET scans),
that aids in identification of MSG effects.
Medical professionals such as Dr. George Schwartz, Dr. John
Olney, Dr. Russell Blaylock, Dr. Adriene Samuels, Dr. Gary
Baker, and many others are placing their own professional
credibility at great risk to help make the necessary changes.
Unjustified and unscrupulous attacks from the glutamate industry
are common occurrences attempting to tarnish reputations of
highly educated and skilled physicians, researchers and scientists.
In Bad Taste carries an important message. It has been written to
make a difference in the health and well-being of millions of
children and adults.
KATHLEEN SCHWARTZ
PRESIDENT, NOMSG
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
 Page ix

Preface to New Edition

Adverse reactions to monosodium glutamate (MSG) are
increasing daily as the amount found in our food supply
increases yearly. The use of MSG and of MSG-containing
substances has more than doubled since In Bad Taste was first
released in 1988. In the past three decades the amount has risen
almost ten times.
We've learned an enormous amount during these years.
Consumers, medical professionals, restaurant owners, and food
manufacturers alike have started to take notice of the serious
nature of MSG sensitivity. Although many people have
considered their MSG symptoms to be an allergic reaction, it is
usually similar to a drug reaction and often depends on the
dosage. While there are those who will have an anaphylactic
reaction to MSGa true allergic reactionmost of us will experience
unpleasant and even life-threatening symptoms caused by the
drug nature of this harmful flavor enhancer.
Since the original In Bad Taste was released, we've seen a food
industry go from blatantly displaying the use of MSG in its food
products to creating a "clean label industry" whose purpose is to
design ingredient and food product labels that will appeal to
consumers while hiding the presence of MSG. The use of the
term "natural flavoring" has increased, as have the patented
proprietary reaction flavors, such as beef, chicken, and pork,
whose ingredients don't need to be labeled. Companies that create
flavorings are extremely concerned with how these will
ultimately have to be labeled. Still although the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has made proposals about labeling
changes disclosing glutamate content, nothing has happened in
ten years' time.
In 1992 the FDA commissioned an independent review of the
literature to determine whether or not it should seriously review
the current use of MSG. At the public hearings which were held
two
 Page x
extreme views were offered: Consumers and support groups
poured out their touching stories of lives forever altered by
severe reactions to the use of MSG, while industry spokespersons
touted its efficacy, its usefulness, and its apparent harmlessness.
The Federation of the American Society for Experimental
Biology's (FASEB) council issued its final report in July of 1995.
The executive summary, approximately twenty pages at the
beginning of the report, illustrated findings of harmful effects of
MSG and defined the term ''MSG symptom complex" as
connected to symptoms verified to occur after oral exposure to
MSG. This landmark report, "Analysis of Adverse Reactions to
Monosodium Glutamate," validates the adverse reactions that
consumers have been reporting for years. The overall conclusion
of the expert panel is that causality by MSG had, indeed, been
demonstrated by scientific evidence. The body of the report
repeated time and time again that more research was necessary to
evaluate the harmful side effects of MSG, such as endocrine
disruption, brain lesions, heart irregularities, emotional disorders,
and so on.
My publisher and I personally were sued for $4 million by a
product manufacturer that had appeared on the cover of the first
edition of In Bad Taste. While the manufacturer claimed that its
product did not contain MSG, we proved through the research
done in preparation of the book that the company was wrong.
Over the years, I have received threats of lawsuits from other
food manufacturers as well. Fortunately, there is great strength in
the truth. As MSG is a multi-billion-dollar industry within the
United States, the users and manufacturers have created an
elaborate web of lobby organizations devoted to promoting the
use of MSG. Through the manipulation of facts, data and test
results may appear impressive at first glance. Many reporters and
consumers alike have initially accepted the industry phrase that
MSG is safe because glutamate is naturally occurring in many
foods, but the industry's argument does not address quantity; this
is much like saying arsenic, too, is safe because it is found
naturally occurring. Nevertheless, we've made enormous
progress
 Page xi
through unceasing efforts on behalf of those suffering from MSG
sensitivity and through researchers who have placed their own
credibility on the line in an effort to prove that MSG can be a
very dangerous substance with far-reaching ill effects. The
startling report"Analysis of Adverse Reactions to Monosodium
Glutamate" Life Sciences Research Office of the Federation of
American Society for Experimental Biology in Bethesda,
Maryland, prepared for the Center for Food Study and Applied
Nutrition HHS-1995has raised deep and probing questions and
has validated thousands of consumer concerns. However, this
report does not have the force of law behind it; thus, the use of
MSGdespite the clear warningsis increasing, much to our
detriment.
Based on case reports and on the landmark FASEB report to the
FDA, we are now dealing with illnesses of epidemic proportions
caused by excitatory neurotoxins placed in our food.
 Page 1

Chapter One
Introduction to MSG
After salt and pepper is a third spice, the most widely used flavor
enhancer in the world, and truly the spice of our times. In
America it is called monosodium glutamate, in Japan Ajinomoto,
and it is known by other names in other countries.
The substance was first developed in 1908 in the laboratory of
Kikunae Ikeda as an isolate of a flavor-enhancing seaweed
known as kombu or "sea tangle." Dr. Ikeda hardly could have
suspected then that his work to identify the active substance in a
seaweed which Japanese chefs had used for thousands of years
would lead to a multi-billion-dollar industry in the twentieth
century.
Shortly after he isolated MSG, Dr. Ikeda became a partner in
what would become the Ajinomoto Company. In fact, throughout
the Orient MSG is known as Aji-no-moto (the "essence of taste"),
much as "Xerox" is used as a generic term for copying machines
and as "Kleenex" is used for all paper tissues in the United States.
In recognition of the importance of his work, Dr. Ikeda's original
isolated substance is encased in a monument at Tokyo University.
Today MSG is used in processed foods, in fast-foods and in
Chinese food. Found in most commercial soups and soy
sauceand hidden on labels under such aliases as hydrolyzed
vegetable protein 1MSG has become a staple of the modern food
industry.
1 Hydrolyzing vegetable protein is one of the chemical methods of
producing MSG. This mixture, containing up to 40% MSG, is listed
among the ingredients of many commonly used processed foods.
 Page 2
Why should we be concerned about a substance that may make
foods taste better?
Plain and simpleMSG is a drug added to our foods that causes
widespread toxicity.
Reactions range from mild to very severe. Indeed, the symptoms
that Dr. Ho Man Kwok reported in the first published study in the
New England Journal of Medicine in 1968, for example headache
and flushing of the skin, were relatively mild. However, later
studies have documented more serious and sustained physical
problems, such as asthma, acute headaches, and life-threatening
heart irregularities. Even deaths have been reported. Other
symptoms that might seem to be psychological in origin also have
been traced to MSG consumption: extreme mood swings,
irritability, depression, rage reactions, and even paranoia. In
addition, suicide increases are likely related to this neurotropic
drug.
Many cases of severe problems induced by MSG have been
documented by physicians, and more have been reported in the
medical literature where they may be studied by professionals.
Still, the vast majority of MSG-sensitive people are not aware of
the problems this substance may be creating in their lives; the
continue with the fruitless visits to physicians who cannot explain
their complaints. Asthma is a particular concern, with a rising
death rate which tracks increases in MSG use in the United States,
particularly in children and young adults.
A questionnaire study done by Dr. Liane Reif-Lehrer2 using a
large sampling of subjects showed that 30% of adults and
between 10% and 20% of children have some reaction to foods
containing MSG. This means that many tens of millions of lives
are adversely affected by this substancea virtual epidemic.
2 L. Reif-Lehrer, A questionnaire study of the prevalence of Chinese
restaurant syndrome, Fed Proc, 36:161723, 1977.
 Page 3
MSG is found in most of the food prepared by major fast-food
chains. With the popularity of these foods among children and
teenagers, it may well be the "Agent Blue" factor to which in 1988
the National Institute of Mental Health researchers attributed the
rise in child and teen depressive syndromes and suicide.
Behavioral and physical problems of children, such as
incontinence and seizures, as well as attention deficit disorder
(ADD), have been diagnosed and successfully treated as MSG
reactions.
MSG was removed from baby foods in the late 1960s without
much comment. Dr. Jean Mayer, the noted Harvard food scientist,
remarked at a women's meeting of the National Press Club that
"with even the slightest presumption of guilt I would take the
damn stuff out of baby food." Gerber, Heinz, and Beechnut
almost immediately announced that they would stop using MSG
in baby foods. However, infants still get MSG from ordinary
table foods and may be ingesting it in various broths added to
infant and baby foods. In addition, MSG already present in
other ingredients has crept back into some prepared baby foods.
The body of scientific facts now has reached a level where the
findings and case reports must be brought to widespread public
attention. At least fifty million people in the United States and
more than five hundred million people worldwide react to MSG.
This means that many people are being damaged physically and
emotionally by the unknowing use of this flavor enhancer that
for them has potent drug effects.
This 1999 edition of In Bad Taste: The MSG Symptom Complex
is the story of the adverse effects of monosodium glutamate on
the health and well-being of some consumers. It details the
studies of dedicated scientists who have warned against MSG
use. It explores an economy partly dependent on MSG
production and use and examines how psychologists, physicians,
clinics, schools, and lawyers have become involved in the
problem due to its widespread effects.
 Page 4
Laboratory and field studies describe a consistent picture: 30% of
the population experience some symptoms from MSG in amounts
commonly added to foods. Clinical data show that some of these
individuals develop symptoms that are not mild or transient but
that are intense and dangerous, possibly, although less
commonly, developing chronic long-term and disabling
problems. More and more individuals will be affected as the use
of MSG continues to increase. MSG intolerance is not an
allergic reaction but is a true drug effect. A high-enough dose
can affect anyone; many more people are reaching that symptom-
causing dose in MSG consumption. We now know that the MSG
symptom complex is not simply a bizarre reaction to some ethnic
food, such as Chinese food, as many people still believe.
People who react to MSG must first identify their reactions and
then learn to eat food without this additive. This book will serve
to guide the consumer through the supermarket aisles on
preventive shopping trips and to provide tasty recipes that
eliminate MSG from the diet. A discussion of restaurants and
dining offers tips on avoiding MSG, which may be found even in
the finest kitchens. There is also a review of fast-food chain
favorites containing MSG.
People who react severely to MSG experience almost continual
distressing and health-endangering physical and psychological
symptoms. Knowing how to avoid this flavor enhancer can
dramatically change lives. In order to unravel the story of MSG,
we must start with the beginning: the history of MSG. However,
those readers most concerned with MSG reactions may want to
go directly to Chapter 3 and read about the history of MSG at a
later time.
 Page 5

Chapter Two
MSG History
Thousands of years ago when the Japanese began using seaweed
as a food they discovered that sea tangle or kombu (Laminaria
japonica) was a good seasoning ingredient. At that time the
active flavor-enhancing substance within the sea tangle had not
been identified. We now know that it is monosodium glutamate.
In 1860, in Hamburg, Germany, the chemist Rittenhausen was
working on the determination of the chemical makeup of animal
proteins, particularly the amino acid, glutamic acid. There is no
evidence that Rittenhausen (and later another German chemist,
Wolff) had any interest in or knowledge of cooking or of flavor-
enhancing seasonings. They were pure scientists trying to identify
the chemical properties of the various protein substances. Their
work was essential, however, to allow Dr. Ikeda's 1908
identification of the active flavor-enhancing substance in
seaweed and its eventual manufacture.
Dr. Ikeda, a Kyoto native, was educated at Tokyo University and
graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1889. After briefly
teaching at a high school, he went to Germany to further his
studies. There Dr. Ikeda became involved with the important
work Dr. Wolff was doing in protein chemistry. Glutamic acid
had been synthesized in 1890, and Dr. Ikeda learned the chemical
techniques of identifications and synthesis during his
apprenticeship of several years.
Returning to Japan, he took a post in the chemistry department of
the Imperial University of Tokyo. An established faculty member,
by 1908 he began to investigate the seaweed his wife was using to
flavor the family's soup and soon had identified the flavor-
enhancing substance.
 Page 6
Dr. Ikeda discovered that the active extract of the flavorful
seaweed had the characteristics of glutamic acid and that this
active substance was monosodium glutamate, the sodium salt of
glutamic acid. His discovery was secured with the British patent
number 9440titled "Manufacture of a Flavoring Material"on April
21, 1909.
Dr. Ikeda knew he held a food secret with many possible
applications. While still at the Imperial University of Tokyo he
began filing other patents on commercial manufacturing
processes, first using the breakdown of wheat protein and later
soybean protein.
In 1909 he teamed up with another enterprising businessman, the
former pharmacist Saburosuke Suzuki, and convinced him that
they were on the verge of a business that could add a new flavor,
Unami, to the world. The Ajinomoto name was chosen as their
trademark; this later became the name of the company
responsible for the development and distribution of the flavor
enhancer throughout the world. "Aji" means the origin, the
beginning, or at the foot of; "moto" translates as taste or flavor.
Therefore, Ajinomoto literally signifies "at the origin of flavor."
By 1933 Japanese production of the substance we know as MSG
had reached ten million pounds yearly. It had become the most
important flavoring in the Orient. Today Ajinomoto produces
more than half of the world's supply of MSG.
In the early days, only once was the domination of the Ajinomoto
Company challenged. In China production of MSG began in the
1920s and reached almost 400,000 pounds annually by 1930. By
the mid-1930s the Chinese were offering the Japanese serious
competition with their product marketed under the name Vetsin.
However, the Japanese invasion of coastal China in 1937 put the
Chinese glutamate factories out of commission.
Ajinomoto did not find easy acceptance in America, although not
for lack of trying, with efforts to gain acceptance beginning in the
early 1920s. The story of its arrival made little impact, and the
man who helped to stimulate its development has long been
forgotten.
 Page 7
In 1925 James E. Larrowe and the Larrowe Milling Company
contacted the Suzuki Spice Company for help in the profitable
disposal of "wastewater," a residue of the processing of sugar
from sugar beets which contains a substantive amount of
glutamic acid. Sometimes called "Steffen's wastewater" after the
man who developed the process, America in 1925 had a surplus
of the liquid, or, more accurately, Larrowe Milling Company had
a surplus after World War I.
As a result of the war, the United States was cut off from its
major source of potashGermanyfor fertilizer, and it became
profitable to extract potassium salts from the wastewater. Many
sugar beet processing plants were converted into potash plants,
spurred by prices of $400 per ton. But in 1918, with the end of
the war, the price of potash fell drastically and Larrowe was left
with many thousands of tons of "Steffen's wastewater" in great
storage tanks in Mason City, Iowa. Larrowe had expanded his
production to meet an anticipated potash demand and now was in
financial straits. He had to find a use for the waste water.
Almost every possible use, including antifreeze for automobiles,
was tried without success. In desperation he went to the Mellon
Institute of Industrial Research in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and
presented his problem. By now it was 1923 and the wastewater
had been sitting for more than five years. Millions of dollars were
tied up in what seemed to be hopeless material.
After almost ruining the engine of his new Packard, Larrowe
wanted the Mellon Institute to determine why he couldn't use the
material as anti-freeze. Dr. Donald Tressler, a young scientist, was
offered a fellowship to analyze and find a use for the wastewater.
After two years of research he found that the wastewater
contained appreciable amounts of glutamic acid. Upon consulting
with his professor, Dr. Elmer McCollum, a well-known vitamin
chemist at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, he
was advised that Larrowe should drop the idea of antifreeze and
set out to manufacture glutamate.
 Page 8
Larrowe contacted Dr. Suzuki and Dr. Ikeda and offered them an
opportunity to buy his wastewater glutamate, and in 1926 Dr.
Ikeda, Dr. Suzuki, and Dr. Suzuki's son arrived from Japan.
Laboriously, they made their way to Mason City, Iowa.
The corporate team was convinced that they could manufacture
glutamate and sell it in the Orient and in the United States
through the Larrowe-Suzuki Company. Financially, the deal was
disastrous for Larrowe, but he was determined to manufacture
MSG from his wastewater.
In 1931 Dr. Ikeda died. Subsequently, in 1936, Dr. Suzuki died
and the Larrowe-Suzuki partnership ended. James Larrowe, now
in his seventies and in poor health, had never made his
wastewater truly profitable despite enormous infusions of his
own wealth. Dr. Albert Marshall, a good friend and consultant to
Larrowe, was most impressed by his tenacity in finding a use for
the wastewater. In fact, he said of Larrowe, "Of him it can be said
in the words of Shakespeare, 'For what I will, I will and there an
end.'"
Profit or not, Larrowe finally found a use for his wastewater: the
manufacture of monosodium glutamate. His company, the Amino
Products Corporation, was eventually sold to the International
Minerals and Chemicals Company.
Despite American manufacture, MSG was still not an accepted
ingredient in American food. Ironically, the Japanese use of
Ajinomoto in rations was eventually noticed by the U.S. soldiers
during World War II. After the war, conferences were held to
discuss uses for this flavoring agent, particularly in prepared
foods for the army and in field rations, as well as for the
fledgling frozen food industry.
By 1948 the first symposium about this flavoring secret was held
at the Stevens Hotel in Chicago and was presided over by the
chief quartermaster of the U.S. Armed Forces. In order to
understand the enthusiasm generated by this meeting we have to
return to 1948.
Imagine yourself as an influential member of the food industry
called to Chicago in 1948 to hear about an apparent wonder
 Page 9
substancean Oriental food secret that even made Japanese army
rations more palatable. Entering the symposium hall you are
greeted by the erudite Franklin Dove, the chief of the Food
Acceptance Branch of the Quartermaster Food and Container
Institute of the U.S. Armed Forces. Colonel Charles Lawrence,
the commanding officer of the Quartermaster Institute, greets you
with pleasure and assures you that like the others called to this
symposium he has been awaiting this event with great
expectations. ''I have enormous curiosity about this strange
substance," he says. As you look around the meeting room you
see leaders of the food industry and representatives of almost all
the major food processors and sellers in America. The name tags
emphasize their arrival from all parts of the country, many after
an arduous train ride, some after long automobile trips, and a
lucky few after a bumpy airplane ride.
Here on your left you recognize Mr. Bowers from Campbell
Foods, on your right Dr. Anson from Continental Foods. John
Andrews from General Foods is in front with a contingent of
people in tow. Behind you is Mr. D'Sinter from Standard Brands
and W. Guest from the Continental Can Company. The few
women present are Dr. Charlotte Dalphin from Nestles, Inez Jobe
from the United Airlines Food Service, and Anna Boller from the
National Livestock and Meat Board. As you look around the
packed room you see representatives from Borden, Stokeley,
Libby, Pillsbury, and even Oscar Mayer.
This meeting marked an American revolution in food, an eight-
hour event with eventual adverse consequences for millions and
millions of people over many years. What was it that started this
food revolution? These are some of the actual excited comments:
"MSG suppresses undesirable flavors"
"MSG gives zest to food"
"Increases flavor and odor appeal"
"Suppresses bitterness and sourness"
"Removes the tinny taste from canned foods"
"Enhances acceptability"
 Page 10
"Meaty, chickenlike flavor"
"Flavor appeal improved particularly with meats, seafoods,
stews, and chowders"
"I wouldn't believe that the same product that could improve the
taste of marinated herring would also improve lobster paste, crab
cake, and codfish cakes, but it is true and it does"
"Creates a lingering flavor reaction"
As you look about the hall you see people taking notes furiously
as each speaker gives glowing reports of the wonder substance.
All through the hall is a buzz of excitement. MSG has made a hit.
The United States MSG food industry is off and runningand if all
the remarkable findings aren't enough, then what the last speaker
of the day offers is the icing on a marvelous cake.
Dr. Carl Pfeiffer of the University of Illinois College of Medicine,
a well-known physician who has taken the time to come to this
symposium, now tells the assembled group that scientists are
beginning to do experiments to test the effects of glutamate in
raising the IQ level in feebleminded people. What he didn't
mention were the severe side effects of the substance he
encountered when he tested children with MSG. The assembled
food people scarcely needed any more incentive, but this news
provided a turboboost.
America had truly discovered MSG, or, to be more accurate,
MSG had discovered America. Perhaps the cartoonist Al Capp
could have been found in that room to be inspired to base his
"Schmoo" on MSG. The Schmoo was a wonderful and loving
animal that, when you were hungry, would taste like your
favorite meal.
Had you been at this symposium you would have emerged from
the meeting room into the chilly spring Chicago air with an
overall enthusiasm for a very special ingredient.
The U.S. food industry responded with vigor. It is now difficult
to find a product without added MSG. Little did these
enthusiastic food producers know that their "miracle substance"
had a dark side that would eventually result in the MSG
Symptom Complex.
 Page 11

Chapter Three
No Laughing Matter
At first many people thought it was a joke when Dr. Ho Man
Kwok wrote to the New England Journal of Medicine in 1968
reporting on his reaction to MSG.3 "The syndrome," he wrote,
"which usually begins 15 or 20 minutes after I have eaten the first
dish, lasts for two hours without any hangover effect. The most
prominent symptoms are numbness at the back of the neck
gradually radiating to both arms and the back, and general
weakness and palpitation." Another letter writer urged the real Ho
Man Kwok to come out and admit his practical joke and his real
name, "Human Crock," but Dr. Kwok was real and his symptoms
were very real.
In 1969 Dr. Herbert H. Schaumberg at the Albert Einstein School
of Medicine began a careful scientific study of MSG effects.
Nevertheless, in an ironic vein he wrote, "To suppress the
mounting hysteria and prevent the wholesale slaughter of
Chinese restaurant owners we feel impelled to present a
preliminary communication on the etiology, psychopathology and
clinical pharmacology of the variously misnamed post-sino-cibal
syndrome (Chinese restaurant syndrome)." With tongue in cheek,
Dr. Schaumberg thanked the untold numbers of victims who had
called him in the middle of the night. He even proposed to write a
book titled "Race for the Double Wonton," the proceeds to be
used to "improve working conditions for the dedicated [Chinese
restaurant] workers."
3 Ho Man Kwok, A Chinese restaurant syndrome. N Engl J Med
278:796, 1968.
 Page 12
On July 1, 1968, Franz Ingelfinger, editor on the New England
Journal of Medicine, wrote, "Whatever its best name, the reaction
to 'Kwok's disease' as described in our issue of May 16th has
uncovered a legion of hitherto silent sufferers. Many apparently
had been sitting all tingling and tormented but not saying
anything, each utterly sure that he alone was wretched and never
dreaming that the contented-looking co-consumer of bird's nest
soup likewise was in agony. Even husband and wife wanted to
spare each other."
Yet how funny was it really? As Dr. Schaumberg and his
colleagues investigated further they identified some symptoms
produced by ingestion of MSGburning, facial pressure, chest
pain, and headache. They discovered that one bowl of soup (six
to seven ounces) could precipitate symptoms in an MSG-
sensitive individual, and this occurred at a dosage of three grams
or lessa smaller amount than commonly used for flavor
enhancement.
When 56 normal people ranging in age from 21 to 67 years were
tested (30 male, 26 female), symptoms of the syndrome occurred
in all but one subject, and this individual did develop symptoms
when MSG was administered intravenously.
One of the particularly disturbing symptoms that Dr.
Schaumberg's study found was pressure throughout the chest
area, occasionally radiating to the arm or the neck. This alarming
sensation caused one of the test subjects, a physician, to request
an electrocardiogram, fearing that his symptom was that of a
myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack. In recent medical
literature, emergency medical technicians have been warned to
consider differential diagnosis"MI or MSG"when the patient's
presenting symptoms include sweating, numbness around the
face and neck, chest pressure, burning sensations, palpitations,
nausea, and vomiting.4
4EMS, May 1986, 14(4).
 Page 13
In his 1969 paper in Science,5 the official journal of the
American Academy of Science, Dr. Schaumberg concluded,
without humor, that "MSG can produce undesirable effects in the
amounts used in the preparation of widely consumed foods."
Eight years later Dr. Liane Reif-Lehrer, a noted researcher at
Harvard Medical School, conducted a questionnaire study of
reactions to MSG. Of the 1,529 respondents, almost 30% reported
reactions including dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, visual
disturbances, fatigue, shortness of breath, and weakness.6
In Dr. Reif-Lehrer's study the most commonly reported
symptoms were headache and tightness around the face. An
appreciable number of subjects reported dizziness, diarrhea,
nausea, and stomach cramps. Fifty people described eye
symptoms ranging from burning eyes and blurry vision to
pressure and seeing lights or colors. Many people had emotional
reactions ranging from depression or insomnia to feeling "tense."
The sample was predominantly of adults, but she also used 14
classes of grade school children, a total of 317 in grades two
through six in two different towns. These children were asked
about types of feelings after eating various foods. She concluded
that 19% of children interviewed had some reaction to MSG, with
nausea and stomachache being the most common. While
reactions of the questionnaire group generally subsided within
three to four hours, 10% reported longer lasting symptoms.
Dr. Arthur D. Colman, a psychiatrist in Sausalito, California,
began collecting data in 1978 after he detected two dramatic cases
of reactions to MSG. One especially striking case, was reported
to him by the child's father, a physician:
5 Schaumberg HH, Byck R, Gerstl R, Mashman JH: Monosodium L-
Glutamate: Its Pharmacology and Role in the Chinese Restaurant
Syndrome. Science. 163:826828. Feb 1969.
6Federation Proceedings, April 1977.
 Page 14
Noah was nine years old when we noticed that he often developed
headaches and stomachaches after fast-foods. He also had a difficult
time holding back his urine and his stool. Sometimes he would even go
in his pants. This was very difficult for him at the age of nine. He also
had periods of hyperactive like behavior, difficulties that came and
went with nothing apparently causing or setting off the problem.
His pediatrician was at a loss. In general, Noah was a charming,
gentle, smart, and friendly boy, but when he had these periods he
became irritable, whining, yelling and unreasonable. The school
noticed his changes, and we met with his teacher who described how
he was usually very responsive and friendly but had been experiencing
periods when he seemed to change into another child. We called it
"Devil to Angel" and were very confused. His difficulty with diarrhea
and controlling his bowels had an impact on his whole personality
because he couldn't play with other children during these episodes. He
began therapy with a child psychiatrist after his pediatrician couldn't
find any causes for his behavior.
We noticed that his problems became worse after eating Kentucky
Fried Chicken and finally discovered that MSG was used in large
quantities in the batter and the secret spices. For the next two weeks
we tried to keep Noah away from any food containing MSG. His
symptoms cleared miraculously, and he had a dramatic improvement in
his bowel control
One day the family ate at a Chinese restaurant and Noah had a big bowl
of wonton soup. Within five minutes he developed a face flush and
within a few minutes felt a terrible cramp and need to rush to the toilet.
For the next week his symptoms all returned, including his
hyperactivity. We felt that the cause was MSG, and we continued to be
very careful with his food.
We didn't tell the child psychiatrist about our discovery and Noah kept
going to therapy. At our next month's conference his psychiatrist asked
what we had done because Noah seemed to be a different child. The
psychiatrist advised terminating therapy if the
 Page 15
situation continued in improvement. Several weeks later he advised
that we stop psychiatric treatment. At our conference with Noah's
school the teachers had noticed a tremendous change in his consistency
and his personality.
His moods now seem so much more genuine and not driven. There is
no way to describe the difference in our sense of joy in the family since
we took Noah away from MSG.
Were the symptoms confined to a mild reaction without lasting or
serious results one could easily dismiss the effects of MSG, but a
reaction like Noah's is seriously life and socially disabling. The
anger and rages can be very destructive to future relationships. In
some cases, reactions can be life-threatening as well. Dr. Dietmar
Gann from the Division of Cardiology at the Mt. Sinai Medical
Center in Miami Beach, Florida, wrote in the July 1977 issue of
the Southern Medical Journal:
A 36-year-old man came to an emergency room complaining of severe
weakness, palpitations and sweating. He had been in good health with
no medical problems until he went to a restaurant. Approximately one
half hour after beginning his meal with wonton soup he developed a
burning and tight sensation in his chest, face and neck. He began
sweating and felt weak. A friend who was dining with him also
developed some weakness and tingling in the arms, but the symptoms
were much milder.
He drove home and shortly after developed chest pain and pressure
with the pain radiating to both shoulders and upper arms. The chest
pressure lasted about one half hour and then subsided, but the
weakness remained and the man was brought to the hospital.
An electrocardiogram showed ventricular tachycardia and he was
treated with lidocaine, a medication to reduce the excitability of the
heart. Within three minutes the rate and rhythm had returned to normal.
Overnight hospitalization showed no further changes and tests revealed
no heart damage.
 Page 16
Dr. Gann's conclusion was that MSG can produce not only a
feeling of chest pressure and pain but it can cause serious heart
irregularities in susceptible individuals.
Dr. David Ratner, Dr. Elyakim Esmel, and Dr. Ehud Shoshani
reported on their cases in the Israel Journal of Medical Sciences
in 1984. One 52-year-old man was admitted twice to their
coronary care unit because of severe upper abdominal pain and a
burning sensation in his chest. Full medical evaluation failed to
show a cause. The physicians tested him with MSG and he
developed shortness of breath, numbness of the legs, heat in his
face and chest, and abdominal swelling and pressure. Follow-up
revealed that since avoiding MSG he has been free of symptoms.
Other examples of the range of MSG reactions show a broad
spectrum of problems, from mild annoyances to severe
debilitating symptoms, as illustrated in the following case
histories.

Case Histories
Migrainelike headaches were experienced by a 40-year-old
female, S.B. She relates her story:
In the 1960s, I was having debilitating migraine headaches two or three
times a week. No painkillers got rid of the migraine completelyit just
had to wear off. A couple of times a doctor even came to my house and
gave me an injection to put me to sleep. I was in my early twenties and
living in California. For the most part the doctors were at a loss for a
cause and patted me on my back saying, "Now, dear, you have to quit
letting things get to you."
One day I read about the "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome." What a
revelation! For lunch I was having lunchmeat sandwiches or canned
soups. Then I'd use Accent salt when preparing dinner.
 Page 17
Avoidance of MSG brought dramatic results.
I find my efforts to avoid MSG are difficult when traveling or eating at
friends' houses. I once ate two sausage patties and was sick in less than
an hour. The reaction usually lasts almost 12 hours: flashing lights,
nausea, light-sensitive eyes, pounding pain (always in the same spot
over the right ear and in my right temple), weakness, and slurred
speech.
In 1980 I had surgery. My first food after the procedure was beef broth,
which I refused to eat until I reviewed the ingredients. It took the
hospital more than three hours to produce the ingredients (which of
course contained MSG) and much persuading before they would bring
me a different meal. I couldn't believe the hospital dietician hadn't
heard of MSG!
L.M., a 49-year-old female, reports the following:
About a year ago I was having a set of symptoms that led me to see two
physicians (an internist and a psychiatrist). My symptoms were wide
mood swings, headaches, and hot flashes. Being 48 at the time, I
thought it might be menopausal symptoms. My doctor put me on a light
concentration of estrogen. The hot flashes, headaches, and mood
swings were lessened, but I still experience them periodically, and
they seem to be related to food and fatigue.
My headaches come about 4560 minutes after I eat things like fast-food
hamburgers. Many of my headaches are at the base of my skull where
the spine connects. It's a throbbing headache. Other symptoms that I
experience are stomachaches and diarrhea, muscle aches all over my
body, dizziness, and trouble with vision. I am 49 but feel like I am 80.
In recent years I have suspected I might be reacting to MSG because of
an increase in stomach cramps, headache, and diarrhea after eating
Oriental food. I have tried to eliminate it from my diet by avoiding
foods labeled with MSG but still continue to have occasional
 Page 18
headaches, stomachaches, and listlessness after eating some foods. I
realize now that I must not only avoid MSG, but also ingredients such
as hydrolysed vegetable protein and natural flavors.7
MSG reactions can drastically affect peoples' life-styles, their
emotional states, and their physical well-being. One of the most
drastic, long-term reactions is related by R.E., a 45-year-old
woman. A particularly distressing aspect of her reaction was her
arthritislike symptoms. The next case accentuates the potentially
disabling effects of the joint and tendon symptoms:
About eight years ago I became ill with a low-grade fever and muscles
that hurt so bad that I had trouble moving out of a chair. We thought it
was the flu, and I missed an entire week of work. The fever subsided at
the end of the fifth day and the muscles were less sore until I used
them. Even normal activity like walking up and down stairs caused
problems.
I am a very active person. From that time on until now, every time I
exercised (even singing more than normal), I would be very sore after
a short rest. I could still do activities such as golf but couldn't get out
of the car when we returned home from the golf course. My eyes
seemed strained after a short time of reading, my singing voice was
acting like I was overusing it, and my hands would get sore just
holding a knife for a short time or when playing the piano or typing on
the computer. What was so strange was that the muscles didn't bother
me as long as I was using them, only after I stopped.
I was checked for lupus, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and
arthritis. The doctor put me on beta blockers along with a diuretic for
stress and a borderline high blood pressure.
My present doctor suggested I see a physical therapist to deal with the
symptoms. She would give me a massage to relieve the muscle
7 May contain amounts of MSG.
 Page 19
spasms. It helped for only a short whileuntil I did more than just sit or
stand. I forced myself to walk approximately two miles a day just to
keep up my normal level of exercise so I wouldn't hurt just to move.
One day we went to an Oriental restaurant for dinner. I carried the
leftovers home and ate them for lunch the next day. During the 24 hours
that I ate the Oriental food I became increasingly sore and had a bad
case of diarrhea. In desperation I called my physical therapist and she
asked me what I had eaten in the last 24 hours. She suggested that I
locate everything in my kitchen that contained MSG and not use it for
the next five days. At the end of five days I was not sore for the first
time in eight years.
Every time I eat out I can tell within half an hour if I have ingested
MSG inadvertently by a return of the diarrhea. Some restaurants are not
very good at telling you if they use MSG. If I get a dose it takes exactly
five days for it to work out of my system.
I discovered that all my regular seasonings, soup mixes, sauces, salad
dressings, meats, etc., were laced with MSG. Needless to say, I don't
use them anymore and I am free of the constant pain. We have a hot tub
that I used for stress and over-use of muscles, but the hot tub is not
needed anymore for me to be able to function normally. Paring
vegetables and fruits causes no problems either. Golf and cross-
country skiing are again joys. Dancing and singing are again pleasures.
It is a pleasure to be free again and know what is causing a problem
when it happens (which is rare now). I have learned what foods
contain MSG and ask very pointedly about the contents. Eating, of
course, is not a carefree sport anymore, but I feel good.
There is a syndrome involving muscle and joint aches that can be
mistaken for arthritis. The next case of a 55-year-old female
pediatrician is very similar to that of R.E.:
 Page 20
E.B. had tendinitis and arthritis of all her joints, particularly in her
lower extremities. For a period of 15 years she underwent extensive
testing, but no cause could be determined. At times it was necessary
for her to use a walker to move about her home.
One evening she went with her family to an Oriental restaurant for
dinner. The following day she could not move about, even with the aid
of the walker, due to extreme swelling and pain.
At this time she suddenly considered MSG as a possible cause.
Tracing her symptoms to MSG in Oriental food and also common foods
gave her ''a new life."
It took a large dose and a 15-year history to uncover the cause of her
suffering. E.B. remarked that "because of this symptom I lost so much
time and lost out on interviews. My life now might have been very
different if I had known [about MSG]."
Also of some interest is the fact that her daughter, a 24-year-old
medical student, experiences great lethargy after ingesting MSG.
While ingestion of MSG does not always cause such severe,
debilitating reactions, other responses can be very unpleasant.
L.P. is such an example:
L.P. is a healthy 40-year-old physicist born in China. He takes no
medications and has no known allergies. He developed episodes of a
rash over his entire body, with circular areas ranging from quarter-
sized circles to large circular areas over six inches in diameter. The
rash would clear up in a week or two, but it was so uncomfortable that
he consulted a dermatologist, who diagnosed the condition as "atopic
dermatitis."
With scientific precision, L.P. began to keep a log of his activities to
discover the common rash-causing factor. After several months it was
clear that the rash occurred within a day of his eating at Oriental
restaurants. After experimentation L.P. determined the cause
 Page 21
of his rash was definitely MSG, as the rash did not reoccur when this
additive was eliminated from his diet and would return whenever he
inadvertently ate MSG-containing foods.
L.P. also experienced outbreaks of rash after long flights on
commercial airlines. This had been diagnosed by another physician as
a "altitude rash," but meals served on board planes frequently contain
MSG [see Chapter 9]. L.P. had assumed, as many do, that MSG is
found only in Oriental cuisine.
Another typical case was reported by D.J., a 39-year-old male:
I'm divorced, living alone in a small apartment, and have been
frequenting a new Chinese restaurant. I started out slow in my
consumption but have gradually been increasing my visits to three or
four days a week. I began to notice in the afternoon after eating there
that something wasn't so pleasant.
I would become depressed and my stomach would be churning and a
very distinct aftertaste would develop. I've also been having some
sharp headaches. They are always centered just above my right temple.
E.S., a 49-year-old woman, works as a physical therapist. Her
reaction illustrates how some of the severe symptoms can appear
like a stroke:
She first noticed some reaction to MSG after eating soup at a Tahitian
restaurant when she was in her early twenties. At that time she found
her speech to be slurred, began to shake, and felt as though she would
lose consciousness. Approximately ten years later E.S. was eating an
Oriental soup on an empty stomach. She experienced these same
symptoms along with a tremendous feeding of weakness and
depression that took several days to resolve.
She believes that as she has aged her tolerance to MSG has decreased
and that she is now much more sensitive. E.S. notices
 Page 22
bloating and weakness at much smaller doses than were previously
tolerable. When she ingests a large dose her speech is slurred and her
balance is affected. The reaction always takes several days to clear.
Many of the case reports received contain such vague symptoms
as swelling, fatigue and moodiness, tension across the forehead,
ache in the jaws and temples, and headaches. One elderly woman
reacts with severe hives and difficulty waking after ingesting
MSG. Others report diarrhea and vomiting or sneezing and nasal
stuffiness.
As stated in a summary by A.S., a 38-year-old man, the reaction
to MSG can be momentarily severe and frightening:
In 1973 in Boston I was out for lunch with three fellow employees and
our boss. We chose a Chinese restaurant for our meeting place. As we
were leaving the restaurant the boss's face became flushed. He
complained of chest pain and felt he was having a heart attack.
All four of us got excited and decided to rush him to a hospital. On the
way I noticed that my jaw was particularly locked up. I couldn't open
my jaw all the way, a symptom I had heard could be related to MSG
overdose.
The delay of time due to heavy Boston traffic allowed us to see that the
boss's condition was not as serious as we had thought.
Since that time, I have experienced this locking jaw a few more times
after eating at a Chinese restaurant.

Monosodium Glutamate Intolerance in Children

While it has become clear through clinical studies that many
adults react adversely to MSG at levels commonly found in
processed foods and almost all will react as the dose is increased,
children have not been used as subjects for test experiments.
However, 19% of the children interviewed by Dr. Liane Reif-
Lehrer reported adverse symptoms and
 Page 23
10% of the adults who reported symptoms also remembered
having them during childhood.
As a precautionary measure the manufacturers of baby food
removed MSG in 1969 when early tests with experimental
animals cast some suspicion on its safety. Yet MSG is still found
in some baby foods. It is also a common element in the diet of
children who eat ordinary canned and processed meals, not to
mention fast-foods and school lunches. There is no regulation
whatsoever on the use of MSG in school cafeterias despite its
possible ill effects. In fact, current trends allow fast-food pizza
and hamburger chains to sell their MSG-laden products during
the children's lunch hour. Dr. Reif-Lehrer became especially
concerned in 1976 when she encountered three children whose
serious symptoms were traced to this food additive.
The first case involved a child who developed "shudder" attacks
at the age of six months when he was started on adult foods. The
attacks continued and the child was thought to have a form of
epilepsy. Yet the medications ordinarily used for seizures were
ineffective in his case. These symptoms of "shudder-shiver" were
finally traced to MSG in the child's diet. The symptoms soon
stopped after the diet was changed. They returned during a
period of trial feedings with food known to contain high amounts
of MSG. I have since discovered several other cases such as this
one, in addition to finding children with unexplained true
seizures.
Her next case, reported in the New England Journal of
Medicine,8 involved a 16-month-old child who developed what
were described as "shivers." The symptoms disappeared when
her diet was changed to eliminate MSG. This case was confirmed
by other physicians
8 Reif-Lehrer, Stemmermann MB: Monosodium Glutamate Intolerance
in Children. N Engl J Med. 293:12045, 1975.
 Page 24
at the Montreal Neurologic Institute,9 and we have received
numerous reports of this phenomenon which mimics epilepsy
and convulsions.
Dr. Reif-Lehrer also described a 14-year-old boy who had
experienced episodes of intense headaches and vomiting since he
was ten. He had been diagnosed as having "a migrainelike
syndrome or seizure equivalent." Eventually, his symptoms were
traced to monosodium glutamate and the episodes were
controlled.
One grateful mother wrote to Dr. Reif-Lehrer:
Because of your studies on monosodium glutamate, my son Todd has
been relieved of severe migrainelike headaches and stomachaches.
Todd started this behavior at about age ten and was finally hospitalized
at age 11 for all kinds of tests. These showed nothing but a slight
electroencephalographic abnormality, not uncommon in children. The
neurologist sent him home with a short list of foods to eliminate.
Monosodium glutamate was on the list.
Todd has had only one slight case of this behavior since that day and
this was because he ate some chicken noodle soup at scout camp. We
watch carefully for this ingredient in any foods and avoid it.
Thank you so much for spreading the word.
Many other letters of this sort were receivedbut had the word
really been spread? The letter about Todd was written in 1978.
Since that time the amount of MSG added to foods has increased
at least five times.
The rise in ADDAttention Deficit Disorderin children coupled
with the increased use of the drug Ritalin directly parallels the
rise in MSG use. Some symptoms of ADD are hyperactivity, lack
of
9 Andermann F, Vanasse M, Wolfe LS: Shuddering Attacks in Children:
Essential tremor and monosodium glutamate. N Engl J Med 295:174,
1976.
 Page 25
concentration, and behavioral volatility. It is likely that the
performance of millions of schoolchildren in their ability to read,
concentrate, and score high on tests is being altered by MSG
intake.

Asthma and MSG

Asthma may be precipitated by MSG. Dr. David H. Allen and Dr.
Gary J. Baker from Australia published a report in the New
England Journal of Medicine about two young women who
developed severe asthma episodes after ingestion of MSG at
Chinese restaurants.10 Originally, these doctors were skeptical
about MSG being the precipitating factor. They gave capsules
containing 2.5 grams of MSG to the young women (a bowl of
wonton soup contains approximately 3 grams). In both cases
there were asthmatic reactions. The first case responded to simple
treatment. The other young woman had severe unresponsive
asthma, requiring that she be placed on a ventilator.
Not content with their initial experiments because they were
carried out on only two people, the scientists decided to expand
their study. Working from the department of thoracic medicine in
the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia, Dr. Allen,
Dr. Baker, and Dr. John Delohery worked for three years to
establish the link between MSG and asthma.
Their results were reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology in October 1987 and are alarming. Over a three-
year period of time they tested 32 patients with asthma. These
patients were selected for testing because of either a history of an
attack after a Chinese restaurant meal, or "unstable" asthma with
sudden severe unexplained attacks. Also, some patients with a
past history of being
10 See Appendix 2 for the "first person" account of this important
discovery.
 Page 26
sensitive to other chemicals were chosen (for example, prior
reaction to sulfites or aspirin). The asthma reactions were not
confined simply to mild shortness of breathas the following case
illustrates.
A 23-year-old registered nurse was presented to the emergency
room as 8 A.M., 1112 hours after ingestion of a 15-course
Oriental meal. On awakening that morning her asthma
progressed in severity and did not improve with her usual
inhaled medications designed to dilate the airways (called
bronchodilators). Because of her worsening condition, full
intravenous treatment was initiated in the hospital, including
giving her adrenaline, cortisone, and bronchodilators, but they
did not help. Close to death, she required intubation (a tube
inserted into her windpipe), artificial ventilation (by a machine
ventilator), and a partial cardiopulmonary bypass. Finally, after
five hours of this intensive treatment, she began to improve.
When later tested with a dose of MSG, she developed an asthma
attack. She was tested with less than one-half teaspoon of MSG
and developed asthma and stomach pain after 12 hours.
Naturally, she was very cautious, as were her doctors, and they
agreed that only one test dose be administered and the dose be
such that she might get it from food. It was critical to determine if
MSG was producing her asthmatic attack. In the evening she was
given two and a half grams of MSG (less than a half teaspoon).
She did not have asthma through the night and the following
morning she was well until around 10 A.M. when a sudden
severe asthmatic attack occurred. Within a half-hour she again
required intubation and ventilator support for five hours.
Dr. Allen and his colleagues placed her on a strict diet to avoid
MSG and to report on that regiment. "This patient's asthma is
now well controlled. She has stopped oral cortisone, rarely
requires admission to the hospital and has not been ventilated in
two years." While this patient's case was particularly dramatic, Dr.
Allen and his associates presented 13 cases of asthma that they
concluded were induced by MSG. All in all, of the 32 patients
studied, 16 appeared sensitive to MSG.
 Page 27
Using a "challenge dose" of pure MSG, the scientists then
performed tests to measure lung function. As a test dose, they
chose one-fourth to one-half teaspoon (1.5 to 2.5 grams)a dose
that would commonly be taken from ordinary food. Their results
add to the serious questions about MSG and asthma. Of the 32
patients, 13 responded to the test doses of MSG with marked
reductions in their air flow. An asthma attack developed in seven
people within one to two hours, and in the other six people
attacks occurred within 12 hours.
This careful landmark study leaves little room for doubt. The
conclusion that MSG can provoke an asthmatic attack is
inescapable. The scientists also were able to show that the
reaction is worse as the dose increases and that an attack may be
delayed as long as 12 hours.
The FASEBFederation of the American Society for Experimental
Biologyreport11 commissioned by the FDA reconfirmed the
asthma connection in 1995 with the statement "MSG-induced
bronchospasm being demonstrated." The report goes on to
identify asthmatics who "may be more susceptible to MSG."
Their report is clear: MSG caused bronchospasm in asthmatic
patients.
Many asthma sufferers are seen in emergency rooms. How many
of these cases are precipitated by MSG has never been analyzed.
Rarely are patients with asthma told to avoid MSG or to change
their diet, and if severe illness occurs patients are unable to give
such histories.
According to government statistics, the overall death rate from
asthma has increased between 1980 and 1997. The rise
"astonishes medical professionals," according to the Wall Street
Journal,12 and in 1998 scientists still admit that the reasons are
puzzling. Yet this rise directly tracks the increasing use of MSG, a
known asthma precipitant
11 Analysis of Adverse Reactions to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).
Federation of the American Socieities for Experimental Biology, FDA
contract No. 223-92-2185, Task order no. 1 and 7, July, 1995.
12Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, February 18, 1987, p. 29
 Page 28
in foods. More than ten million Americans suffer from asthma,
and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
terms it "the leading cause of absenteeism among
schoolchildren." The incidence in children aged three to 17 is
rising rapidly. Some of the increase is related to MSGand MSG
asthma can be a difficult condition to treat.
This will be covered more elsewhere. Of great significance is that
despite the plethora of new therapies and new inhalers, the
incidence of asthma, the hospitalization rate, and the mortality
rate for pediatric and adult asthma have increased in the United
States during the past two decades.13 This rise in asthma and
asthma deaths directly tracks the increased MSG use in the United
States and is the likely cause.

Depression and MSG

In 1978 Dr. Arthur Colman, a psychiatrist in Sausalito, California,
identified a depressive reaction in a 38-year-old woman that was
traced to MSG. His patient's reaction involved a prolonged
psychological effect lasting two weeks:
Elisabeth was a 38-year-old professional woman and mother of two
children who was in good health until she ate food containing MSG.
Approximately half an hour after she ate this additive she noticed a
feeling of tightness around her neck, pressure behind her eyes, a mild
headache, some flushing, and mild nausea and stomach pains. She went
to her physician because of her symptoms and an extensive evaluation
showed no ulcer or intestinal disorder. These attacks came frequently
and, at first, no cause could be established.
13 Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAsthmaUnited States,
19821992. Morbidity Mortality Weekly Review 43: 952, 1995.
 Page 29
Eventually, a more troubling symptom developed. She began to have a
short-term depressive reaction. Elisabeth would feel gloomy and then
would believe that other people were speaking to her with sarcasm and
unpleasantness. Her whole family noticed these episodes with her
typical facial expression and downcast spirits. Within a week or two
this strange reaction would disappear.
Finally, her husband began to trace her reactions to the food she was
eating and discovered the cause to be MSG. When she succeeded in
eliminating MSG from her diet, all symptoms stopped. On some
occasions the symptoms recurred and in each instance MSG was found
in one of the foods she had consumed.
Discovery of the cause of Elisabeth's symptoms made a dramatic
difference in her life. As her husband said, "It would be a mild
statement to say that life has been better for Elisabeth and our family
since the cause of her distress was discovered. The depressive
episodes are entirely gone and the emotions she experiences feel to us
and to her more natural. It is far easier to become genuinely angry or
sad when one does not feel in the grip of a toxic substance. The
continual abdominal and stomach distress has entirely gone.
Dr. Colman concluded, "There are obvious neurochemical
clinical and social implications of this psychiatric syndrome."
After the case report was published, Dr. Colman received dozens
of letters from other people suffering symptoms that were traced
to MSG.
Depressive symptoms may vary, but all depressive conditions
share certain features: sadness, slowed motor activity, less self-
confidence, and what the late Dr. Nathan Kline, a leader in the
evaluation and treatment of depression, considered the cardinal
symptomanhedonia, that is, lack of pleasure. Put simply,
anhedonic people fail to experience the usual satisfaction from
their life and activities. The striking case report of Elisabeth
aroused enormous interest because there are an estimated 100
million people worldwide
 Page 30
who suffer from clinically recognized depression. Teenage and
childhood depression is also on the rise, with increased teen
suicide rates.
The rising incidence of depression in younger age groups has
resulted in the coinage of a new phrase, ''Agent Blue," as reported
in the Atlantic Monthly in December 1986: "More people are
becoming depressed and at much younger ages. The ailment is so
prevalent that some National Institute of Mental Health scientists
privately speculate that an unknown 'Agent Blue' may be spurring
its spread." With the tendency of children and teens to eat
processed foods at home and at fast-food restaurants, their dose
of MSG is increasing. Symptoms induced by this flavor enhancer
are a factor in the rising rate of depressive conditions. Now that
antidepressant medications such as Prozac are billion-dollar
businesses such depression can be treatedbut at a tremendous
financial and medical costnot to mention a wide range of side
effects.
One of the greatest dilemmas encountered by physicians is the
proper treatment of depression. Most advocate drug therapy
along with counseling or psychoanalysis. Still others even
recommend shock therapy.
How many of the estimated 100 million sufferers are
experiencing the depressive symptoms caused by MSG? Just this
simple dietary modification of eliminating MSG has caused
enormous relief from many symptoms of depression. In how
many of these cases is MSG identified as the real culprit? Some
physicians and psychologists who treat depressed people are
aware of this possible cause but others still need to know.
Research leads to the conclusion that many people are
experiencing mood changes directly associated with MSG.
Dr. Reif-Lehrer's questionnaire study indicated that 30% of her
subjects were aware of experiencing some reaction to MSG. This
finding has been confirmed by many other investigatorsthat
amounts of the flavor enhancer commonly added to many foods
induce MSG-sensitive symptoms. My own studies have
confirmed that figure.
 Page 31
Between 25% to 30% of the people I have questioned believe
they have had reactions to MSG. In addition, when the question
is asked, "Do you react to MSG or know someone who does?"
the positive response is almost unanimous. In Chapter 5 there is a
symptom checklist which can be used by readers to determine if
they belong to this group.
Depression is a subtle psychological symptom in its earliest form,
but chemical theories support the scientific base for MSG
involvement. However. regardless of whether or not the
biochemical mechanism can be pinpointed at this stage, sensitive
people can react to MSG with a depressive response. Sometimes
it is short lived, a matter of hours. In the initial case report of
Elisabeth, the 38-year-old woman's depression lasted as long as
two weeks and caused marked life derangementsalmost to the
point of divorce.
When mood changes occur, people will frequently act upon their
mood swings. If they become sad and irritable, those around
them suffer. One sensitive reactor I interviewed noticed how he
became depressed and angry: "Until I discovered my reactions to
MSG I was always getting into arguments after eating at Chinese
and fried chicken restaurants. We once went to marital counseling
[several days] after such an argument, but by the time we got
there . . . the reaction had cleared and I couldn't even remember
what made me so annoyed."
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders
treated by physicians in office practice. Dr. Nathan Kline stated
that "more human suffering has resulted from depression than
from any other single disease affecting mankind." From our
research and case studies, the conclusion is inevitable that some
of the increasing depression in our society is, in fact, caused by
the increased ingestion of MSG.
Because of these concerns some physicians have begun to
uncover and identify cases of MSG reactivity, particularly those
with behavioral change and depression as important components.
Many cases. such as that for Dr. A.R., a California physician,
have now been reported:
 Page 32
A 44-year-old physician and allergist, Dr. A.R. developed a sensation
of dizziness and whirling. This symptom continued until it became
disabling and the doctor had to be driven to work every day. He also
noticed a feeling of great weakness about an hour after lunch.
Eventually, Dr. A.R. consulted a neurologist. His symptoms at that time
were, in addition to a whirling sensation, difficulty in reading,
depression, diarrhea, and frequent headaches. The neurologist sent Dr.
A.R. to the hospital for a complete neurological workup, including
brain scans and electroencephalograms. These proved to be negative.
Dr. A.R. finally traced his symptoms to a seasoning salt he had been
using that contained monosodium glutamate. He also was taking in
MSG from many other sources. The symptoms disappeared about a
week to ten days after elimination of MSG from his diet. In fact, Dr.
A.R. reported that after eliminating MSG from his diet he felt better
than he had in years. Whenever he accidentally consumes the flavor
enhancer, the symptoms reappear.
Dr. A.R. warns, "I have seen many patients with chronic headaches,
depression, and fatigue. These patients are most grateful when they find
that their symptoms go away when they avoid MSG."
Why do such symptoms occur? In Chapter 6 we will delve
further into the human biochemistry and some of the animal
experiments that point to the brain sites of the reactions. For the
subtle behavioral changes in humans, though, we must study
people.
Dr. Reif-Lehrer was an associate professor in the Department of
Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School when she first
became interested in glutamate effects. She is what is usually
termed a "basic scientist," that is, a scientist who concentrates on
research into basic effects in isolated tissue cultures under
carefully controlled conditions. Having seen MSG toxicity on an
experimental level (after adding it to chick retinas and tissue
cultures), she began to wonder if MSG was affecting children.
After interviewing 300 children she concluded that about 20%
reported reactions that appeared to be MSG related.
 Page 33
Because her questionnaire study of 1,500 adults found that
approximately 30% had adverse reactions to foods containing
added MSG, she was called to testify on glutamate before the
FASEB Select Committee on GRAS (generally recognized as
safe) substances. She concluded in her testimony in July 1977
that "because of the results of some of the available laboratory
studies and because there is a sizeable amount of information
indicating that an appreciable number of people do perhaps react
adversely to elevated levels of glutamate, it would seem the better
part of wisdom not to have unrestricted use of this material until
further research has been done concerning possible subtle and
long-range effects of this amino acid in humans."
While acknowledging that "there is evidence that some
individuals may respond to relatively small doses" and
recognizing that "there should be some constraint placed on the
addition of MSG to processed foods," the FASEB Select
Committee made no further finding. The principal reason given
for their not taking a more vigorous anti-MSG stand was that it
did not cause brain damage in experimental animalsbut how do
we measure depression or mood change in such an animal? What
about headache, flushing, chest tightening, and the myriad
symptoms reported by human patients that are difficult or
impossible to identify in nonspeaking subjects?
The report further notes that MSG is listed on food labels and so
people sensitive to it can avoid it. Right? Wrong!

Hiding MSG
What could be better for us than protein? And everyone knows
vegetables are good for us. Thus, "hydrolyzed vegetable protein"
sounds safe and even wholesome. However, this is the chemical
method of producing monosodium glutamate.
A mixture of hydrolyzed protein contains the salts of other
proteins as well, and monosodium glutamate may comprise as
much as
 Page 34
40% of hydrolyzed vegetable protein (the usual range is 1220%).
The flavor enhancement produced by this mixture is almost
entirely dependent on MSG.
Few people are aware that products containing hydrolyzed
vegetable protein frequently are advertised as "all natural." While
MSG must be specifically listed on food labels, hydrolyzed
vegetable protein, which contains MSG, may be designated
simply as "natural flavorings" or in some cases "spices" or
"natural seasonings.''
A list of commonly used aliases under which MSG may legally
be hidden can be found in Chapter 8, and a detailed description
of how hydrolyzed protein is created is in Appendix 4.

Hydrolyzed Protein and Autolyzed Yeast (Yeast Extract)

The use of hydrolyzed protein for its MSG content as a flavor
enhancer was discussed in some detail on the 1988 book In Bad
Taste: The MSG Syndrome. Since the publication date, though, I
have discovered some more interesting information relating to
hydrolyzed proteins.
On its own, hydrolyzed proteins generally have an MSG content
of approximately 1220%. However, some flavoring
manufacturers add pure monosodium glutamate to the
hydrolyzed protein, thus increasing the MSG content to 40% or
50%. There is no way for the consumer to know which kind of
hydrolyzed protein has been used in a product.
Another current way food processors are adding glutamate to
their products is in the form of autolyzed yeast (sometimes called
yeast extract). This substance is less expensive than hydrolyzed
protein and has been advertised as a replacement for MSG and
hydrolyzed protein. Its MSG content is usually 10% to 20% MSG,
but may occasionally be higher.
In one chemical company's brochure promoting the use of
autolyzed yeast, it was emphasized that when using this substance
in meat and poultry products, it can be labeled either as "natural
flavoring" or "flavoring."
 Page 35
When hydrolyzed proteins or autolyzed yeast are labeled as
flavorings, their protein nature need not be revealed. In this way
food processors may add proteins to their processed meat
products; these "proteins" may come from old milk, decaying
vegetables, or even pork blood. Since the USDA (U.S.
Department of Agriculture) requires a certain minimal protein
content in meat products, the use of hydrolyzed proteins or
autolyzed yeast as "flavorings" is a cheap way of achieving the
necessary proportion of protein content.
For those consumers who wish to know if hydrolyzed protein
always contains MSG, the answer is in the Code of Federal
Regulations, Section 101. 35. If, for any reason, the MSG is
extracted from the hydrolyzed protein, the label must read
"hydrolyzed protein (MSG content reduced)." If this is not found
on the label, the hydrolyzed protein contains monosodium
glutamate.

Caseinate
Various other sources of MSG-containing substances include
hydrolyzed milk protein labeled as "caseinate" or natural
flavorings. This is labeled as sodium caseinate or calcium
caseinate. Although this must be labeled on most food items, it is
allowed by the FDA to be added to frozen dairy products without
specifying so on the label. The MSG content of caseinate is
approximately 12%.
Occasionally, a food product will have "No MSG Added" on its
package. This only means that monosodium glutamate in its pure
form has not been added to the productnot that MSG-containing
substances such as hydrolyzed proteins aren't used. The "No
MSG" designation on a label requires the manufacturer to abstain
from using any product that contains MSG, including hydrolyzed
proteins and autolyzed yeast.
There have been many cases of mislabeling "No MSG" when the
product contained hydrolyzed protein. One such mislabeling led
the Union Foods Company in California to recall 135,000 cases
of its
 Page 36
Golden Ramen Oriental Noodles and to pay the state of
California a $153,000 civil fine. This resulted from several
consumer complaints. Any product that is mislabeled can be
turned into your state District Attorney's office for prosecution.

Ribonucleotides, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate

Most consumers see the terms disodium inosinate or disodium
guanylate on an ingredient label and are at a loss to know what
they are. These compounds, more technically referred to as 5´-
nucleotides, are MSG enhancers.14
Rapidly cleared by the FDA in the late 1970s with little testing,
we have relied on case reports to see adverse effects. The reports
indicate powerful MSG effects with increased neurologic actions
when the ribonucleotides are mixed with MSG.
Flavor-enhanced table salt is prepared by blowing a spray
mixture of a ribonucleotide (usually disodium inosine phosphate)
and monosodium glutamate into salt being agitated.

Headaches and MSG

Headache, including migraine headaches, is a common symptom
of MSG sensitivity and has been documented by many physicians
and researchers. The following case of a young woman shows
that MSG-related headaches may be socially disabling:
Jackie is a 21-year-old graduate student who had experienced
occasional headaches for many years. She had received full
14 Shiga A, Kanemitsu A: US Patent 3,410,695, November 12, 1968;
assigned to Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Col, Ltd., Japan.
 Page 37
neurological tests, including EEG [electroencephalogram] and brain
scan, but these showed no apparent cause for her complaint. In other
respects her health was good.
When Jackie became a graduate student she began to spend more time
in study at the library and at home. She also began to eat more
frequently at fast-food restaurants. At this time the severity and
frequency of her headaches increased and she needed narcotic-type
medications to control them. She began using Percodan almost on a
daily basis.
Eventually, her physician suggested that diet might be a factor in her
headaches and he suggested she avoid Chinese food. The headaches
began to lessen frequency after a few days but still they persisted.
At that point Jackie began some investigating on her own. She
discovered that the fast-food hamburger chain she frequented added
MSG to its hamburger mix and that it also was added to the canned
tuna fish she liked and the sauces at her favorite restaurant. Even the
onion soup at an exclusive French restaurant in her locality was laced
with "protein powder." She discovered that packages labeled "No
MSG or preservatives" contained such ingredients as "Kombu-extract,"
that is, MSG, and ''vegetable powder," that is, MSG, in hydrolyzed
vegetable protein. In short, these labels were misleading.
Motivated by the continued severity of her headaches, Jackie
methodically removed all MSG from her diet and began eating a diet of
fresh foods at home. Within two weeks her headache problem of
several years had almost completely disappeared.
She still gets occasional headaches when she is upset or under tension,
but she says that these are very different in severity and duration from
those she formerly experienced She reports that her life has been
improved in many areas and her social life in particular.
 Page 38

Children's Headaches:
Migraine
Children's migraine headaches can be devastating for school
performance. One 1997 article15 demonstrated the imbalance of
excitatory amino acid turnover in children with migraines. These
findings are like pieces of a puzzle coming together to
demonstrate the profound effect of excitotoxicity in patients
(both adults and children) with migraine headaches.

Ritalin and MSG

We are witnessing an astounding increase in Ritalin use for
children diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder), ADHD
(attention deficit hyperactive disorder), and hyperactivity or
behavioral disorders. In fact, as of 1998, the amount being used
is up more than seven times compared to the previous decade.16
By tracking the rise in MSG use, it is apparent that we are in the
midst of a societal experiment in treating MSG-induced
neuroexcitatory effects in children. There is little question that
Ritalin works. Being a potent neurostimulant, it overdrives the
ongoing erratic MSG stimulation. Much like Prozac (fluoxetine)
is effective for MSG-induced depressive symptoms, Ritalin is
effective for a wide range of MSG-induced symptoms.
Should we be using a potent drug, in many cases just to treat
another drug reaction from monosodium glutamate? The
thousands of cases responding solely to MSG elimination indicate
a likely widespread response. Even more distressing to me are the
less advantaged children who have their education destroyed by
MSG intake.
15 Deufemia P, Finocchiaro R, Lendvai D, Celli M, Viozzi L, Troiani
P, Turri E, Giardini O: Erythrocyte and plasma levels of glutamate and
aspartate in children affected by migraine. Cephalalgia, 1997 Oct,
17:6, 6527.
16Time Magazine, p. 89, November 30, 1998.
 Page 39

Other Symptoms Associated with MSG

Aging
Many people who are sensitive to the effects of MSG have
reported that they could eat the additive with impunity when
younger but noticed increasing reactivity with age. With
decreasing ability to shop for fresh foods, particularly in winter,
older people often must rely more on processed, canned, dried,
and prepackaged food. With the current level of MSG addition to
such foods (either as pure MSG or in an MSG-containing
substance such as hydrolysed vegetable protein), this ensures a
steady MSG diet, which is a factor in edema and depression. (The
frequency of depression in the elderly often has been noted, but
the association between such states and diet is rarely made.)
The elderly moving from their homes to an assisted-living
environment or nursing home may find the change from
homemade meals to commercially prepared foods very stressful
to their health. Most elder care facilities are not conscious of the
MSG effects upon the frail and elderly.
In addition, there recently has been an enormous media blitz
about liquid protein drinks such as Ensure and Boost. Designed
originally to be used for feeding disabled persons with
gastrostomies (tube feeding directly into the stomach), the market
has been increasingly focused on the newly retired aging
population. While a good source of protein, vitamins, and
minerals for those who cannot tolerate regular foods, these are
high sources of hydrolyzed proteins and will cause MSG
reactions.
Other symptoms associated with MSG sensitivity include
dizziness and balance difficulties, problems common to the
elderly. In larger concentrations, MSG is a potent nerve toxin,
and it is likely that chronic long-term ingestion may be involved
with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, as well as with other
nerve cell degenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis ( Lou Gehrig's disease).
 Page 40
A summary of the experimental evidence linking glutamate and
human disease has been documented through hundreds of
scientific studies (see Selected References in Appendix 5).
Injection of glutamatelike substances can produce many of the
abnormalities of Huntington's disease, such as bizarre movements
and mental deterioration, and suggests that glutamate
neurotoxicity may be involved in the cause of this disease.
Some of the brain cell degeneration found in Alzheimer's disease,
a form of senility and dementia, may be caused by increased
stimulation of parts of the brain by glutamate. An elevated
glutamate level has been associated with one type of brain cell
atrophy (olivoponto cerebellar atrophy), causing severe balance
difficulties, and the glutamate-Lou Gehrig's disease links are
strong.
With these associations it may be wise for people with a family history
of nerve cell degenerative disease to limit their intake of MSG as early
as possible. In fact, recent treatments for stroke and brain injury have
focused on antiglutamate substances to prevent glutamate-induced
nerve cell destruction.
Women's Cycles
Some women of childbearing age who are sensitive to MSG also
associate this substance with the worsening of premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) symptoms. PMS affects many women in
various degrees and generally includes swelling, mood changes,
depression, irritability, and general malaise. The reported cases
clearly suggest that individual testing is necessary to show which
cases of PMS are worsened or possibly even initiated by the use
of monosodium glutamate. In addition, there have been some
reports of excessive menstrual bleeding that diminished markedly
upon elimination of MSG from the diet.
 Page 41
Prostate Symptoms and Urinary Retention
Intermittently, we have received case reports of urinary retention
associated with MSG intake. The obvious connection is with the
swelling of the prostate gland, but there may be deeper
neurological reasons, such as neurostimulation, preventing the
relaxation/release needed for urination.
In correspondence received, one MSG-sensitive man wrote:
I have suffered from MSG for many years. My symptoms are very
severe. In my case, it causes severe bladder irritation and urinary
retention, starting as soon as half an hour after ingestion of this poison
There is a strong urge to urinate with no relief possible. I may have to
get up 25 to 30 times at night with little relief. This condition can last
for about 24 hours.
Urinary retention is a potentially life-threatening condition by causing
eventual kidney failure with all its consequences. I once was
anesthetized on the operating table for a prostatic surgery when it was
discovered that I had no prostate problem.
Another stated:
Dr. George Schwartz [and my personal physician] have been informed
of my particular problem severely aggravated by MSG. Benign
prostatic hyperplasia is definitely made more miserable for its victims
because MSG causes a swelling of the prostate smooth muscle tissues,
resulting in urgent and frequent severely restricted voiding and
"nocturia" that keeps the individual up and down all night long. Dr.
Schwartz has indicated that MSG may have a causal relationship to
urinary retention, not just create an aggravation.
 Page 42
Glutamate and Schizophrenia
For ten years we have received letters and calls from patients
with schizophrenia who control their disease to some extent by
avoiding MSG and other neurotransmitters. In 1997, a study17
from Harvard Medical School lent support to this clinical
observation. The observation was made that glutamate receptors
in the brain are altered in schizophrenia and that clozapinea
potent antischizophrenic drugacts to block glutamate receptors.
Agents acting at certain sites on the N-methyl-D-aspartate
(NMDA) receptors (glutamate mediated) can produce signs of
schizophrenia in normal subsets.
Rage Reactions
Reports of rage reactions induced by MSG become clearer with
an understanding of the neuroexcitatory effects of MSG. The
1984 "McDonald's Massacre" in San Ysidro, California, had an
MSG-sensitive killer. This situation was analyzed in a scientific
journal, the International Journal of Biosocial Research. Dr.
Robert Hall from Chaminade University of Honolulu received the
data about the "MSG Massacre"18 and concluded that the data
supported a psychotic reaction to monosodium glutamate. The
amygdala section of the brain often has been linked to rage
reactions and is stimulated by MSG as well.19
17 Goff DC, Wine L: Glutamate in schizophrenia: clinical and research
implications. Schizophr Res, 1997 Oct, 27:23, 15768.
18 Hall RW: MSG=Massacre? An Examination of Possible Factors. Int J
Bios Res 6:120, 1984.
19 Nishijo H, Uwano T, Tamura R, Ono T: Gustatory and multimodal
neuronal responses in the amygdala during licking and discrimination of
sensory stimuli in awake rats. J Neurophysiol, 1998 Jan, 79:1, 2136.
 Page 43
Obesity
The obesity effect of MSG in animals requires evaluation since
unexplained obesity is increasing in our population, along with
hypertension and diabetes. MSG-induced obesity in animals may
carry long-term significance for humans.202122
Particularly disturbing is the later obesity after MSG exposure
during the neonatal and infant period even after only a short or
limited exposure.23
Atrial Fibrillation
The neuroexcitatory relationship of MSG and the heart has been
noted for 30 years. Atrial fibrillation as a distinct symptom of
MSG toxicity became clear with Dr. John Frost, professor of
cytopathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
He noted the connection himself and provided the FDA with
numerous letters and suggested mechanisms.
20 Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N,
Yoshinari M, Fujishima M: Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium
glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: an animal
model of multiple risk factors. Hypertens Res, 21(1):16, 1998.
21 Hollopeter G, Erickson JC, Palmiter RD: Role of neuropeptide Y in
diet-, chemical- and genetic-induced obesity of mice. Int J Obes Relat
Metab Disord, 22(6):50612, 1998.
22 Sricker Krongard A, Burlet C, Beck B: Behavioral deficits in
monosodium glutamate rats: specific changes in the structure of feeding
behavior. Life Sci, 62(23):212732, 1998.
23 Lorden JF, Caudle A: Behavioral and Endocrinological Effect of
single injections of MSG in the mouse. Toxicol Teratol 8:50919, 1986.
 Page 44
One letter we received from a cardiologist in New York stated:
. . . [my patient] is a 78-year-old male patient under treatment for
recurrent atrial fibrillation.
It has become quite evident over the past 5 or 6 years that certain foods
tend to aggravate his arrhythmia. The most pronounced are processed
foods and meats, . . . and all foods that contain monosodium glutamate.
It is my medical opinion that all foods such as the above mentioned
should be strictly avoided
Another woman wrote:
I found it necessary to retire . . . because the numerous "heart arrests"
left me too weak to lecture and conduct classes regularly. But
henceforth I shall seize every opportunity to write or speak against the
use of MSG by the food industry without identifying it, and against the
intransigency of the FDA to do anything effective to protect potential
MSG victims.
Genetics
There appears to be a tendency for MSG sensitivity to run in
families, although the symptoms provoked may range widely.
Many case reports have shown a multigenerational sensitivity in
family members.
Parents who are MSG sensitive may well see a similar sensitivity
in their children, although the symptoms may vary. For example,
a parent with severe migraines may have a child who reacts
adversely to MSG with asthma or hyperactivity.
 Page 45

Chapter Four
The MSG Syndrome:
What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
The evidence points to MSG sensitivity of epidemic proportions
throughout the general population. The symptoms may be
severe or vague: depression, headache, mild nausea, pressure
around the eyes, tingling of the face, behavioral disturbances in
children, and mood swings, accentuating those already present in
adolescents and also in adults. In Chapter 3, some striking cases
were described, and the studies of Dr. Reif-Lehrer, Dr.
Schaumberg, and others clearly have shown that we are dealing
with many sufferers of the MSG syndromeliterally an epidemic.
Many reactions can be severe and life threatening while being
difficult to detect. For example, the struggling asthmatic trying to
breathe is not asked about dietary MSGand for good reason
because medical therapy must take precedence. The person with
a severe heart irregularity receives treatment and CPR
(cardiopulmonary resuscitation) but rarely undergoes an analysis
of dietary MSG.
The usual causes of an increase in symptoms are changes in the
environment or in human behavior. Recently, we have witnessed
important changes in personal habits. Families eat together less
often. When they do sit down to a family meal, it usually consists
of convenience foods, such as fried chicken, frozen dinners,
canned soups, vegetables in sauces, and prepared salad mixes, all
of which may contain MSG. When you further consider that
monosodium glutamate is an ingredient of seasoning salts,
bouillon, hydrolysed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, meat
tenderizers, most prepared spaghetti sauces, most sausages, some
bacon, and even such ethnic foods as gefilte fish and matzo balls,
it becomes quite evident that the level of MSG in any family
 Page 46
meal may be quite high. In fact, the giant food company Pillsbury
completed a year-long study focusing on American eating
behaviors from 1971 to 1986. The results of its study appeared in
the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, March 15, 1988 (page 39).
The largest and fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population is
what Pillsbury calls the "Chase and Grabbits." They were most
likely to subsist on fast-foods, frozen dinners and carryout pizza.
Betsy Morris, the staff reporter, concludes: "This group which
swelled 136% over the 15 years of the study now comprises 26%
of the population." These people represent the next generation.
According to a study by the NPD Group, a Port Washington, New
York, marketing firm, only 15% of meals required the use of a
standard oven. This means that pre-packaged foods are much
more prevalent. Linda Smithson, director of Pillsbury's consumer
center, said, "The fragmentation of eating has become much more
normal than random."
MSG is a standard ingredient in most canned soups, soy sauces,
bouillon cubes, soup stocks, and frozen dinners. It is difficult to
avoid even in the finest of restaurants, where it is often hidden in
protein powders and seasonings. The amount of MSG consumed
daily by the average person has risen to a level where more and
more people are experiencing harmful reactions. Even the
cigarette smoker may get additional MSG since tobacco leaves
have been cured with MSG for smell and flavor enhancement.
What is the basis for the popularity of MSG? It is technically
termed a "flavor enhancer" and that is indeed what it does. But it
can also mask inferior freshness and quality in the foods we eat.
The "tinny" taste of canned foods is diminished and its color
maintained with the use of MSG. Thus, the advantages of its use
for the food industry are obvious. Unfortunately, for the millions
of people who experience averse symptoms at the present usage
level the problem is serious, and the cost advantages to the
industries pale before the magnitude of the resulting illnesses.
 Page 47

Allergic Reactions
In most cases, MSG toxicity is not an allergic reaction. It is
instead a classic toxic reaction. The difference requires some
explanation.
An allergic reaction, experienced only by some individuals, is
usually not dose dependent and involves the body reacting to a
substance in a particular way, causing the body to release certain
chemicals. This can result in asthma, skin rashes or itching,
anaphylaxis, or even obstruction of respiration due to the
swelling of structures within the neck and the airway. These are
the sorts of conditions where people carry epinephrine injectors,
such as with severe bee stings.
However, everybody will react to a toxic substance, and the
degree of reaction depends on the dose. Take, as an example,
caffeine. Caffeine in coffee will affect everybody who drinks
coffee. The only variables are the tolerance level of each person
and the amount of caffeine in the coffee bean. One person who is
very sensitive will say that one-fourth or one-half of a cup of
coffee will make him or her feel jittery or sweaty and perhaps
cause some heart palpitations. Others feel the effects of caffeine
only when they take a whole cup; still more people will only react
to two cups and more at four. As the number of cups of coffee
taken over an hour or two increases we will reach a point where
almost every human being will experience at least some effects of
the caffeine.
The situation is similar with MSG. The intensity of the symptoms
produced by MSG and the number of people reacting will
increase as the dose is increased. Even when asthma is
precipitated by MSG, the reaction tends to be dose related (that is,
the higher the dose, the worse the asthma attack). The particular
symptoms produced depend on the individual and are
remarkably ''stereotyped." That is, the MSG reaction at a given
dose tends to be consistent for that person. There are
characteristic patterns. In one day of eating processed and fast
food, an individual can easily consume his or her symptom-
causing dose.
 Page 48
Consumption of MSG has doubled in every decade since the
1940s. More than 120 million pounds are used yearly in the
United States alone.
Despite the widespread nature of the MSG symptom complex, the
cause may be hard to trace. Even when the cause is discovered it
can take years and even decades for people to act on it. Changes
in our society often occur through litigation. However, almost all
legal cases involving MSG sensitivity have been quickly settled.
The example of vitamin C and scurvy is illustrative. For example,
scurvy began to increase with the growth of sailing and shipping.
From the fifteenth to the nineteenth century, more than two
million deaths were attributed to scurvy. James Lind, a Scottish
physician, demonstrated the cause in the late 1700s as a lack of
fresh fruit. Yet, 50 years after his "proof" ships still routinely left
port for prolonged sea voyages without a supply of fruit.
Modern medicine accepts the idea of deficiency diseases such as
scurvy, but even now we are seeing more patients with initially
unidentified vitamin deficiency symptoms. In a similar manner,
we are often ignoring the toxic effects of MSG. We now have a
substantial body of evidencescientific studies and case reportsthat
MSG will cause troublesome reactions for many people and
seriously harm their health and well-being.
It has been more than 30 years since the first case report was
published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It is more
than 28 years since Dr. Schaumberg, Dr. Robert Byck, Dr. Robert
Gerstl, and Dr. Jan Mashman reported in Science that "MSG can
produce undesirable effects in the amounts used in the
preparation of widely consumed foods." It is more than 20 years
since extensive questionnaires showed MSG sensitivity to be
widespread. Yet many people are unaware of the cause of their
MSG-induced symptoms, and more MSG is being used in foods
than ever before.
As the use of MSG has become more widespread, case reports
are coming from all parts of the world, including France,
Germany,
 Page 49
Australia, and Israel. Even in Japan, where MSG has been a
staple of cooking almost since its discovery in 1908, people have
been aware of reactions to this substance. The MSG symptom
complex is spreading as the dose increases.
Another analogy can be seen with cigarette smoking. From the U.
S. Surgeon General's report of adverse effects in 1965, which
came after a wealth of scientific studies, we still are seeing
cigarette smoking as a major health problem. Clearly education is
not enough for many people. However, with MSG there is a very
big difference. Lighting up a cigarette or a cigar is a choice. With
hidden MSG and widespread use as well as with mislabeling,
MSG use is not a choiceparticularly for young children and the
elderly.
What we are witnessing is the direct effects and side effects of a
powerful neurologic drug.
 Page 51

Chapter Five
MSG Symptom Analysis
Are You Reacting to MSG?
There are three general categories of symptoms resulting from
MSG. These are allergic, peripheral, and central (brain).
The allergic symptoms include characteristic allergic responses
such as asthma, skin rash, and sneezing. Peripheral responses are
flushing, tingling, chest tightness, palpitations, or headaches, and
arthritislike symptoms of the joints. The central-type symptoms
arise from the brain and include depression, mental confusion,
insomnia, and restlessness.
Table 1 categorizes common symptoms, Table 2 shows children's
symptoms; and Tables 3, 4, and 5 attempt to divide the symptoms
according to type. However, one person can have a mixture of
the different types of symptoms of the MSG syndrome.
TABLE 1
Common Symptoms
Gastrointestinal
Cramps
Diarrhea
Nausea
Gas/bloating
General and Chest
Tightness around face
Tingling/burning in face and
chest
(Table continued on next page)
 Page 52
(Table continued from previous page)
TABLE 1
Common Symptoms
Tightness in chest, chest pain
Headaches
Weakness
Dizziness
Palpitations
Eye Symptoms
Blurring of vision
Seeing shining lights
Difficulty focusing
Tingling around eyes
Psychological Symptoms
Depression
Paranoia
Rage reactions
Attention deficit disorder
(ADD)
Panic attacks
Confusion
Insomnia
Neuromuscular Symptoms
Muscle aches
Weakness/paralysis
Jaw stiffness (TMJ)
Back pain
Tendinitis
Arthritis
Other
Rash, hives
Chills, shakes
Tenseness

(Table continued on next page)

 Page 53
(Table continued from previous page)
TABLE 1
Common Symptoms
Numbness of face
Water retention
Speech slurred
Sneezing
Thirst
Sleepiness
Asthma
Heaviness of arms and legs
Excessive perspiration
Fast heartbeat
Balance problems, staggering

TABLE 2
Children's Symptoms
Asthma
Behavioral problems/ADD
Stomach cramps
Chest discomfort
Thirst
Headache
Stomachache
Tiredness, depression
Nausea
Dizziness
Throat symptoms
Loss of bowel or bladder
control
Rage reactions
Hostility to other children
 Page 54
TABLE 3
Allergic Symptoms
Sinus pressure
Rash
Hives
Asthma, shortness of breath
Sneezing
Running nose
Swelling of tongue and throat

TABLE 4
Peripheral-Type Symptoms
Flushing
Jaw tightness
Headache
Rapid heartbeat
Chest tightening
Diarrhea, stomach cramps
Arthritis

TABLE 5
Central-Type Symptoms
(Brain)
Depression
Insomnia
Confusion
Paranoia
Rage reactions

Foods to which MSG has been added have more effect when
taken on an empty stomach. The Chinese restaurant syndrome,
better named the MSG syndrome or the MSG symptom complex,
often is manifested immediately after the first soup course. The
presence of
 Page 55
carbohydrates and bread in the stomach tends to modify and
diminish the reactions. It has been misleading and unfair to call
MSG reactions "Chinese restaurant syndrome." Chinese
restaurants represent only a small fraction of MSG useless than
5%. The result of this improper label has been to unfairly
characterize one type of food and to mislead consumers into
believing that only the Chinese use MSG.
Symptom Analysis
Glutamic acid is one of the amino acids that make up proteins. In
nature, the glutamic acid is linked by "peptide" linkages to other
amino acids. When a person eats a protein substance, the linkages
are broken apart slowly in the digestive process. When pure MSG
is given, a rapid effect occurs from the glutamate. This "free
glutamate" is not attached to other amino acids. Thus, the
normally slow breakdown process is bypassed because there are
no "peptide" linkages to slow the process. The sudden increase in
glutamic acid within the body is rapidly absorbed and can raise
the normal blood level of glutamate to eight or ten times or even
twenty times its usual amount.
 Page 57

Chapter Six
MSG: Bad Taste
We have no problem with a consumer's right to know if the product he or
she is buying contains MSG. But then, everything should be labeled,
since there are many ingredients that pose a far greater risk than MSG.
[Of course, this kind of complete labeling would result] in menus and
ingredient lists as long as a roll of toilet paper.
Richard Cristol, Executive Director
The Glutamate Association
As quoted in Cooks Magazine, June 1990
Taste relies primarily on the perception of stimuli through the
taste buds located in small depressions on the tongue. When
stimulated, these taste buds transmit electrical signals to the brain,
which interprets the signals and forms an overall impression. The
brain is like a television set receiving a variety of signals.
Eventually, an image is formed that is perceived as "taste." MSG
placed on the tongue stimulates these electrical discharges,
making the "picture" more intense.
The taste effect of MSG has been demonstrated by analyzing
nerve responses. MSG solutions have been layered onto the
tongue of experimental animals. The results were impressive.
MSG on the tongue caused a nervous reaction that went from the
tongue through the chorda tympana nerve directly to the cortex
of the brain, resulting in a spreading cerebral excitation through
nerve synapse connections in the bulbar pontine and thalamic
areasessentially through the brain. This finding indicates that
ingestion into the stomach and drug effects (as an oral
medication) have not revealed an important effectdirect pathways
 Page 58
from the mouth and tongue to the brain cells. This tendency,
which has been well documented by numerous investigators24
offers an insight as to how MSG can play a role in inducing
seizures and other abnormal brain conditions. Further, the
prolonged taste effect continues as a neurological phenomenon
for 30 minutes.25 The tongue-nervous system-brain response
also explains the finding of extreme MSG sensitivity since the
concentration in solution may be small, indeed, but have a strong
direct nerve effect. The effects of MSG in a solution are also
more dramatic, with the monosodium glutamate having a
negative rotation in solution. The rotation of the molecule
appears to increase its nervous system effects.
There is conclusive evidence that the MSG taste intensity
increases are a result of drug-induced nerve-cell discharges. As a
result, MSG is a rather unique producta drug to change the
nervous system to increase its reaction and not to change the
food.
MSG has become popular because it enhances every kind of
flavor and increases smell appeal. It has been found to increase
saltiness, accentuate sweetness, and reduce sourness and
bitterness. It modifies undesirable tastes, such as the "earthiness"
and raw peel flavor or the "fishy" taste of lima beans. In addition,
MSG has been found to intensify "bloom"the spreading of taste
through the mouthand the aftertaste that stimulates the next bite
in an almost addictive manner.
A flavor enhancer is different from a seasoning in that it can
intensify existing flavors without adding a strong flavor of its
own. Although MSG does have a flavor of its own (chickenlike,
sweet-salty, soapy, sometimes perceived as bitter), it is a
relatively weak and subtle flavor. This aspect makes it very
difficult for an MSG-sensitive person
24 Kawamura Y, Kare MR: Umami: A Basic Taste. Marcel Dekker,
Inc., 1987, pgs. 441460.
25 Ibid., p. 177.
 Page 59
to know when he or she has inadvertently ingested MSG or
MSG-containing compounds, such as hydrolyzed vegetable
protein.
Actions on Nerve Plexi, GERD Disease (Gastroesophageal
Reflux) and Mitral Valve Prolapse
In addition, once ingested MSG has actions on other nervous
system plexi. As a local effect it decreases the strength of the
esophageal-stomach sphincter leading to a reflux of acid and
GERD disease (gastroesophageal reflux disease). One of the
common medication types in widespread use (H2 Blockers such
as Tagamet and Zantac) are likely treating an epidemic of GERD
and heartburn at least partially caused by MSG. Other effects,
such as the provocation of asthma and the cardiovascular effects,
are not well understood. The mitral valve prolapse connection
with MSG sensitivity has been noted. Could MSG cause the
condition, which is widespread? It does appear that MSG
precipitates symptoms in such people (for example, rapid heart
beats and atypical chest pain), and produces almost a panic attack
state.

Pharmaceutical Companies Owe a Debt to MSG

In the 1980s one of the largest income-producing medications
was Tagamet, and then other similar medications came along to
treat indigestion (for example, Zantac, Accid, and Prilosec).
Much of their patent action treats MSG side effects. Now these
medications often are available as over-the-counter medications
for all consumers.
In the 1990s antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft have
become billion-dollar money-makers. I believe a good part of
their popularity results from the ability of these serotonin-
increasing medications to treat the malaise and depressive
feelings resulting from MSG effects and their aftermath. Like the
postcocaine and postamphetamine depressions resulting from
continued cerebral nerve
 Page 60
cell discharge, there is a similar scenario with an MSG-induced
discharge to the point of nervous system exhaustion, released by
anti-depressant neurochemicals. All of this occurred against a
background of increasing awareness of MSG toxicity, along with
what Dr. John W. Olney, the leading scientist studying
neurotoxicity, termed ''an industry-arranged whitewash" at the
FDA.
The FDA had been established with the Federal Food and Drugs
Act of 1906.26 Its charge was to make sound judgments
independent of industry pressures. Prior to its formation, there
was an expanding threat of adulterated food, drink, and medicine
with serious health effects. In the case of MSG, the perversion of
the regulatory process has been apparent with "revolving doors"
(from government to high-paying jobs in industry), along with
specific grants and consultant jobs. To cite one example, the
chairman of the National Academy of Sciences MSG committee
was, while serving as chairman, under contract with Gerber
Products and International Mineral and Chemical Company, the
producer of "Accent".27

Glutamate as a Neurotransmitter
Some of the increased recent concern about glutamate stems
from the observation that it acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter
in the brain. A neurotransmitter is a substance that stimulates
brain cell activity.
In 1957 in Baltimore, Dr. D. Newhouse and Dr. J. P. Lucas used
glutamic acid in an effort to reduce hereditary retinal
degeneration in rats. At that time, they were proceeding on the
idea that glutamic acid might have a protective effect. Their
findings were just the opposite:
26 Young JG: Pure Food: Securing the Federal Food and Drugs Act
of 1906. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton NJ, 1989.
27 Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, Washington DC
1992.
 Page 61
that MSG resulted in rapid, irreversible destruction of the
majority of cells in the retina within minutes. After this initial
observation was scientifically validated, other scientists,
particularly Dr. Olney, determined that glutamate could produce
not only retinal damage but damage to other parts of the brain.
The earliest evidence of damage is to the "dendrites," which are
the filaments that transfer electrical information. Damage to these
is widespread. Subsequently, the nerve cells are altered and die.
Dr. Olney focused his work on the damage to the hypothalamus,
which regulates overall body and glandular function.

MSG Toxicity Killing Dogs

MSG as a potent drug can result in convulsions and cardiac
effects. Experimental animals can experience lethal effects from
MSG. We were not aware that these potent effects were being
used for animal slaughter until Max Ricketts of the Naldo-
Ricketts Foundation of the Philippines alerted us to this method.
In a letter he wrote to me from Manila he stated that eating dogs
is not uncommon in some provinces of the Philippines:
Vetsin (MSG) is actually being used to kill dogs for food here, almost
always in the provinces. Stoning is the next most popular method.
Male drinkers, especially, have a taste for dogs. . . . Vetsin is placed
inside a pan de sal (that is, a roll of bread), one to two tablespoons,
and given to the dog to eat. The dog salivates and loses
consciousness; then involuntary spasms occur until the breathing
stops.

Neuroexcitatory Effects:
ALS, Alzheimer's and Treatment with Antiglutamate Substances
Since the early research thousands of scientific articles have dealt
with the neuroexcitatory effects of glutamate. The nerve cell
deaths produced by elevated glutamate levels have been well
established. In fact one of
 Page 62
the most promising areas in reversing the effects of stroke are
antiglutamate substances. The glutamate-ALS connectionLou
Gehrig's diseasehas been explored. In 1995 Dr. J. D. Rothstein
published an article28 in which he explored the research
concerning motor nerve cell degeneration produced by excess
glutamateand raised the possibility of protection by antiglutamate
substances. The continued neuroexcitatory effect can play a role
as well in cell death in other neurodegenerative diseases,
particularly Alzheimer's dementia.

Glutamate as a Neuroexcitor
Forty years of glutamate research have uncovered a tremendous
variety of excitatory and toxic effects. These effects are presented
in an extensive scientific article.29 The basic mechanisms seem to
involve the receptors on the cells affecting the permeability (or
leakiness) of the membranes and the integrity of the nerve cell.30
Dr. Fernstrom and his colleagues in the Department of Psychiatry
in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine undertook to
see if there was an effect upon people.31 They took fasting
human
28 Rothstein: "Excitotoxicity and Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis" in Clinics in Neuroscience, 3: 34859, 1996.
29 Michaelis EK: Molecular biology of glutamate receptors in the central
nervous system and their role in excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and aging.
Prog Neurobiol, 54(4):369415, 1998.
30 Raymond LA, Moshaver A, Tingley WG, Huganir RL: Glutamate
receptor ion channel properties predict vulnerability to cytotoxicity in a
transfected nonneuronal cell line. Mol Cell Neurosci, 7(2): 10215, 1996.
31 Fernstrom JD, Cameron JL, Fernstrom MH, McConaha C, Weltzin TE,
Kaye WH: Short-term neuroendocrine effects of a large oral dose of
monosodium glutamate in fasting male subjects. J Clin Endocrinol
Metab, 81(1): 18491, 1996.
 Page 63
subjects and gave them 12.7 grams of MSG (two teaspoons). The
plasma glutamate levels increased eleven times within one hour
of the MSG dose. With an 11 times normal concentration, the
local level of glutamate and its effects can rapidly occur.
The effect of raising glutamate rapidly leads to extensive visual
brain damage in mice (damage that can be seen under a
microscope). In this case of experimental mice studies, a rapid
rise to 17 times normal caused extensive damage.32 The 11 times
normal levels produced by Dr. Fernstrom and his associates
come perilously close to these damage levels, and this is for
damage that can be seen; biochemical damage occurs at much
lower levels.

NutraSweet (Aspartame)
Dr. Russell Blaylock's unique book Excitotoxins: The Taste that
Kills (Health Press, 1997) goes deeply into the neurochemistry of
aspartame. What is most relevant for the reader of In Bad Taste is
the following:
1. The chemical constituents of Nutrasweet are involved with
cerebral excitotoxicity as well as MSG.
2. Seizures, twitches, and hyperexcitable states have been linked
to aspartame as well as to MSG.
3. Other side effects of Nutrasweet include headaches,
depression, bladder irritation and feeling as if there is a continual
need to urinate. The latter symptoms are often thought to be
involved with a urinary tract infection. Visual symptoms appear
to be more common with aspartame than MSG and some cases of
blindness have been reported. The relationship of these visual
symptoms with the methanol content of Nutrasweet has been
suggested as a cause. The association
32 Hu L, Fernstrom JD, Goldsmith PC: Exogenous glutamate enhances
glutamate receptor subunit expression during selective neuronal injury
in the ventral arcuate nucleus of postnatal mice. Neuroendocrinology,
68(2):7788, 1998.
 Page 64
with worsening diabetes has been noted and needs more
research. The association with neurodegenerative diseases such
as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Lou Gherig's disease have also
been made relying upon on a scientific basis (see Selected
References in Appendix 5).
4. Any person concerned with MSG induced symptoms should
also eliminate other excitotoxins, such as Nutrasweet, from their
diet.

The Mystery of Free Amino Acids in Human Milk

An argument proposed by the Glutamate Association (and their
aliases) for the safety of glutamate is that mother's milk contains
free glutamate. Once again, quantity is overlooked by those
advocates of excitotoxicity. For example, while arsenic is present
naturally in the soil, it doesn't mean 1000 times the amount in soil
is safe. One analysis33 showed free glutamic acid at an average
level of 1750 millionth moles/liter, which converts into a total
quantity of almost one one-hundredth of a teaspoon of MSG in a
quart. Even at the FASEB hearing on glutamate safety in 1994, an
industry representative apologized for misrepresenting the actual
numbers. The presence of small amounts of free glutamate
cannot be compared to the addition of chemically produced MSG
in vast quantities.
Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Huntington's Chorea,
Parkinson's Disease, and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases
Ingesting daily a neurotoxic poison can, over time, lead to nerve
cell loss in the central nervous system. We are witnessing a
tremendous increase in Alzheimer's disease at least partly related
to increased MSG use. Once nerve cells die they cannot
regenerate. Possibly the use of a
33 Sarwar G, Botting HG, Davis TA, Darling P, Pencharz PB: Free
amino acids in milks of human subjects, other primates and non-
primates. Br J Nutr, 79(2):12931, 1998.
 Page 65
nerve growth factor can modify this in the future or an
antiglutamate substance, but for the present, our best hope is in
the prevention of neurotoxicity. There is no doubt that there is a
genetic and biochemical predisposition to cellular loss, and thus
once afflicted such people and their caregivers should
immediately eliminate excitotoxins from their diet. The bigger
problem is that institutional food and supplements often contain
multiple sources of MSG and other excitotoxins.
MSG-induced nerve cell degeneration is well established.
Counteracting such effects is difficult. Recent experiments with
glutamate blockers for stroke victims appear promising in acute
injuries where neurotoxic glutamate is released in the brain.
However, this has no current applicability for use in acute MSG
reactions. The increased cell death and enhanced oxidation
cellular stress may be reduced in other ways under current
experimentation for example, antioxidants or increasing the levels
of glutathione, which appears to help counter the oxidative
effects.
As we witness increasing aging in our population, the problems
with neurologically impaired elderly will put a tremendous
personal strain on both the individual and the family as well as a
serious economic impact on society and the healthcare system.
In fact, some enterprising HMO (health maintenance
organization) operator will one day create the "No-MSG" HMO.
This money-making idea will ensure a population living with
fewer headaches, less asthma, and decreased cardiac arrhythmias.
In addition the tremendous healthcare costs of Alzheimer's
disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, and other diseases of nerve cell
death will be decreased.
Parkinson's Disease
Characterized by tremor, rigidity, altered muscular action, and
deterioration in nerve cells, Parkinson's disease affects more than
one
 Page 66
million people just in North America alone.34 Neurodegenerative
diseases are expected to surpass cancer as the second most
common cause of death among the elderly over the next 40 years.
The nerve cell degeneration is striking in specific areas of the
brain, including the substantia nigra, the nucleus basalis, and the
hypothalamus. Still, what many do not realize is that nerve cells
in the intestines also are affected, resulting in gastrointestinal
symptoms. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease often accompany
Parkinson's disease.
The concept of neuroexcitation in Parkinson's disease is well
established, with persistent activation of the glutamate-NMDA
(Nmethyl-D-aspartate) receptor leading to excess intracellular
production of enzymes and nitric oxide. This literally creates the
self-destruction of nerve cells.3536

More on ALS
The glutamateALS connection has been made for five to ten
years, but little has been known of the mechanism. One 1998
article from Johns Hopkins University by Dr. Lin and
colleagues37 demonstrated that there is a loss of the glutamate
transporter protein in 60% to 70% of cases. The result is an
accumulation of glutamate and excitotoxic
34 Beal MF: Aging, Energy and Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative
Diseases. Ann Neurol 38:35766, 1995.
35 Ibid.
36 Lang A, Lozano AM: Parkinson's Disease: Medical Prognosis. N Engl
J Med 339:10441053, 1998.
37 Lin CL, Bristol LA, Jin L, Dykes Hoberg M, Crawford T, Clawson L,
Rothstein JD: Aberrant RNA processing in a neurodegenerative disease:
the cause for absent EAAT2, a glutamate transporter, in amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis. Neuron, 20(3):589602, 1998.
 Page 67
degeneration. These abnormalities in the transport of glutamate
were found early in the disease, suggesting a site for therapy as
well as early diagnosis. Certainly with glutamate buildup and
neuroexcitatory cell death, exogenous MSG can increase the
glutamate load at the cell.

Animal Studies of MSG: Implications for Humans

Animal studies are useful in determining the effects of substances
on living organisms, but generally such studies use much higher
doses, proportionately, than those usually taken by people.
Consequently, they do not relate to human symptoms unless the
higher dosages lead to observable brain damage.

Obesity, Hormone Changes, Seizures, and Infertility

Dr. John Olney's research showed that the MSG brain injuries in
rodents resulted in obesity, behavioral disturbances, endocrine
hormone changes, stunted bodies, seizures, and infertility. (See
his numerous citations in the Selected References in Appendix 5).
How these powerful effects on experimental animals might relate
to possible effects on humans is not known. Dr. Olney and other
scientists considered that caution in the addition of MSG,
particularly to foods consumed by children, is advisable.
Huntington's Chorea and Alzheimer's
Excesses of glutamate have been linked to a condition called
Huntington's chorea, which involves destruction of parts of the
brain. Symptoms mimicking those of Lou Gehrig's disease, such
as muscle weakness and slurred speech, have been produced by
large doses of glutamate. Some scientists have speculated that the
rising incidence of Alzheimer's disease may be related to MSG.
Because of the known
 Page 68
brain cell neurotoxicity of MSG, they theorize that chronic long-
term exposure might lead to neuronal (brain cell) loss.
Although there are likely long-term effects due to chronic
hyperstimulation, what is of importance to many people are the
myriad of immediate symptoms in humans caused by this
substancesome of which can be disabling or even life
threatening.
Scientists studying these problems have sometimes run into
severe obstacles. As Dr. Gary J. Baker, the Australian asthma
specialist, notes, "The story needs to be told. This will include
not only the side effects of MSG, but also the discrediting of the
people honestly reporting these effects, the frustration many of us
have had in finding funds to do the necessary further research
and the anger at the regulatory bodies for ignoring this problem."

Neuroendocrine Effects
Growth hormone, hypothalamic abnormalities, and endocrine
gland regulation effects have been produced by the
administration of MSG in the neonatal period in experimental
animals. Similarly, an ability to adapt to circadian rhythms of
light and dark has been affected. Experimental animals also lose
the ability to regulate appetite and weight. The translation of these
effects to humans is still unknown, but there are suggestive
studies of endocrine effects on our population. The deeper
question is why we are subjecting our population to this toxic
experiment.
The effects of MSG extend to the other neurotransmitters of the
brain (such as dopamine and norepinephrine) at the synaptic
level, where the cells join. These neurochemicals also can relate
to and be associated with endocrine effects.
 Page 69

Endocrine Effects and Obesity

There is a long history of endocrine, particularly pituitary and
hypothalamic, effects produced by MSG in experimental animals.
One review in 199838 shows alterations in hypothalamic-
pituitary-adrenal cortical function with likely genetic effects.
The association with thyroid abnormalities, fertility and obesity
problems, cortisone abnormalities, and other glandular functions
has been suggested by many studies. Long-term human analysis
will be necessary to confirm animal effects in humans. The
stress-induced abnormalities in blood-brain barrier permeability
suggest differing MSG effects dependent on existing states of
relaxation or stresses.39 Another 1998 article demonstrates
growth hormone impairment in rats that lasts throughout
adulthood in experimental animals.40 The suggestive evidence
for MSG-induced neuroendocrine effects is substantial, coupled
with the observation of increased obesity in children.

MSG, Epilepsy, and Convulsions

The many human reports of increased convulsions due to MSG
and the worsening of epilepsy have suggested that the excitatory
effect of glutamate will affect this human condition adversely. In
addition, there
38 SkultetyovaI, Kiss A, Jezova D: Neurotoxic lesions induced by
monosodium glutamate result in increased adenopituitary
proopiomelanocortin gene expression and decreased corticosterone
clearance in rats. Neuroendocrinology, 67(6):41220, 1998.
39 Skultetyova I, Tokarev D, Jezova D: Stress-induced increase in blood-
brain barrier permeability in control and monosodium glutamate-treated
rats. Brain Res Bull, 45(2):1758, 1998.
40 Zelena D, Jezova D, Acs Z, Makara GB: Monosodium glutamate
lesions inhibit the N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced growth hormone but not
prolactin release in rats. Life Sci 62(22):206572, 1998.
 Page 70
are many reports of control of epilepsy with dietary
changeespecially MSG removal. The excitatory
neurophysiological effect on the nerve cells is well
established.4142 Experimentally, MSG can produce convulsions
in rats to the point of ''status epilepticus," that is, continuous
seizures.43 The animal studies and human case reports are an
alarming association, and certainly those with epilepsy should
avoid MSG in all forms.
One form of severe childhood epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut
syndrome was relieved by MSG elimination, as reported in The
Journal of the American Dietetic Association.44 Removal of
MSG led to normal development of the child in the case reported.
The concept of relief of this condition is that large glutamate
loads overwhelm the body, resulting in excess stimulation and
upsetting normal body regulation.4546
Hypertension and MSG, Hypotension with Syncope
In the human population hypertensionhigh blood pressureis a
widespread problem that can be very severe. The findings that
there are MSG sites in the brain having to do with the release of
substances such
41 Wheless JW, Constantinou JEC: Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. Pediatr
Neurol. 17:203211, 1997.
42 Bittigan P, Ikonomodou C. Glutamate in neurologic disease. J Child
Neurol, 12:471485,1997.
43 Beating the MSG Clock. Science News 134:350, 1989.
44Journal of the American Dietetic Association (1997:97:793794)
45 Baylis LL, Rolls ET: Responses of neurons in the primate cortex to
glutamate. Physiol. Behav, 49:97379, 1991.
46 Hellenkant G, Ninomiya Y: On the taste of unami in chimpanzee.
Physiol Behav 49:92734, 1991.
 Page 71
as angiotension, that regulate blood pressure have started to make
a connection that requires more study. The relationship of MSG
and human hypertension has been studied from the perspective
of sodium increase. There have been no available double-blind
studies of glutamate and hypertension. The case reports are
common in reporting that when a person with high blood
pressure eliminates MSG from his or her diet, their blood
pressure returns to normal or near normal.
However, case reports demonstrated some cases of syncope
(fainting), which occurs with rapid standingso-called orthostatic
hypotension, or low blood pressure.
Glutamate in Stroke
High levels of free glutamate in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid,
that is, brain fluid, are released in patients with stroke. This is the
basis for the use of experimental antiglutamate treatments. The
first 24 hours seem to be most important if the stroke is
progressive while for a stable/contained stroke the first six hours
show elevation in glutamate. With the increased awareness of
neurotoxic effects of free glutamate, patients with strokes should
receive low free glutamate diets to assist in reducing neurologic
deterioration.47
Helping the Heart, Hurting the Brain
The observation that glutamate infusion may aid in the recovery
of the heart from cardiac surgery and ischemia indicates its ability
to stimulate the heart.48 In a normal state this may relate to the
precipitation of
47 Davalos A, Castillo J, Serena J, Noya M: Duration of glutamate
release after acute ischemic stroke. Stroke, 28(4):70810, 1997.
48 Svedjeholm R, Vanhanen I, Hakanson E, Joachimsson PO, Jorfeldt L,
Nilsson L: Metabolic and hemodynamic effects of intravenous glutamate
infusion early after coronary operations. J. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg,
112(6):146877, 1996.
 Page 72
tachycardia and atrial fibrillation often reported and even reports
of ventricular tachycardia.49 We also have had multiple reports of
cardiac arrest caused by MSG, probably also related to the
overstimulation effect.
At the same time that the infusion of glutamate was stimulating
the heart, prior studies show excitotoxicity of brain cells.

Cancer, AIDS and Glutamate

The issue of effects on cancer is still not cleareither as a stimulant
of cancer growth or as the initiator of cancer. Some scientists
have wondered if the increase in esophageal cancer in Japanese
populations might relate to MSG intake. Certainly, the scientific
observation has been made that patients with advanced tumors
have elevated plasma glutamate levels,50 including those with
gastrointestinal tumors, bronchial carcinomas, lymphomas, breast
cancer, and others.51 The possibility of glutamate damage to the
immune system, particularly the lymphocytes, has been
investigated and appears to be linked. The elevated plasma
glutamate level was correlated with impaired immune
responses.52
49 Gann D, Ventricular tachycardia in a patient with the Chinese
Restaurant Syndrome. Southern Medical Journal, 70:879880, 1977.
50 Droge W, Eck HP, Betzler M, et al.: Plasma Glutamate Concentration
and Lymphocyte Activity. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 114:1248, 1988.
51 Furst P, Bergstrom J, Hellstrom B, et al.: Amino Acid Metabolism in
Cancer in Kluthe R, Lohr GW Eds, Nutrition and Metabolism in Cancer,
Thieme Pub, NY, p. 75, 1981.
52 See footnote 50.
 Page 73
This finding is of great importance. From a strictly case report
basis, for many years we have received reports of people who
develop a range of infections after a severe MSG reaction. We
know of elevated glutamate levels in these cases. Could these
substances be promoting cancer growth?
These suggestive results warrant consideration for cancer-prone
individuals to be extremely cautious in MSG intake, as well as
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) patients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The FDA has serious internal problems in regard to MSG. Years
of faulty and biased regulation have led to inaction. Tracking the
money demonstrates how such faulty decisions were made in the
past. It is a scandal.
Through a Freedom of Information Act request of all FDA-
consumer correspondence for the past ten years relating to
monosodium glutamate and hydrolyzed protein, I obtained
several letters from FDA officials advising MSG-sensitive people
to avoid hydrolyzed proteins. The standard form letter response
that was sent to consumers stated that symptoms of MSG
reactions are generally "mild and transient."
In December of 1989, at a meeting with top FDA officials, I
informed them of my concerns as a physician about adverse
reactions to MSG. At this meeting those present were unaware
that substances such as hydrolysed protein could be labeled as
"natural flavorings." When asked why they had not followed up
on a single case report of an adverse reaction, I was asked if I
would accept a plea of "incompetence" on the part of the FDA
staff!
On June 8, 1990, the Department of Health and Human Services
Clinical Nutrition Assessment Branch sent out a memorandum.
This document described 285 case reports, some describing
severe adverse reactions to monosodium glutamate.
 Page 74
The FDA broke the reported symptoms down into the following
table:
MSG CONSUMER COMPLAINTS BY REPORTED
SYMPTOMS*
Reported Symptoms of Total Number of Percent of
Total Total
Headache 103 19.9
Vomiting and nausea 43 8.3
Diarrhea 36 6.9
Change in heart rate 30 5.8
Change in mood quality or level 26 5.0
Abdominal pain and cramps 25 4.8
Dizziness or problems with 17 3.3
balance
Localized pain and tenderness 15 2.9
Sleep problems 15 2.9
Change in vision 14 2.7
Fatigue, weakness 14 2.7
Change in body temperature 12 2.3
Difficulty breathing 11 2.1
Local swelling 10 1.9
Joint and bone pain 10 1.9
Chest pain 10 1.9
Change in sensation (numbness, 8 1.6
tingling)
Change in activity level 8 1.6
Blood pressure changes 7 1.3
Difficulty swallowing 7 1.3
Other 98 18.9
*Multiple symptoms may be associated with each consumer
complaint. Reprinted from MSG Report, Health Hazards
Evaluation Board, Department of Health and Human
Services, June 8, 1990.
 Page 75
On many occasions the information provided by the FDA has
been confusing or misleading. Part of the difficulty is the
"revolving door"as people leave the agency to go to industry
positions, new regulators enter who are not up to speed on the
issues. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) in
1987 issued a report of MSG53 warning against ingestion of large
doses of MSG. Naturally, FDA representatives assisted in the
WHO report. However, two years later, the new people were
ignorant of this report and its warnings. A variety of FDA
spokespeople offer enormous inconsistency in their explanations,
in the information they provide, and in their responses to
consumer questions:
. . . only a few of the adverse reactions [reported to the FDA] are
consistent with the symptom complex known as Chinese Restaurant
Syndrome (CRS). . . . The majority of the [adverse reaction] reports
describe a myriad of symptoms, including those which are very
common in the general population.
Linda Tollefson, DVM, MPH
Food and Drug Administration
A veterinarianher DVM degree means doctor of veterinary
medicinecommenting on human symptoms is strange enough, but
her review lacks a basic understanding as evidenced by her quote
after describing severe problems.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The USDA is considering revising its rules regarding the
common name labeling of ingredients. This would ultimately
require food manufacturers to name the protein source of
hydrolyzed protein (for
53 World Health Organization, Technical Report Series #759, 1987.
 Page 76
example, pork blood) and would not allow the substance to be
placed under the classification of "natural flavorings." This rule
has been proposed and revised several times.
A not-for-profit group, the Truth in Labeling Campaign (TLC),
filed a class-action lawsuit against the FDA requiring that all
amounts of glutamate found in a food product be labeled.
Unfortunately, the courts did not allow the group to take the case
to trial.

Contaminants: The Case of Tryptophan (EMS Syndrome)

In November 1989 a strange new epidemic was reported by a
physician in New Mexico. The varied symptoms of what was to
be called the EMS syndrome (eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome)
included severe muscle pain, an abnormally high number of the
white blood cell termed the eosinophil, fatigue, edema, rash, and
neurological symptoms. All the victims had been taking
supplements of L-tryptophan, an amino acid produced by a
fermentation process and used for sleep and sedation. Almost all
of the cases were traced back to the manufacturer Showa-Denko,
and while the amino acid L-tryptophan may be involved in some
way, at present a contaminant is thought to be the primary
instigator of the disease condition. Thousands of cases have been
reported since its identification, with more than ten deaths
attributed to the condition. The latest findings show that the
"contaminant" may actually be a dimeror two joined tryptophan
molecules. The production is through a process of
bioengineering whereby genetic material is added to strains of
bacteria that act as tryptophan-producing organisms. The overall
safety of bioengineered products is still questionable.
The possible relevance to the situation with MSG is that it is
produced in Japan through a similar biochemical mechanism, and
the question has been raised as to whether or not some of the
reactions may, in fact, result from a contaminant within the food-
grade monosodium glutamate. This has not been evaluated.
Monosodium glutamate can even be produced from a base of
motor oil or kerosene.
 Page 77
Some people also have wondered why the FDA was so quick to
look into the problems caused by tryptophan but have neglected
problems caused by MSG. Whether the economic power
represented by the Glutamate Association, the years of lobbying
and false or deceptive "scientific" studies, and the entrenched,
close-minded position of many in the FDA are the reasons is a
matter of opinion. In my view, the foregoing factors begin to
explain the years of neglect. In fact, until recently, the FDA sent
out Glutamate Association propaganda to consumers requesting
information about monosodium glutamate.
A contaminant cannot be the cause of all reactions, though, since
MSG is pharmaceutically active, and pure MSG has been used in
neuroscience research and has been shown to cause many
physiological changes in experimental animals.

Food Manufacturers
I have received responses to In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome
ranging from angry attacks to expressions of great concern. The
director of toxicology and scientific affairs at General Mills felt
strongly enough to offer a personal attack: "The title of your
book is ironic since it is indeed in very bad taste when an
educated person . . . ignores an overwhelming preponderance of
scientific fact and gives preference to personal testimonials." I
did not respond in the same insulting manner but instead offered
to meet with this person at a national scientific meeting so that we
might review my data and new studies on the subject. I received
no response.
The head of public relations at Campbell's Soup termed me an
"opportunist" and offered the statement that "we are proud to
promote the use of monosodium glutamate in our foods." I
subsequently discovered that Campbell's Soup was at that time a
member of the Glutamate Association. Also, the company
refused to tell me how much additional profit it had made by
using fewer quality ingredients and relying on flavor enhancers.
 Page 78
Other company officials were more cordial. One of them called
to tell me they were trying to remove MSG from some of their
products. Pepperidge Farm advised that it was removing the
hydrolyzed protein from its stuffing mixes. One of the biggest
offenders is the "health food" industry, which tried to deceive the
health-conscious consumer. We have discovered that these
companies often show more closed-mindedness when it comes to
the MSG issue.
Some companies, such as Kraft, took a straightforward approach;
they sent a letter that said that MSG-sensitive people should be
aware that they use hydrolyzed vegetable protein in some of the
products with "variable amounts of MSG." In contrast,
representatives of Chicken of the Sea Tuna were completely
unaware at the customer service level that hydrolyzed protein
contained MSG. Only after detailed discussion with one of their
chemists was I told that they "use it because it makes our tuna
taste more like chicken."
As I spoke with more and more company representatives, I was
discouraged to learn that many people in the customer service
area have little idea of the components of their products. The
quality-control department, though, appears to be the place to go
for more detailed information, although occasionally even the
people in the various quality-control offices did not know what
the bulk shipments contained, particularly those from foreign
companies.
The Ajinomoto Company is still the dominant world producer of
MSG, although it accounts for only half of the world's
production. Its sales are now in the multibillions of dollars, with
a trend toward yearly increases.
Lobby Organizations
Realizing the number of major American companies that are
using large quantities of MSG and the multi-billion-dollar nature
of the MSG industry, it is not surprising that there are lobby
groups churning out daily propaganda. One is the previously
mentioned Glutamate
 Page 79
Association of the United States and is based in Washington, D.C.
Another is the International Glutamate Technical Committee, and
yet another is the International Food Information Council (IFIC).
Unfortunately, the truth about MSG can be clouded by their
distortions and lobbying efforts. Rarely do these associations that
they are funded by the food industry. Instead, they pretend to be
an impartial group.
Originally, when In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome was first
published the Glutamate Association (then based in Atlanta,
Georgia) was the key lobby group. Its executive director, Richard
Cristol, publicly debated the issue of MSG safety with me on
several television and radio programs. During the early 1990's we
learned from an anonymous inside source the membership of this
outspoken association. At that time their members included:
Lipton
Campbell's
Ajinomoto
Archer Daniels Midland
Corn Products International
as well as other large users and suppliers of MSG. As the years
have gone by, the lobby groups seem to have changed their
strategy, keeping a fairly low profile and refusing media
interviews.
In 1991 the CBS "60 Minutes" program profiled the MSG
controversy using the National Organization Mobilized to Stop
Glutamate (NoMSG) group and myself as the main anti-MSG
sources of information; however, the program neglected to give
any credit to the consumer group. The commercial immediately
following the segment was about Campbell's Healthy Request
new line of soups, which the company claims contain No MSG.
Although many people were helped by this program, we were
quite disappointed at the "no new news" approach shown that
refused to use information that exposed industry deception.
While the "60 Minutes'' producers assured us that they could
withstand pressure from the food industry and their advertisers,
apparently the industry tamed them from tiger to pussycat.
 Page 80
The International Food Information Council (IFIC), also located
in Washington, D.C., was one of the most outspoken
organizations that fought the airing of the "60 Minutes" segment.
It currently offers propaganda materials that attest to the "safety"
of MSG. In addition, IFIC has created affiliations in producing
written materials with the American Academy of Allergy and
Immunology and the FDA. The IFIC Foundation's mission is to
be a force that helps the media, educators, health professionals,
and scientists effectively communicate science-based information
on health, nutrition, and food safety for the public good. The
IFIC Foundation is a nonprofit organization supported by food,
beverage and agricultural companies. Because it is industry
supported, its information is biased to protect whatever product
the IFIC chooses to promote.

Anti-MSG Organizations
Also since the publication of the first edition of In Bad Taste,
there have arisen several not-for-profit anti-MSG organizations.
NoMSG
The National Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamate
(NoMSG) is a not-for-profit consumer/support group. The
NoMSG mission is to educate consumers regarding the dangers
of Monosodium Glutamate and the ways in which it is hidden; to
encourage MSG-free products; to support MSG-sensitive
individuals; and to promote independent MSG research. Its main
focus is on education and networking. Free information can be
received by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
NoMSG, P.O. Box 367, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87504 or call 1-
800-232-8674 (1-800-BEAT-MSG) or visit its website at
www.nomsg.com.
 Page 81

Truth in Labeling Campaign

The Truth in Labeling Campaign (TLC) is concerned that MSG is
a toxic substance hidden in ingredients that are listed on food
labels. It is the campaign's goal to have the FDA require food
processors to measure all processed food, postproduction, for
free glutamic acid, and to state the amount of MSG in milligrams
on food labels. For more information contact: Truth in Labeling
Campaign, P.O. Box 2532, Darien, Illinois 60561, (312) 642-9333,
or visit its website at www.truthinlabeling.com.
 Page 83

Chapter Seven
Living Without MSG:
MSG-Free Cooking at Home
For the MSG-sensitive consumer an obvious question arises:
How do you prepare nutritious meals, within a reasonable
amount of time, and still avoid MSG?
The increasing availability of natural foods provides one answer,
but many consumers are intimidated by natural food stores. Not
only are many of their products more expensive, but the
ingredients themselves may be unfamiliar.
There are a growing number of convenient, prepackaged natural
foods available. However, not all products sold in health food
stores, or all those labeled "natural ingredients," are free from
MSG or MSG-containing substances such as hydrolyzed
vegetable protein. Also, in several Oriental products the kombu
seaweed or extract used for flavoring is high in natural MSG.
The prepackaged and prefrozen foods which generally contain
substantial amounts of MSG are undeniably convenient, but
cooking without MSG doesn't have to be a time-consuming life
vocation. You can prove this for yourself by trying out the
following time-saving techniques that include easy substitutes for
your favorite recipes that may contain products with MSG and
numerous make-ahead recipes that may be used in small portions
over a period of time (see Appendix 1).
Avoiding MSG may take a little more time and attention, but your
own well-being and that of your family surely are worth a little
effort. As for the consumer who is very sensitive to the
substance, an MSG-free diet can changeor even saveyour life.
 Page 84

Easy Food Shopping Tips

1. Think fresh! The more fresh ingredients you can incorporate
into your meals, the more likely you are to avoid products
containing MSG. Check into local farmers' markets or
cooperative food markets. These can be a good source for fresh
foods at inexpensive prices. Be aware: Fresh fruits and vegetables
often are sprayed or coated with a variety of chemicals; fresh fish
may be sprayed with an MSG solution; and freshly cooked
seafood may be boiled or breaded with an MSG mixture. Ground
beef is sometimes mixed with fillers such as carrageenan, a
substance from seaweed designed to give food a slippery feel,
which may contain MSG.
2. Read labels carefully (see Chapter 8 for tips on reading labels).
If the ingredients include hydrolyzed vegetable protein, natural
flavoring, flavorings, vegetable protein, or vegetable, chicken, or
beef broth, proceed with caution. If you are unsure if a listed
ingredient in one particular product includes MSG, check other
products of the same manufacturer to see how they label. The
words "spices" and "seasonings" are catchwords that are
consumer-friendly and a way to hide MSG. Despite labeling, for
example, we have not found an MSG-free sausage due to
"spices" containing MSG.
3. Before purchasing any delicatessen or smoked meat products
check the label. Most sausages and some luncheon meats will
contain some form of MSG. Do not hesitate to ask your butcher
or delicatessen clerk to let you read the labels.
4. Avoid processed or dried foods with "flavor packets." These
packets almost always contain MSG to improve the flavor. They
are most commonly found in boxed rice and pasta dishes,
powdered salad dressing mixes, and dried soups. Also keep in
mind that food that has been dried has lost a good deal of its
nutritional value.
5. Canned gravies, chili, stews, and sauces frequently contain
large amounts of MSG and other additives. Read these labels
carefully.
6. Check the ingredients in your favorite canned fish or meat
 Page 85
products. Tuna packed in "vegetable broth" may contain
hydrolyzed protein or hydrolyzed milk protein, called caseinate.
Caseinate is a substance with no real chemical identity, but it
refers to a mixture of hydrolyzed milk proteins. In this form it is
often found in cakes and pastries.
7. Dairy products used to be fairly free of MSG until the
widespread use of caseinate, a hydrolyzed milk protein, was
introduced. Caseinate use may not be labeled. Also, carrageenan,
is often packaged in a carrageenan-caseinate mixture.

Substitutions
Using MSG-free products in your favorite recipes can be an
interesting challenge. In the recipe section in Appendix 1 you will
find many of the old-fashioned basics that were used for
generations before the processing and frozen food revolution.
These easy recipes will substitute for many of the prepared items
we have come to depend upon, such as canned or condensed
soups.
Canned Mushroom Soup: Use the same amount of the Quick
White Sauce with mushrooms.
Catsup: Homemade catsup (see recipe) or the same amount of
tomato sauce. If using tomato sauce you may want to add some
seasoning since prepared catsup is generally spicier than plain
tomato sauce.
Canned Chicken Stock or Bouillon Cubes: Several stock recipes
are included in Appendix 1. The herb stock is much faster, but
the others have a richer flavor. Plain water also can be
substituted, especially in soup recipes. Spices and herbs will
round out the flavor.
Barbeque Sauce or Chili Sauce: Either homemade catsup or
tomato sauce with added spices or chili powder will provide a
substitute. Recipes also are included for homemade barbeque
sauce or chili sauce.
 Page 86
Monosodium Glutamate: If a recipe calls for the addition of
MSG there are easy alternatives. Fresh lemon juice works well on
salads, soups, tomato products, sauces, vegetables, meat, and fish
dishes. Herbs and spices are a wonderful addition to most foods
and will easily replace MSG.
Soy Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce: Tamari (available in many
health food stores) is lower in salt and MSG than soy sauce but is
not completely MSG-free. Look carefully at the ingredients in
Worcestershire saucesthey vary greatly from one brand to the
next. When stir-frying vegetables or meats a liquid of ginger,
lemon juice, and water can be substituted for the soy sauce
liquid. This will give the dish a lighter and fresher taste.
If you must use canned products, favor the low-sodium variety.
They may not be free from MSG, but the likelihood is that it may
be used in smaller quantities.
Products that are termed "lowfat" may contain more MSG than
their "regular" counterparts. Most flavor is found in the fat. If the
fat is removed, it only makes sense that the manufacturers will
increase the flavor-enhancing chemicals to improve taste.
When using spices for seasoning, avoid the premixed
combinations of spices, garlic salt, and onion salt. Some
companies add MSG to these products.
Another laborsaving idea is the Food Preparation Network: a
group of friends that get together and divides up a week's
cooking chores. One prepares enough homemade bread for
everyone for one week, another prepares two varieties of salad
dressing while yet another makes soup, and so on.
Just imagine a Monday morning when you give four couples or
individual friends a large jar of homemade barbeque sauce that
you spent two hours making on Sunday afternoon and you
receive five loaves of whole grain bread, one gallon of soup, two
quarts of salad dressing, and half a gallon of tomato sauce along
with a jar of catsup. Not bad for two hours' work and a lot of fun
among friends.
 Page 87
Some of the recipes found in the Appendix 1 are for large
quantities. However, these can be cut in half depending on your
needs. Remember, though, that it is convenient to have soup or
bread ready in the freezer for those cold winter nights.
 Page 89

Chapter Eight
Shopping Smart and Reading Labels
As a general rule, the more processing a food undergoes, the
more likely it is to contain MSG in some form. It also is true that
the ambiguities of labeling requirements can make it difficult to
determine whether or not a food product contains MSG.
Some foods are better complemented by MSG than others. Listed
below are foods grouped in order of their likelihood of
containing monosodium glutamate.
Most Likely
Flavored potato chips and prepared snacks
Canned soups and dry soup mixes
Canned meats, box dinners, and prepared meals
Frozen dinners (seafood, chicken, and dinner entrées)
International foods
Poultry injected with broth
Very Likely
Diet foods
Salad dressings
Cured meats and lunch meats
Less Likely
Cookies, crackers (unless seasoned), and candy
Dairy products (may contain caseinate or carrageenan-caseinate
mixtures)
Frozen vegetables
 Page 90
Breads, pasta, baking supplies (unless MSG is added to the
dough)
Ice cream (may contain caseinate and carrageenan-caseinate
mixtures)
Frozen juices
Canned fruits and vegetables
Cereals, pancake mixes, and syrups
Fresh meat, pork, and fish (unless sprayed or coated with
flavoring mixtures)

MSG and Food Labeling

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the labeling
requirements of food products in the United States. Packaged
food products are required by law to have their ingredients
printed on the package, with the ingredients listed in descending
order of predominance.
If MSG is added to a food product during its processing it will be
listed on the label. However, it is permitted to list "hydrolyzed
vegetable protein" on the label without mentioning that it may
contain up to 40% monosodium glutamate. Hydrolyzed vegetable
protein or protein hydrolysate (as it is sometimes called) is
classified by the FDA as a natural flavoring. Therefore, a
packaged food item might specify "natural flavoring" in its list of
ingredients without mentioning that the natural flavoring
consisted of hydrolyzed vegetable proteinwhich contains MSG.
This method of labeling applies to any compound substance that
may contain MSG.
Monosodium glutamate is on the GRAS (generally recognized as
safe) list of the FDA. It is not considered a food additive but an
unregulated seasoning classified by the FDA as a flavor enhancer.
Due to its adverse effects, it would likely not be allowed into
foods if introduced now.
 Page 91

Federal Code of Regulations

Section 101.22 of the Federal Code of Regulations deals with
labeling requirements for spices, flavorings, coloring, and
chemical preservatives. Part H(5) states: ''Any monosodium
glutamate used as an ingredient in food shall be declared by its
common or usual name monosodium glutamate." Thus, if
monosodium glutamate is used as an ingredient in the processing
of a food it must be labeled as such. Hydrolyzed vegetable
protein, though, need not have its MSG content listed.
The Federal Code of Regulations Section 101.22, defining natural
flavorings, states that "natural flavoring" be applied to: "the
essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate,
distillate or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis
which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice,
fruit, or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast,
herb, bark, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood,
poultry, eggs, dairy products or fermentation products thereof
whose significant function is flavoring rather than nutritional"
[italics added]. This definition paves the way for labeling protein
hydrolysate and autolyzed yeast as "natural flavoring," a
designation that will mislead the average consumer trying to
avoid MSG.
In 1981 Sonia Delgado, assistant to the director of the Division of
Regulatory Guidance Bureau of Foods at the FDA, stated in a
letter that I obtained through a Freedom of Information Act
request to the FDA:
When MSG is "added" to food or to an ingredient of the food, it would
have to be declared on the label. However, when MSG is not an added
ingredient, such as in the case of hydrolized [sic] vegetable protein, it
does not have to be declared. Therefore, if you wish to avoid the so-
called "Chinese restaurant syndrome," you should also avoid foods
which contain hydrolized [sic] vegetable protein.
 Page 92
The Federal Code of Regulations Section 101.35, while fairly
lengthy, is critically important because this is the regulation that
food manufacturers most often abuse:
Notice to manufacturers and users of monosodium glutamate and other
hydrolyzed vegetable protein products.
Following a review of various statements submitted by manufacturers
and distributors of monosodium glutamate and various hydrolyzed
plant protein products, the following conclusions have been reached:
(a) The facts submitted established that there are three classes of
products to be considered:
(1) Purified monosodium glutamate.
(2) Hydrolyzed proteins (amino acid salts) from which none of the
monosodium glutamate has been removed.
(3) Hydrolyzed proteins (amino acid salts), a by-product in the
manufacture of purified monosodium glutamate but from which a
substantial proportion of the monosodium glutamate has been removed.
(b) [Reserved]
(c)(1) The substance described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section has
long been designated as "hydrolysed vegetable protein."
(2) The substance covered by paragraph (a)(3) of this section should
have a distinctive name, since one of its original constituents has been
partially removed. Manufacturers have suggested that this substance be
described as "hydrolyzed vegetable protein with reduced monosodium
glutamate content." This designation appears acceptable.
This is important because one of the most common responses I
have received from food manufacturers is that their hydrolyzed
protein does not contain MSG. According to the Federal Code of
Regulation Section 101.35 all hydrolyzed proteins contain MSG
unless they use the
 Page 93
phrase "hydrolyzed vegetable protein (glutamate reduced)" on
their ingredient list.
You can read about hydrolyzed protein and its manufacturing
process in more depth in Appendix 4.

Commonly Used Aliases

The national consumer group NoMSG has compiled a list of the
most commonly used aliases to hide the use of MSG in food:
Definite Sources of MSG
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed protein (vegetable or plant)
Sodium caseinate or calcium caseinate
Autolyzed yeast or yeast extract
Gelatin
Possible Sources of MSG
Textured protein
Carrageenan or vegetable gum
Seasonings or spices
Flavorings or natural flavorings
Chicken, beef, pork, smoke flavorings
Bouillon, broth or stock (may be listed as chicken stock or
chicken broth)
Barley malt, malt extract, malt flavoring
Whey protein, whey protein isolate or concentrate
Soy protein, soy protein isolate or concentrate
Soy sauce or extract
This list is periodically updated by the networking membership
of NoMSG. It is not an all inclusive list because new labeling
deceptions are invented to confound the consumer.
 Page 94

Labeling Requirements for Imported Foods

According to the FDA, imported food items are required to
comply with the same labeling standards as food products
manufactured in the United States. However, FDA officials are
quick to say that the enforcement of labeling standards is very
difficult. They cannot easily check manufacturing plants in
foreign countries. One FDA official's advice, when asked about
MSG-sensitive persons purchasing imported food products, was
to proceed with extreme caution and to be especially cautious
with products from the Orient since those products were likely to
have a higher MSG content.
Many U.S. food manufacturers buy bulk quantities of imported
products, such as tomato paste. Unfortunately, it is impossible for
these manufacturers to know exactly what the bulk products
contain. American food manufacturers assume that tomato paste
is pure; it is labeled as suchbut without testing there is no way to
be certain. In addition, a common method of storing bulk tomato
paste is to create a highly acidic solution that preserves the paste
better. Unfortunately, the chemical environment that is obtained
by this storage method leads to protein hydrolysis and the
production of some MSG.
Alert Regarding Fresh Vegetables and Fruits
Within recent months the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) approved the experimental use of a substance called
Auxigro to be sprayed on crops throughout the country. This
substance, considered a biopesticide, is designed to improve
plant growth, yield, and quality.
The danger is that the product contains the amino acid L-glutamic
acid, which will be left in residue on the fruits and vegetables
and, eventually, if used with enough frequency, may leach into
the water supply. While the amount left on the produce may be
low, this can potentially be devastating for severely MSG-
sensitive individuals.
 Page 95
The manufacturing company, Auxien, and the EPA deny that
there is any problem with this product. In a letter from the EPA
Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, the director,
Janet L. Andersen, states: "L-glutamic acid . . . at the level used
when eaten on or in food, will not cause the problems associated
with the food additive MSG."
MSG, because of its direct neurologic effect, doesn't rely on total
dosage. The best analogy is with lye, which is commonly used to
unclog household drains. A small amount may have enormous
local effect. At the same time, the "total dose" is very
smallperhaps a few crystals. Thus, looking at the total dosage
misses the local neuroexcitatory actions that can affect the brain.

MSG and the Supermarket

For those who are MSG sensitive, shopping in a supermarket can
be a challenging experience.
There is a wide range of food items that can contain MSG. As
stated above, some of those food items have MSG marked clearly
on their labels while the MSG content of others will be more
ambiguously labeled "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" and/or
"natural flavorings."
The labels of some spices list "monopotassium glutamate" instead
of "monosodium glutamate." They usually are advertised as
"sodium free." However, the glutamate ion they contain affects
the taste buds and the nervous system. Those with adverse
reactions to MSG are therefore cautioned against using these
products as well.
The following list was compiled from food products sold in five
representative supermarkets. All of these food products contain
some form of MSG or hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
This list was compiled for the first edition of In Bad Taste: The
MSG Syndrome. So many new MSG-containing products have
appeared and even more with confusing labeling (natural
flavoring, for example) that we decided not to compile a new list.
Many food products
 Page 96
containing MSG in some form are not listed. Still, this sampling
should give some idea of the range of products that contain
monosodium glutamate. Beware now of the increased use of
"flavorings" and even "spices."
Canned Meats, Prepared Dinners, and Side Dishes
Bumble Bee Canned Tuna, packed in water
Chicken of the Sea Canned Tuna, packed in water
Geisha Solid White Tuna
Chicken of the Sea Canned Tuna, packed in oil
S&W Chunky Tuna, packed in water
Hormel Chunky Turkey
Hormel Chunky Beef
Polar Crab Meat
Swanson Chunky Chicken Spread
Underwood Chunky Chicken Spread
Underwood Roast Beef Spread
Betty Crocker Oriental Classics Chow Mein
Chun King Chicken Chow Mein
Chun King Beef Pepper Oriental
Austex Beef Stew
Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli
Chef Boyardee Tic-Tac-Toes
Franco-American Beef Raviolis in Meat Sauce
Franco-American Spaghetti and Meat Balls
Hormel Chili
Kraft Tangy Italian Style Spaghetti Dinner
Lipton Egg Noodles and Sauce (Beef or Chicken)
Betty Crocker Rice Oriental Hamburger Helper
Betty Crocker Mushroom Chicken Helper
Frenches Creamy Stroganoff Potatoes
 Page 97
Golden Grain Chicken Flavor Rice A Roni
Golden Grain Beef Flavor Rice A Roni
Kellogg's Croutettes Stuffing Mix
Stovetop Americana New England Style Stuffing Mix
Stovetop Mushroom and Onion Flavor Stuffing
Stovetop Chicken Flavor Stuffing
Swanson Chicken and Dumplings
Uncle Ben's Country Inn Rice Florentine
Uncle Ben's Broccoli Rice Au Gratin
Vigo Yellow Rice Dinner
Amore Tortellini with Cheese
Amore Raviolini
Canned Soups and Dry Soup Mixes
Baxter's Scotch Pea Soup
Bookbinder's Shrimp Bisque
Borden Soup Starter
Campbell's Chicken with Rice condensed canned soup
Campbell's Beef Noodle condensed canned soup
Campbell's Home Cookin' soups
Campbell's Quality Chicken Noodle dried soup mix
Campbell's Quality Onion Mushroom dried soup mix
Crosse and Blackwell Onion Soup
Knorr Chicken Flavor Noodle flavored soup mix
Knorr Country Barley Soup
Knorr Hearty Vegetable flavored soup mix
Lipton Chicken Noodle dried soup mix
Lipton Beef Vegetable dried soup mix
Lipton Onion dried soup mix
Maggi Bouillon Cubes
Pepperidge Farm Black Bean Soup
Pepperidge Farm Lobster Bisque
 Page 98
Pepperidge Farm Clam Chowder
Progresso Chicken Noodle soup
Sid and Roxies Conch Chowder
Lipton Cup O Soup Cream of Chicken
Lipton Cup O Soup Tomato
Sanwa Foods Chicken Flavor Ramen soup
Sanwa Foods Shrimp Flavor Ramen soup
Barth's Chicken Bouillon
Borvil Concentrated Beef Flavor Liquid Bouillon
Wyler's Beef Bouillon Cubes
Wyler's Chicken Bouillon Cubes
Cookies and Crackers
Nabisco Cheese Tidbits
Nabisco Chicken in a Bisket flavored crackers
Keebler Cheeblers Spicy Nachos
Keebler Tato Skins Baked Potato
Keebler Toasteds Bacon
Keebler Tato Skins Barbeque
Keebler Cheeblers Zesty Cheddar
Cured Meats
Jimmy Dean Sausage Links
Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
Land O'Frost Tin Sliced Beef
Land O'Frost Thin Sliced Chicken
Owens Country Style Sausage
Safeway Bacon
Swift Original Brown N' Serve Pork Links
Swift Original Brown N' Serve Beef Links
 Page 99
Delicatessen Foods
Bueno Beef Tacos
Wilson's Ham and Cheese Loaf
Wilson's Cooked Beef Roast
Carando Hot Cooked Capicola
Best Kosher Cured Beef
Breakfast Sausage
Sinai Kosher Polish Sausage
Sinai Kosher Smoked Sausage
Sinai Kosher Chili with Beans
Manischewitz Sweet Whitefish and Pike
Manischewitz Gefilte
Mother's Old Fashioned Gefilte Fish
Diet Foods
Armour Chicken Burgundy Classic Lite Dinner
Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Salisbury Steak
Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Glazed Chicken with Vegetables and Rice
Weight Watchers Lemon Butter Sauce
Weight Watchers Thousand Island Dressing Mix
Weight Watchers Brown Gravy Mix with Mushrooms
Weight Watchers Veal Patty Parmigiana
Freeze Dried Foods
Back Packers Pantry No Cook Stew with Beef
Back Packers Pantry Dumpling with Chicken
Mountain House Potatoes and Beef with Onion
Mountain House Fisherman's Seafood Chowder
Frozen Foods
Green Giant Japanese Style Vegetables
Ore Ida Tater Tots
Skaggs Alpha Beta Tasty Taters
 Page 100
Banquet Fried Chicken
Brilliant Instant Frozen Cooked Shrimp
Fisher Boy Fish Sticks
Fisher Boy Round Breaded Shrimp
Gorton's Potato Crisp
Gorton's Crunchy Fish Fillets
Mrs. Paul's Light Entreé Tuna Pasta Casserole
Mrs. Paul's Light Fillets Farm Raised Catfish
Pilgrims Pride Chicken Drumsters
Van De Kamps Breaded Fish Sticks
Weaver's Chicken Sticks (crispy)
Honey Suckle White Basted Young Turkey
Hudson's Basted Young Turkey
Morning Star Cholesterol Free Breakfast Patties
Jeno's Crisp and Tasty Sausage Pizza
Red Barron's Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza
Patio Beef Enchiladas
Van De Kamps Cheese Enchilada Ranchero
Armour Chicken Fricassee Dinner
Armour Seafood Natural Herbs Classic Dinner
Armour Dinner Classics Yankee Pot Roast
Banquet Turkey Pot Pie
Banquet Buffet Supper Gravy and Sliced Turkey
Banquet Cook in Bag Chicken a la King Entree
Banquet International Favorites Veal Parmigiana
Benihana Oriental Style Shrimp with Rice
Chun King Meat and Shrimp Egg Rolls
Green Giant Lasagna
The Budget Gourmet Yankee Pot Roast
 Page 101
The Budget Gourmet Pepper Steak with Rice
Le Menu Beef Sirloin Tips Dinner
Le Menu Breast of Chicken Parmigiana Dinner
Le Menu Yankee Pot Roast Dinner
Morton Turkey Dinner
Morton Boil in Bag Entree Beef Patty
Morton Creamed Chipped Beef
Morton Veal Parmigiana Dinner
Night Hawk Steak and Beans
Suzi Wan Teriyaki Beef
Swanson Fried Chicken Breast Dinner
Swanson Hungry Man Turkey Dinner
Swanson Macaroni and Beef Dinner
Tyson Chicken Francais
Tyson Chicken Cannelloni
Gravy and Seasoning Mixes
Mahatma Authentic Spanish Seasoning
Vigo Italian Style Bread Crumbs
Schilling Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix
Schilling Chicken Gravy dry packaged sauce
Schilling Mushroom Gravy dry packaged sauce
Sunbird Sukiyaki Oriental Seasoning mix
Sunbird Chop Suey Oriental Seasoning mix
Food Club Onion Gravy mix
McCormick Brown Gravy mix
Fishland Seafood Breading mix
Knorr All Purpose Seasoning
Cavenders All Purpose Greek Seasoning
Potato Chips and Prepared Snacks
Borden's Cheez Balls
BonTon Cheese Balls
 Page 102
Doritos with Nacho Cheese Flavor
Fritos Bar-B-Q Flavored Corn Chips
Planters Potato Crunchies
Pringles Sour Cream Potato Chips
Pringles Butter and Herbs Potato Chips
Tostitos with Sharp Nacho Cheese Flavor
Frito Lay's French Onion Dip
Frito Lay's Nacho Cheese Dip
Frito Lay's Cheddar and Bacon Dip
Kraft Guacamole Dip
Kraft French Onion Dip
Slim Jim Snacks
Lowrey's Beef Jerky
Lowrey's Pepperoni Sticks
Salads, Salad Dressings, and Croutons
Kraft Ranchers Choice Dressing
Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing
Kraft ''Mushroom" Salad Dressing
Kraft "Buttermilk" Salad Dressing
Good Seasons "Italian" Dry Salad Dressing Mix
Schilling "Salad Topping"
Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad
Brownberry Cheddar Cheese Croutons
Brownberry Seasoned Croutons
Devonsheer Onion and Garlic Croutons
Lipton Cool Side Salads
Lipton Creamy Buttermilk Pasta Salad
Orval Kent Chicken Salad
Orval Kent Tuna Salad
 Page 103
Sauces
FanciFood Soy Sauce
Heinz Worcestershire Sauce
Kikkoman Steak Sauce
Progresso White Clam Spaghetti Sauce
Progresso Red Clam Spaghetti Sauce
Ferrara Alfredo Sauce
Ferrara Clam Sauce
Spices and Seasonings
Accent
Lawry's Seasoned Lite Salt
Lawry's Bacon Onion Seasoning
Lawry's Garlic Salt
Schilling Season All
Schilling Savor Salt
Goya All Purpose Seasoning
 Page 105

Chapter Nine
Restaurant Guide to Food Containing MSG
For those who react adversely to MSG, eating in restaurants can
be a risky matter. An unwise choice can lead to hours, or even
weeks of uncomfortable symptoms.
Meats, vegetables, seafood, seasonings, and soups served in any
restaurant may contain MSG. Colonel Paul Logan of the National
Restaurant Association has quoted an association survey
indicating that "three out of four of all good restaurant operators
are now using Glutamate" (Glutamate Manufacturers' Technical
Committee Publication: The Value of Glutamate in Processed
Foods).
Inquiries by my staff in 1987 to hundreds of franchised
restaurants, cafeterias, and individual restaurants about their use
of MSG brought a variety of responses. Many were vague in their
answers, citing "trade secrets," while others listed foods they
served that contained MSG while still not knowing it was an
element in hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Some who answered
my questions were genuinely concerned about the widespread
adverse reactions to MSG. However, frequently the chefs did not
know which sauces contained MSG or hydrolyzed vegetable
protein (HVP). Huge amounts of MSG are still used. I have
discovered that in the "finer" restaurants, the "soup bases,'' clam
broths, and breadings are all places to find MSG.
 Page 106

Fast-Food Restaurants
The food items listed below are only a sample from selected
restaurants that we prepared for the first edition of In Bad Taste.
This kind of information is becoming more difficult to obtain.
Some large chain restaurants will provide booklets upon request
detailing the contents of their foods. Remember: If contents
include MSG or HVP, MSG is present. Beware of foods with
"natural flavorings" since they may contain HVP. Although some
changes may have taken place regarding nutrition labeling and
ingredients, these should still be representative of the fast-food
ingredients in general.
Wendy's
Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Croutons
Thousand Island Salad Dressing (HVP)
Reduced Calorie Bacon/Tomato Salad Dressing
French Style Salad Dressing (HVP)
Golden Italian Salad Dressing
Chicken Fried Steak
Fish Filet
Sausage Gravy
Catsup
Chili
Jack in the Box
Breaded Chicken Patty
Breaded Chicken Breast Strips
Breaded Onion Rings
Buttermilk House Dressing
Garlic Roll
Nacho Topping
Pork Sausage
 Page 107
Secret Sauce (HVP)
Sirloin Steak
Taco Salad Meat
Tartar Sauce (HVP)
Whitefish and Crab Blend
Breaded Shrimp
Catsup
Pizza Pocket
Burger King
Chicken Specialty
Chicken Tenders
Sausage
House Salad Dressing
Whaler Fish Filet
Catsup
Hash Browns
Reduced Calorie Italian Salad Dressing
McDonald's
Big Mac Sauce (HVP)
Barbecue Sauce
Filet for Filet-O-Fish
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Arby's
Sharp Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Breaded Chicken Breast Filet
Breaded Fish Filet
Fresh Pork Sausage
 Page 108
Long John Silver's
Information refused
Taco Bell
Information not available
Pizza Hut
Information not available
Denny's
Croutons
Roast Beef
Sausage Patties
Breaded Chicken Pieces
Breaded Chicken Strips
Battered Cod
Breaded Shrimp
Breaded Onion Rings
Green Beans in butter-style sauce
Italian-style Vegetables in butter-style sauce
Ranch Dressing
Brown Gravy
Chicken Gravy
Country Gravy
Au Jus
Cacciatore Sauce
Clam Chowder
Split Pea Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Cream of Potato Soup
Teriyaki Glaze
Stuffing
 Page 109
Dairy Queen/Brazier
Seasoning Salt (used on most prepared foods and hamburgers)
Chicken Pieces
Chicken Patties
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Chicken Breading Mix
Gravies
All food products
In addition to this list, a simple set of guidelines can be used to
help avoid MSG whenever dining out:
1. Request that your food be prepared without any salt or
seasoning salts. Often these are added at the discretion of a
particular restaurant manager or owner. On meat especially, be
sure that the meat has not been marinated or seasoned in any
way. Some meat may be mixed with carrageenan. Be sure that the
meat is pure beef.
2. Avoid foods with gravies or sauces.
3. Avoid those foods that are breaded and deep fried.
4. Request that French fries be salted only with table saltnot with
a premixed seasoning salt. (Now that foods are no longer fried in
lard due to the "fat conscious" movement, some frying oils are
flavored with bouillon or other substances to increase the flavor.)
5. Ask for oil and vinegar as your dressing rather than the
premixed dressings. Avoid croutons and bacon bits.
6. Be sure that real cheese is used rather than an imitation
substitute.
7. Avoid foods prepared with dairy products, such as cream or
sour cream, unless you are familiar with the brand.
 Page 110

Restaurants and Cafeterias

Adverse reactions to MSG first came to the attention of the
American public in 1969 when the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome
was reported. Patrons of Chinese restaurants noticed tingling
feelings and tightness in their chest after eating. Their reactions
were traced to the MSG in the food.
Due to the connection the public made between Chinese food
and MSG, many Chinese restaurants began to advertise their food
with "No MSG." Today many Chinese restaurants in cities such as
Los Angeles and New York have signs in their establishment
windows proclaiming their food free of MSG. While they may
avoid adding pure MSG to their dishes, most often it is still
contained in ingredients used or in the soy sauce, and particularly
in the oyster sauce that is a component of many entrées.
Both publicly and privately owned cafeterias serving large
numbers of people are likely to use MSG. Not only does it
improve the taste of food prepared in large quantities, but it is
economically wise since it prevents large trays of food from
tasting old or stale. Millions of such cafeteria meals are served to
children in elementary and high schools each day. H. H. Pullium
of the USDA stated that "there are no federal regulations or
policies which prohibit or limit the use of monosodium glutamate
(MSG) in the National School Lunch Program or any of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) federally funded programs."
This lack of any regulation has allowed the fast-food industry
access to school cafeterias. The MSG-related results, such as
declining test scores, increased absences, increased ADHD and
Ritalin use, and increased violence, has been disasterous.
Cafeterias serving students in universities and colleges also are
likely to serve meals containing MSG although they generally
provide a wider range of food choices, including some fresh
fruits and salads.
One restaurant owner we interviewed stated that MSG was
indispensable in preparing certain dishes. According to him, the
time and
 Page 111
skill required to achieve the same taste that a dash of MSG
immediately produces would make the cost of that meal
prohibitive.
Many restaurants that use MSG claim that they do not. They are
not necessarily being dishonestthey just may not know or care
what prepared products or additives contain MSG, hydrolyzed
vegetable protein, or other MSG-containing compounds. Because
of this, all restaurants must be suspected of using MSG.
One important legal case involved a Marie Callender's restaurant
serving MSG-containing soup after allegedly advising the patron
that it was not present. The resultant severe asthma, cardiac
arrest, and brain damage suffered by the patron caused enormous
deterioration in quality of life and great emotional trauma.
There are restaurants that use monosodium glutamate knowingly
as a spice. Meals are liberally dosed with it because it "perks up"
the flavor of food.
Then there are those who are unaware that they use it. They do
not know that it is in their brand of seasoning salt or soy sauce.
MSG has been integrated into so many convenience foods used
by large and small kitchens alike that it is very difficult to cook
commercially without encountering some ingredient to which
MSG already has been added. The same distributors that supply
the supermarkets with small containers of food for home use also
supply the restaurants with large institutional-size packages. The
ingredients are not changed because of quantity. Therefore, the
chicken broth base that you avoid in the grocery store may be
innocently added to a dish in your favorite restaurant.
The "clean label" uses aliases and confusing terms to attempt to
hide MSG and MSG-containing substances on an ingredient
label. This practice has hurt the ability of consumers and
restaurateurs to accurately ascertain the presence of this toxin.
One restaurant breakfast buffet had MSG present in nearly every
food served: The scrambled eggs had added sour cream to
prevent them from becoming runny; the bacon and sausage
contained MSG; the French toast had been covered with
margarine; and the muffins
 Page 112
contained caseinate. Even those who are extremely MSG
conscious may still experience an adverse reaction from eating
out in restaurants.
The only way to avoid MSG when dining out is to know the
restaurant, inspect the kitchen, and interview the chef. Sometimes
waitresses or waiters will have experience with the menu and
MSG, but often they do not. The previously mentioned legal case
involving asthma and cardiac arrest from MSG ingestion at a
Marie Callender's restaurant alleges that the waitress provided
false information that had been provided to her by the kitchen
staff, leading to the MSG-caused collapse with serious, long-
lasting neurological symptoms.
Information about where foods are preparedwhether in the
restaurant kitchen or received prepackagedwill eliminate many of
the MSG-containing foods. For example, shrimp breaded in a
commercial breading mixture has a high probability of containing
MSG or HVP. However, if the chef takes time to mix his or her
own breading mixture, it is possible that it will not contain MSG.
If the person who serves you does not know where or how the
restaurant's food is made, request this information from the chef
or restaurant owner. If you are still unconvinced about the true
ingredients of a dish it would be wise to choose another. Also, it
may be wise to call the restaurant first and inquire about the
ingredients used.
Frequently, if you will take the time to explain your food
sensitivity, it is possible to work with a restaurant chef to modify
a meal so it will be free of MSG. Baked potatoes, eggs, plain meat
or chicken, and salads are usually safe bets. Still, recent flavoring
sprays, injected flavorings at the time of slaughter, and
marinating solutions can result in deception for even the most
careful consumer.
Airplanes and Trains
The prepared meals offered to passengers on airplanes or trains
are likely to contain MSG unless the individual in charge is very
knowledgeable.
 Page 113
My interview with the chief dietitian of Amtrak showed that he
aware and cautious about the use of MSG. The same cannot be
said of other corporations, such as the Marriott Catering Services,
which provides a good deal of airline food. In fact, one legal case
against the Marriott Food Services involved its college catering
unit. Despite claims of "No MSG" a college student became
severely ill and needed to drop out of school for a year due to
MSG toxicity.
To avoid MSG when traveling (especially by air), it is wise to
order low-salt meals and check the ingredients in salad dressings
carefully. Seafood dinners may not be free of MSG due to the
sauces or boiling solutions used in preparation, as well as the
sprays sometimes used to maintain freshness. The peanut snacks
and chips on airlines can be other offendersbe sure to check the
ingredients. Remember too that the cold cuts provided in the
snack sandwiches also may contain MSG.
 Page 115

Chapter Ten
MSG Symptom Complex and MSG as a Drug
This is a time in which families rely on processed, precooked
food, often frozen, freeze dried, or in cans. The freezing of food
dates back to prehistoric man, and even now many families in
Alaska utilize winter temperatures to keep their meat frozen. To
combat heat, which leads to the growth of food-spoiling bacteria
as well as to natural breakdown reactions, people have used
running streams, cold caves, and even ice storage. This desire to
preserve one's food in the best state led to the death of at least
one epicure. History shows that the English philospher Sir
Francis Bacon was out of doors stuffing snow into his chickens
to preserve them the day before he came down with fatal
pneumonia.
In America the development of a practical refrigerator in the
1930s led directly to the frozen food industry. The United States
had two million refrigerators in use by 1937, and by 1953 90% of
American homes had refrigerators. Now it is very difficult to find
any home without one. In Europe the movement was slower with
less than 10% of French and English homes having a refrigerator
in 1954, but they, as well as Japan, have since caught up.
As the frozen food industry developed, it encountered certain
problems. Prolonged freezing altered the taste of foods and
reduced consumer acceptance. In 1947 the industry held its first
symposium on MSG and heard enthusiastic reports of its flavor-
enhancing effects. Soon this substance was widely adopted by
food manufacturers. Now it is difficult to find a frozen prepared
food to which MSG has not been added in some form.
While the frozen food industry was flourishing, the canning of
 Page 116
food continued. The canning industry had started in the early
1800s after a French storekeeper had developed a way to extract
air from jars and to heat the food inside the sealed jars. Nicolas
Alpert won a medal from the Emporer Napoleon for this work.
Shortly after, an Englishman obtained a patent for Alpert's
process, but he used tins instead of glass jars.
In 1850 America began its canning industry with fish products.
By 1858 Gail Borden, an enterprising dairyman, was canning
condensed milk. During the Civil War, armies were fed from
canned foods, and by 1870 more than 30 million cans of varied
foodstuffs were sold. During World War I the can opener had
become a staple of most kitchens in America, and by World War
II the number of cans sold yearly was in the multibillions.
Once MSG was ''discovered" by Americans it was widely used by
canned food manufacturers to reduce the "tinny" taste of their
products, especially canned soup. The dried food industry also
favored MSG for its flavor-enhancing properties. Nobody could
have anticipated that as MSG was added to more and more
canned and frozen foods eventually adverse effects from this
drug would begin to develop and become a major source of
modern ailments and illnesses.
MSG as a Drug
A drug is a substance that, when taken into the body, causes
changes in the physiology and functioning of tissues and/or
organs. We often use the terms "drug" and "medicine"
interchangeably, although, in a stricter sense, a medicine is a
"drug" that is used for some therapeutic purpose, to treat some
disease or malfunction. Drugs do not necessarily have a
therapeutic function.
MSG is a drug that acts directly on the taste buds, altering their
sensitivity and causing nerve cell and spreading central nervous
system excitation. It acts peripherally on blood vessels and the
lower esophageal sphincter, and it acts also on the brain and
central nervous
 Page 117
system. It is properly termed a "drug" since it has no apparent
therapeutic purpose.
Because MSG alters a sensory modalitythe taste budsand the
overall gustatory apparatus of the mouth, it modifies reality and
produces or intensifies sensations. MSG may be used to mask
unpleasant flavors, disguise spoilage, and provide a sense of
freshness to food that is old. By fooling the taste buds, it can be
responsible for our eating food that may produce harmful upsets.
Our society has become one in which drugs are used to enhance
human activities and the functioning of human organs beyond
their natural limits. For example, the widespread use of anabolic
steroids by weightlifters and other competitive sports participants
to enhance muscular strength is well known. Similarly, cocaine is
used to artificially heighten mental alertness and athletic
performance. For decades amphetamines and also caffeine have
been used by students and night workers to heighten mental
performance. The newly approved drug Viagra has ended
impotence for many men.
Against this background, it becomes easier to understand how the
widespread use of MSG is so carelessly and casually accepted,
even by many who recognize the ailments produced by this drug.
Part of the acceptance is due to the widespread perception that
MSG is a preservativethat it somehow prevents harmful bacteria
from growing and is therefore an essential part of food. Nothing
is farther from the truth, but this myth is promulgated by the
MSG lobbying industry.
There is no question that the corporate health of many companies
depends on the use of MSG. Also, many of them do not see taste
enhancement in quite the same light as we see the enhancement
of other functions by drugs. Because of the fast-paced world and
the need to prepare "quickie" meals in microwave ovens, we
have accepted a trade-off. This trade-off could ordinarily be
rationalized as just another accommodation to "life in the fast
lane" were it not for the widespread illness caused by this
substance. Millions of children and adults are experiencing
adverse reactions to MSG and many do not know the
 Page 118
cause. With deceptive labeling, the ability to self-identify MSG
reactions has become impaired. Even more difficult, though, is
the alarming increase in MSG-containing foods in populations
where label-reading rarely occurs, such as on Native American
reservations, in the urban ghetto, and in enclaves where English
is not the primary language. In such cases, use of the MSG drug
is widespread and often unappreciated. In one inner-city
hospitalin a busy "asthma room"a vending machine dispenses
MSG-containing snacks. As the asthma increased in this room,
the connection was not made and many children needed
endotracheal intubation.
MSG-sensitive people must recognize their sensitivity and
reactivity to this flavor enhancer and then learn to live without it.
It will dramatically improve their lives.
With rising MSG-induced asthma, migraine headaches, ADD,
childhood disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and possibly
even cancer, we are witnessing enormous human illness caused
by this drug. Is it worth it? Can society continue to pay for it?
Perhaps litigation similar to the tobacco lawsuits will start to
result in payment for the enormous costs of MSG-induced illness
and death.
There are similarities to asbestos, to lead-based paints, to mercury
contaminations, and even to silicone breast implants. Diseases
and degenerations are produced by toxic substances until a
critical mass occurs where the damage can no longer be hidden.
We are at the threshold of that time with MSG toxicity.
 Page 119

Appendix 1
Recipes
By Chef Cindy Volper
Beef Gravy
(Makes about 2 cups)
4 tablespoons beef drippings (fat) or oil
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups pan juices and/or beef stock
2 teaspoons dried oregano or thyme
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a saucepan heat the beef drippings or oil until hot.
Gradually add the flour, using a wire whisk to avoid lumps.
2. Turn down to low heat and continue to whisk the mixture
slowly until the color changes from white to deep brown.
3. Add the pan juices and/or beef stock slowly as you continue to
whisk.
4. Optional: Sauté the mushrooms in butter in a separate pan and
add them to the stock mixture when tender.
5. Add the dried herbs and season with salt and pepper. Simmer
over a low flame until you reach desired consistency.
Poultry Gravy
(Makes about 2 cups)
1/4 cup chicken drippings (fat) or oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups pan juices and/or chicken stock
1/4 cup cooked giblets, diced small
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
 Page 120
1. In a saucepan heat the drippings or oil until hot. Gradually add
the flour, using a wire whisk to avoid lumps.
2. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes. Be sure to continue
whisking slowly and do not allow the flour to turn brown.
3. Add the pan juices and/or chicken stock slowly as you
continue to whisk. Stir in the cooked giblets.
4. Optional: Sauté the mushrooms in butter in a separate pan and
add them to the stock mixture when tender.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over a low flame
until the desired consistency is reached.
Brown Gravy
(Makes 6 cups)
Melt in a heavy saucepan:
1/2 cup beef drippings
Add:
One cup Mirepoix, a blend of 1 diced carrot, onion, celery heart,
combined with 1/2 cup crushed bay leaf, 1 sprig thyme, and 1
tablespoon minced MSG-free raw ham or bacon. The mixture
should be simmered in 1 tablespoon of butter until the vegetables
are soft. When this begins to brown add:
1/2 cup flour and stir until the flour is a golden brown. Then add:
10 black peppercorns
2 cups drained, peeled tomatoes or tomato puree (no salt)
1/2 cup coarsely chipped parsley Stir and mix well, then add:
8 cups beef stock Simmer for about 2 hours or until reduced by
1/2. Stir occasionally and skim off the fat as it rises to the top.
Strain, and stir occasionally as it cools to prevent a skin from
forming.
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Barbeque Sauce
(Makes 5 cups)
In a sauce or stockpot, sauté:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
in:
1/4 cup vegetable oil When the vegetables begin to soften, add:
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup low-salt tomato sauce or homemade catsup
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/3 cup celery, finely diced Cook on a low heat for 3545 minutes.
Season with:
1 teaspoon salt
cayenne pepper to taste Cool and refrigerate.

Quick White Sauce

(Makes 2 cups)
In a small saucepan melt:
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
Stir in:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour Continue cooking for 57 minutes,
stirring constantly. Add slowly:
2 cups milk Simmer slowly and season with:
salt and pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg (If necessary, use a wire whisk to smooth out any
lumps.)
 Page 122

Basic Fresh Tomato Sauce

(Makes 1 1/2 gallons)
In a large saucepot heat:
1 1/4 cups olive oil
Add:
3 cups onions, finely chopped. Cover pot, lower the heat and
allow the onions to cook until they are soft and have a little bit of
color Add:
10 pounds ripe tomatoes
8 ounces salt-free tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Uncover pot and add:
15 garlic cloves, minced Stir briefly and add:
8 cups water Simmer sauce over low heat for 1 to 2 hours. If
sauce appears too thick add more water; if too thin add more
tomato paste. This can be prepared in advance and frozen in
smaller quantities.
Chili Sauce
(Makes 1 quart)
Bring large pot of water to boil. Wash:
4 quarts fresh tomatoes Make an "X" at the base of each tomato
with the tip of a paring knife. Drop the tomatoes into boiling
water for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from water and peel off the
skin. Quarter each tomato and place them in a large, heavy pot.
Add:
3 green chili peppers, diced
2 large onions, diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
 Page 123
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Simmer very slowly, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very
thick (approximately 2 hours). Season with salt to taste. Puree
mixture in a blender or food processor to desired consistency.
Refrigerate or freeze sauce in small portions.

Worcestershire Sauce
(Makes 23 cups)
If you search the health food stores you will probably find a few
brands of Worcestershire sauce that are MSG-free, but ambitious
chefs will want to try this recipe:
2 cups cider vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons catsup
1 ounce finely chopped anchovies
2 tablespoons chili sauce (recipe above)
pinch cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1. Place all ingredients in an airtight container and shake 35 times
a day for 2 weeks. Then strain, pour into sterilized bottles, and
seal.
2. Store in a cool, dry place.
Chicken Stock
(Makes 1 1/2 gallons)
8 lbs. chicken bones, uncooked (if you have cooked chicken
bones on hand you can use them)
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5 large onions, quartered
3 large carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 bunches parsley stems
6 bay leaves
3 tablespoons dried thyme
20 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1. Place rinsed chicken bones in a large stockpot. (Do not rinse
cooked bones.) Cover with cold water and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Skim foam from the top and discard. Add the remaining
ingredients and continue to simmer for 45 hours.
4. Pass the stock through a fine strainer, gently pressing the
vegetables and bones to release more flavor.
5. Discard the solids and cool the liquid. Refrigerate overnight
and then skim off the fat. Refrigerate or freeze in small portions.
Beef Stock
(Makes 11 1/2 gallons)
10 pounds beef bones
2/3 cup vegetable oil
8 large onions, cut in 8 segments
6 large carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
6 ribs celery, cut in 1-inch pieces
12 ounces lowsalt tomato paste
1 cup red wine or water
8 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns
1/2 bunch parsley stems
2 tablespoons thyme
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the bones in a large baking pan and coat with vegetable
oil.
 Page 125
3. Bake for 1 hour or until the bones begin to brown,
occasionally turning them for even browning.
4. Mix in the onions, carrots, and celery. Bake for another 30
minutes and then add the tomato paste.
5. Bake another 3040 minutes or until the bones and vegetables
are well browned but not burned.
6. Remove from the oven and place the bones and the vegetables
in a large stockpot. Place the baking pan over high heat. When
the sediments in the bottom of the pan begin to cook, add the
wine or water and mix with the sediments. Pour this mixture over
the bones in the stockpot.
7. Add cold water to 4 inches above the bones and bring to a
boil. Skim the foam off the top of the mixture and reduce the
heat to a simmer.
8. Add the thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, and parsley and
continue to cook over low heat for 57 hours.
9. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and discard the
solids. Allow the stock to cool at room temperature and then
freeze or refrigerate.
Brown Stock
(Makes 2 quarts)
Cut in pieces and brown in a 350-degree oven:
6 pounds shin and marrow bones
Place the bones in a large stockpot with:
4 quarts water
8 black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
3 sprigs parsley
1 large diced carrot
3 diced celery stalks
1 cup drained canned or fresh tomatoes
1 medium diced onion
 Page 126
1 small white, diced turnip
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 to 3
hours or until reduced by half. Strain stock. Cool uncovered and
refrigerate.

Quick Herb Stock

(Makes 1 quart)
Place in a soup pot:
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
10 black peppercorns, crushed
4 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 quarts cold water
Bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid is reduced by one-half.
Pass through a fine strainer and cool. Refrigerate or freeze.
Hot or Cold Tomato Herb Soup
(Makes 1820 portions)
1/2 pound butter or margarine
7 cups onion, sliced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
8 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes or canned plum tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
salt and pepper to taste
18 cups chicken stock or water
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 tablespoon sugar
 Page 127
1. Heat butter or margarine in a large stock or soup pot. Add
onions and cook over low heat, covered, until soft and
translucent.
2. Add garlic and cook for 35 minutes. Stir in all remaining
herbs.
3. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, allspice, mace, and sugar.
Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
4. Cook for 4050 minutes and remove from heat. Puree soup in a
blender, food processor, or food mill until smooth. Reheat and
season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately while hot or refrigerate and serve cold with
a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Red Meat Marinade

(Makes 2 cups)
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup red wine
3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
10 crushed black peppercorns
Whisk ingredients together. Pour over beef or pork and marinate
in refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours.
Catsup
(Makes 3 quarts)
In a large stockpot, place:
5 quarts tomatoes, cut in pieces
5 medium onions, slices
1 red pepper
Simmer until all ingredients are soft. Puree in a food processor,
blender or food mill. Return to pot and bring to a boil. Add:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
Place in a cheesecloth bag:
 Page 128
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dill seed
2 teaspoons celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
Place the spice bag in the tomato mixture and boil until the liquid
is reduced by one-half. Remove the spice bag and add:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
Lower the heat and simmer 812 minutes. Add to taste:
salt
cayenne pepper
Refrigerate or pour into sterile jars and seal.
Mayonnaise
(Makes 2 cups)
Place in blender:
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
Cover and blend until thoroughly combined. With blender still
running, slowly add:
1/2 cup salad oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
until thoroughly blended. Then add slowly:
1/2 cup salad oil and blend until thick.
 Page 129

Appendix 2
Account of Our First Observations of MSG Asthma
By Dr. Gary Baker
Our discovery of MSG asthma was both fortuitous and dramatic.
It happened in 1981, whilst I was completing my training as a
Respiratory Physician with Dr. David Allen at the Royal North
Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia. We were conducting a study
into the clinical importance of a number of food additives as
precipitants of acute asthma. The additives that we had initially
selected to study were metabisulphite, tartrazine, salicylate and
benzoates. MSG was not included in the early studies as we did
not expect it to be a precipitant.
A number of people suffering from asthma that was severe
enough to cause them to be admitted to hospital agreed to
participate in the study. Essentially, they agreed to adhere to a
strict diet, which excluded the above food additives, for two
weeks, and then to ingest a capsule containing either a food
additive or sugar, and to be observed for 6 to 12 hours with
repeated tests of air-flow rates, which is an objective test for
asthma.
One patient with chronic asthma, who was found to be sensitive
to a number of the food additives, had a marked improvement in
controlling her asthma, when she continued to exclude those
particular additives from her diet. However, one evening she
broke her diet by having a Chinese meal at a restaurant. During
the night her asthma was similar to previous nights, but, in the
morning, 10 to 12 hours following the meal, she became
increasingly breathless despite using her medications. She went
to hospital and was admitted for intensive inhalational and
intravenous therapy. Her asthma attack was unresponsive to even
this treatment and continued to worsen. She was placed on a
ventilator and required cardiac support. Thankfully, her asthma
finally relented, she recovered and was able to leave hospital.
We were very concerned over this life-threatening episode, which
seemed to be related to the ingestion of the Chinese meal.
Although the meal may have contained additives to which this
patient was know to be sensitive, the severity of her reaction
raised the question
 Page 130
whether there were additional substances in the Chinese meal to
which she was reacting. This is when we first considered the
possibility that the addition of MSG to food may be a precipitant
for asthma in particular people.
This possibility was strengthened by our observations when the
patient agreed to take MSG according to our protocol for other
food additive testing. A capsule containing 2.5 grams of MSG,
which is an amount that can be ingested during a Chinese meal,
was administered. No other additives were ingested and the
patient was on her food additive exclusion diet. There was no
change in her ability to breathe until after approximately 12
hours. The asthma quickly became severe and again, was
relatively unresponsive to normal hospital asthma therapy and
required ventilatory support. Thus, this challenge appeared to
reproduce both the severity and the delay that had been seen
following her earlier experience with the Chinese meal.
The severity of this asthma attack following the MSG challenge
surprised and worried us. When another patient, whom we were
currently investigating for food additive asthma, also reacted to a
MSG challenge with a marked decrease in her air-flow rate, we
wrote letters to alert the medical community of the potential
dangers of MSG in asthmatic patients (New England Journal of
Medicine, 1981, 305: 11541155; The Medical Journal of
Australia, 1981, 2: 576). Dr. Jack Delohery joined us to
undertake a larger clinical study. These studies have supported
and further characterized our initial observations of MSG as a
precipitant of asthma in some asthma in some asthmatics, and
have been reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology, 1987, 80: 530537.
 Page 131

Appendix 3
Responses to the First Edition of In Bad Taste:
The MSG Syndrome
After publication of In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome in 1988
we received thousands of calls and letters from people who were
grateful to find the cause of their problems. A representative
selection of those letters follows. These letters offer an idea of
the kind of response the book generated. Many people were so
outraged that their responses didn't stop with a letter.
Based on consumer concern, the legislature of the state of Maine
passed a landmark bill, the first of its kind in the nation. Public
Law 115 required all restaurants and food vendors to post notice
of the use of MSG in any food product that was being served.
The vendors were required to list the MSG content on the menu
or to make a separate directory that listed the contents of
packaged foods available to the consumer. Unfortunately, I
believe the law has since been repealed.
Although this didn't deal with the issue of hydrolyzed protein,
autolyzed yeast, or other hidden sources it was a great start.
The state of Oregon proposed a similar bill that would have
affected restaurants and bed-and-breakfast facilities, but the bill
was ''killed" in committee, meaning it was never presented for
debate. Other states have proposed similar bills.
The city of San Francisco's supervisors voted on a proposed
ordinance to require restaurants to list the use of MSG on their
menus. The Glutamate Association lobbied long and hard against
this measure, pouring great sums of money into its efforts.
Concerned consumers could not match the effort, and the city's
supervisors voted to return the matter to committeeusually a
prelude to killing an ordinance. Another defeat for consumers!
Certainly, it was one area where the multi-billion-dollar industry
prevailed in diverting the supervisors of San Francisco from
priority health concerns.
 Page 132

Letters from Readers

Dear Dr. Schwartz:
By just a lucky chance I heard you on a radio talk show last year,
went to the nearest book store, ordered your book and, to put it
mildly, you have saved my life! At last, there was an explanation
for the periodic debilitating headaches/nausea that completely put
me to bed until they wear off. Now, the bouts occur only when
my soooo careful investigation into what I am eating is sabotaged
by poor labeling or well meaning cooks who don't know what
this all means to those of us who really suffer!
I recently read an article in the LA times (with a by-line by
Malcolm Gladwell of the Washington Post) entitled "Debate Over
the Safety of MSG Heats Up Again." Basically, Mr. Gladwell
seemed to feel that we sufferers were "activists" who are not even
sure they have a legitimate problem. I tried calling Mr. Gladwell
in Washington, left a message with the newspaper but never got a
response. He did mention in the article that "MSG sufferers have
formed a lobby group the National Organization Mobilized to
Stop Glutamate (NOMSG)."
. . . Words cannot express how grateful I am that I happened to
"find" your book. I have given many copies away and continue
to tell every health food store about it. I am most anxious to hear
from you, particularly regarding the organization and any new
information you may have.
Big Bear City, CA
Comment: Many readers have written about their headaches
caused by MSG. The association has been confirmed by the
major headache clinics in our country. A recent radio show stated
that 45 million Americans suffer headaches, costing industry $50
billion annually in absenteeism and medical costs. Headache
sufferers are well advised to sharply limit their ingestion of MSG
and MSG-containing substances.
 Page 133
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
I am very allergic to monosodium glutamate (MSG). I have been
hospitalized at least four times with an MSG reaction. Two and
one half years ago I was in the hospital from Mexican Food I had
eaten in a restaurant. I was in the hospital for two weeks, then
home on oxygen for six weeks following. My next reaction was
last October 1989 to a turkey cooked at home, my last reaction
was from gravy while I was still in the hospital, which was made
from a gravy mix.
My reactions consist of throat constrictions, suffocating feeling in
my throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. I have very severe asthma
attacks with this. I have had reactions to MSG for at least four
years now. At first it gave me severe stomach cramps, instant
diarrhea, and very severe migraine headaches. I was taken to the
hospital for a shot several times until my physician decided it was
a MSG reaction. Then two years later it affected my throat,
bronchial tubes, and lung areas. All of my reactions start within
ten minutes after eating MSG and within less than half an hour
am in the ambulance on my way to the hospital. To get me out of
trouble, breathing, and well again, I have to have a tremendous
amount of medications such as oxygen, Seldane, Theodur,
medicated breathing treatments every four hours, inhalers, and
Prednisone, which leaves me with ulcers and various side effects,
which results in more medication. It also effects my heart, as
each time I have been in CCU for three days.
My doctors have convinced me that the accumulation of MSG in
my system and in those like me who are affected from MSG, in
time causes out reactions to be more severe, which I feel is
unknown to the general public. For me this has become life
threatening, as do not dare have any amount of MSG.
There are many people having illnesses and strange reactions and
a lot of doctors are not aware what is wrong. Many times it turns
out to be MSG reactions. I am hearing of more and more people
having these reactions.
 Page 134
I have had a complete change of lifestyle as it is very difficult to
eat in restaurants, at friends and relative's homes, and at church
functions. I never know when to really feel safe or if I am really
being told the truth in restaurants. It is also very difficult at home
as it takes me hours to shop at a grocery store, reading labels on
almost everything. I understand it can be hidden in labeling as
"natural flavors" . . .
I also feel and know all the medications I have to have from a
MSG reaction certainly are not good for me, not at all fun to go
through, and certainly should not be necessary. All of this just
due to MSG.
I do feel very serious thought and action should be taken on this
matter and make it a law to label items with a statement NO MSG
if they truly do not have any or better yet ban it completely for all
of our human safety. I truly feel that the Food and Drug
Administration should take immediate action on this.
As I am a widow living on a limited income, the required drugs
and oxygen bottles for all these treatments have amounted to
hundreds of dollars being paid out of my savings account since
my medical policy does not pay for my medications.
I shall be very interested in reviewing any legal sources that will
reimburse me for damage to my health as well as the expense of
the medications from companies who are aware of this chemical
action source of MSG. I really do consider this on the same level
as the asbestos being hidden from the public for so long.
Port Orchard, Washington
Comment: Asthma is an increasing condition within our country
with a rising death rate. There is no question that monosodium
glutamate and MSG-containing substances are associated with
severe asthmatic episodes. Cases of MSG-related asthma are
being increasingly reported, and with the rising death statistics,
MSG is likely accounting for hundreds of asthma deaths.
 Page 135
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
I have known I have a problem with monosodium glutamate for
at least eight years. Approximately two years ago, I spent five
days at N.I.H. (National Institute of Health) on an MSG protocol.
This protocol was funded by the Glutamate Technical
Association.
I have a file at least four inches thick of letters and answers
received to my queries, from many agencies and researchers.
When reviewing this material, all of the answers to my questions
were found in publications released by the Glutamate Technical
Association.
Of course, the ultimate solution is abstinence, any fool could
figure that out. It has been disheartening to be a subject to the
disbelief, the nonacceptance of symptoms and general attitude of
all of the agencies and people have corresponded with over the
years.
Then, finally, along comes your book, In Bad Taste: The MSG
Syndrome. Thank you, I really don't think I can tell you how
much. Just to read a positive approacheven if there is "no"
solutionyou know there is problem. You have taken a stand.
Thank you.
I do, have a definite "chemical reaction" to this substance. Each
time my symptoms are worse. I have managed to avoid MSG for
a year. The last time I ingested monosodium glutamate I tasted
my husband's dinner (no more than a tablespoon). The clams
were not fresh, but canned, and MSG was in the juice. Later that
evening, suffered from vomiting, diarrhea, gas, and my skin
turned red from head to toe (no individual hives), plus
discomfort in the throat. This was a mild reaction compared to
the time prior to this, simply because of the amount I'm sure.
One thing that I have noticed, that I have not read, thus far, is
that upon elimination of MSG from my diet I have found that I
am no longer tired all of the time and I do not need as much
sleep. Since this happened in conjunction with the elimination
and I do feel that MSG was having this particular long term effect
on my system.
 Page 136
Anyway, it is not as if I think you can do anything specifically to
help me personally, it is just that I would like you to know how
much I appreciate the fact that you have written your book and
that I hope it will help to eliminate this substance from the market
by making the general public more aware. I would be happy to
help you in any way that I could if there is anything I can do to
be of service.
Davidsonville, MD
Comment: In this case there appears to be a combination of
symptoms of drug reaction and those usually termed "allergic"
symptoms. The intestinal symptoms can be extremely severe. We
have received reports of people who have attended "irritable
bowel clinics" for many years who experience complete relief
with the elimination of MSG. The symptom of fatigue is
prominent in some people who describe it as an overwhelming
need for sleep. There have been individuals who felt that their
reactions were part of a chronic fatigue syndrome; however, their
symptoms resolved with the removal of MSG from their diets.
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me regarding the MSG
dilemma. My experience with MSG made me feel drunk and
fuzzy and I was tested for Lyme's Disease, arthritis and Lupus.
My lab profile showed a slightly elevated sed rate but nothing
conclusive. All other blood work was negative. I also
experienced asthma symptoms basically overnight with no prior
history of asthma. I was treated with potent drugs such as
steroids and antibiotics with no relief. I consulted a doctor and he
tested me for food sensitivities and learned that I was sensitive to
wheat, rye and MSG.
After modifying my diet, I have been successful at losing weight
and I feel like a new person. I am somewhat dismayed that my
medical doctors, which included specialists, did not question a
sensitivity.
Minneapolis, MN
 Page 137
Comment: This letter is very important because it demonstrates
the many people we have heard from who suffer from
unexplained symptoms. MSG sensitivity is rarely suspected. In
attempts to treat these symptoms patients are subjected to many
medications, as well as procedures, including one woman who
even had all of her teeth extracted. Brain scans, CT
(computerized axial tomography) scans and NMR (nuclear
magnetic resonance) scans are frequently employed to diagnose
vague, neurological symptoms. These expensive tests usually
reveal nothing in the MSG-sensitive person, although we have
detected cases of brain damage proven by MRI (magnetic
resonance imaging) and caused by monosodium glutamate.
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
I heard you on the radio talking about MSG. I went to the library
and got your book to read. Thanksgood information.
. . . I am not allergic to MSG (that is, not that I know of).
However, I buy much of my food from health food stores and
stick to non-processed foods and fresh vegies and fruits. I felt
pretty good that I was doing the right thing. I have always stayed
away from foods I thought might contain MSGonly because: I
don't NEED it, so why have it?
I was angry to find out that MSG may be in my foods via
HVPparticularly canned tuna. What a ruse! Now, I am on a mini-
campaign to straighten that out. I am writing letters and calling
vendors.
. . . Every time I think about HVP and "natural flavorings" I get
mad. Funny, I always wondered why products used the term
"natural flavorings" when everything else seemed to be on the
label. Finally, I decided it was just to hide that "special something
or other" that made their product taste just right. But I always
thought hydrolyzed vegetable protein was another okay
ingredient (just as you mentioned on Page 30
 Page 138
of your book: "What could be better for us than protein? And
everyone knows vegetables are good for us.")
. . . What I loved about the history of MSG and the person
responsible for having it taken out of baby food. I've always
thought: we are all babiesjust grown up some. . . . Why is it okay
to poison us when we get bigger, but try to keep baby food clean.
What makes people think we lose our right to be treated
especially well just because we've grown over 24´´ tall?
What a life!
San Francisco, CA
Comment: When monosodium glutamate is a component of
hydrolyzed protein (and it may be up to 40%), it can be labeled as
"natural flavoring." This confuses people's self-identification of
MSG sensitivity. We have seen industry information advising
producers and manufacturers to disguise their use of hydrolyzed
protein by using this wholesome-sounding name.
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
At one time I seemed to have no energy problems. In the 1970's
my first reaction became obviousthat was the severe three-day
headache mostly in the eyeballs. Horrible! I now have, within
two hours of ingestion of MSG, a lack of emotional control.
About ten hours later, a collapse of energy which puts me in bed
for two days.
During a one day MSG test the nurse told me that my blood
pressure was up-down, up-down, up-down each of the two hour
times it was taken. The doctor did not tell me this and was, in
fact, not open in discussing it. Are there centers testing it?
Soup bases are used without people realizing their content. For
me it is terrorizing to know I may be administered this DRUG
against my will.
Salem, Oregon
 Page 139
Comment: The psychiatric and behavioral symptoms of MSG use
can be extremely severe and incapacitating. We have many cases
of individuals being referred to psychiatrists because of
symptoms of depression, anxiety, rage, and panic attacks. Their
symptoms have been markedly reduced, or in some cases
eliminated, by removal of MSG from their diet. What is
particularly alarming is the widespread use of monosodium
glutamate in institutions that may treat emotionally disturbed
persons. It is probable that much time, energy, medication, and
money are being used on unnecessary psychiatric treatment of
MSG reactions.
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
I read with interest your book, In Bad Taste. I'd like to pass on to
you a description of my MSG-induced symptoms which can be
produced with as little as one or two bites of the food that
contains the offending substance, though more often they will
occur after about five minutes into my meal MSG will trigger in
me an esophageal spasm causing intense internal discomfort,
accompanied by markedly increased salivation. Although I am
able to swallow, swallowing only worsens the symptoms. Before
I learned what my problem was, I would usually find myself in a
restaurant when the reaction started. As symptoms increased, I
would sit motionless in severe distress with a mouthful of saliva.
Eventually it would reach the point where I had to leave the table
(without explanation, since I could not talk without drooling) and
head for the men's room. Sometimes the symptoms would last
only five or ten minutes, but on many occasions, one to two
hours. Often I was unable to return to work from lunch.
Although I have had many very bad episodes, the one remember
most vividly involved a long-planned overnight with my wife to
an inn whose restaurant was given a 4-star rating by both AAA
and Mobil. The combined cost of the room and the dinner came
to almost $200. I spent
 Page 140
about five minutes eating, then abandoned my wife for most of
the next hour, which I spent in the men's room. We then quit the
restaurant and went to our room where, after two hours of sheer
agony and totally exhausted, finally fell asleep until morning.
Never one to seek professional medical help unless actually
dying, I self-diagnosed my symptoms as being caused by some
type of hiatal hernia. Fortunately, I had an occasion a few years
ago to hear someone on TV mention those allergic to MSG could
experience significant GI symptoms. Now that I'm aware, except
for a few occasions when I have been caught off-guard, my
symptomatolog has completely disappeared. In all seriousness
and honesty, I have never experienced symptoms from any other
physical disorder that could even approach the degree of
discomfort attributable to my ingesting MSG.
Shepherdstown, WV
Comment: These esophageal reactions can be extremely severe,
as in this letter. However, there are all ranges of discomfort.
Millions of people have frequent "heart burn" or indigestion or
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) in epidemic proportions.
We have seen many of these cases completely relieved with the
elimination of all forms of MSG. Pregnant women, in particular,
who are prone to indigestion appear to suffer an increased
response to MSG. Billions of dollars are spent yearly on antacids
and other remedies, not to mention lost work time and decreased
job performance. Removal of MSG from a person's diet who has
these sort of symptoms can make a major difference in their use
of medication.
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
Over one and a half years ago, I read an article in our local
Sunday paper promoting your book In Bad Taste: The MSG
Syndrome. This month I finally acquired the book and read it!
Thank you!
 Page 141
When our daughter was seven years old (four years ago) she
started experiencing flu-like reactions during late night-early
morning sleep. We discovered, after many episodes of reactions
that she is MSG sensitive.
During her first reaction, her symptoms included headache,
severe stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, red rash over entire
bodyespecially hands and feet with intense itchingbloodshot eyes,
shakes and chills, and at one point seemed to be almost
unconscious. In panic, we summoned the rescue unit to our
home for help. We were told that it appeared to be the flu. The
intense itching continued, so our pediatrician was consulted
during the late hours of the night. We were advised that the
allergic reaction was most likely to be food related, and. to
administer Benadryl if available, and a baking soda bath. The
doctor also mentioned that in noting the foods our daughter had
consumed that day may aid in pin-pointing the cause. Within
1520 minutes after the dose of Benadryl was given, most of the
symptoms disappeared and she slept soundly for the remainder
of the night, and appeared very normal the next day.
There were many reactive episodes that first year after her initial
reaction, with always similar symptoms, although some episodes
were less intense than others (perhaps indicating the dose of
MSG she consumed).
I am a registered Medical Technologist, and at the time was
employed in the Pathology Department of a major medical center.
One day at work, a friend complained of stomach cramping after
a lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. She mentioned that this
sometimes occurred when she had eaten food containing MSG.
It clicked!! When I arrived home from work immediately began
checking bottles, packages, seasoned salt, etc.and found MSG
listed on most everything. I even had a bottle of pure MSG! The
inside of me felt like jelly . . . I felt like I had been poisoning my
daughter.
I contacted her doctor with my discovery, and to my
disappointment he was not familiar with specific MSG allergic
reactions.
 Page 142
He suggested that an allergist could be consulted if her problem
continued to arise.
We were convinced that MSG was the culprit and started
educating ourselves in checking packages, bottles, snacks, etc.,
and to express her possible MSG allergy when visiting friends,
school, etc.
At times it is very discouraging for all of us, as parents . . .
especially after reading your book and becoming aware of other
products that MSG can be disguised infor example HVP . . .
I hope that our documentation along with that of other afflicted
people will help convince the FDA that MSG should possibly be
removed from the market or certainly manufacturers should be
required to print a warning message on packaging when the
additive is present in the food.
. . . Dr. Schwartz, thank you for the time, research and effort you
devoted in writing your book. It helped confirm our suspicion of
MSG sensitivity, to watch for other food related reactions, and
we know that our daughter is not alone!
Windham, ME
Comment: The dose of MSG that many children ingest can exert
potent effects. Of extreme concern is the multiple doses of MSG
that a child can receive over the course of one day. From the
breakfast cereal in the morning to school lunches, which are
usually laden with MSG, to afterschool microwave snacks and
then to dinner in a pleasant family restaurant where MSG use is
frequently not suspected, a child can get a continuous dose of
MSG and experience chronic symptoms. A parent cannot easily
detect this reaction because of the myriad sources. We have
received many letters from parents who have reduced behavioral
disorders, hyperactivity, sleep disorders, stomachaches,
headaches, and asthma and who have improved overall the well-
being of their children with removal of MSG. The recent studies
demonstrating immune impairment and a relationship with cancer
are further reasons for longterm caution.
 Page 143
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
I am writing to thank you for your book In Bad Taste which I
probably would never have found except for noticing it on the
''New Books Out" shelf at the Santa Monica Library. It took about
two years before a doctor at Kaiser Permanente Hospital
diagnosed my problem as an allergy reaction when I would need
excessive sleep, get red spots on my hands, feel depressed,
unable to think clearly and feel irritable and upset. In the
diagnostic tests by injection I was told of allergies to dust,
feathers, etc. but only by being alerted to this did I trace the
problem to MSG myself, as no food tests were conductedand no
chemical reaction tests.
It is only recently that I became aware of MSG in foods that I had
never suspected such as those mentioned in your book, and as
you say, I wonder how many more people there are who do not
relate MSG to many of the items listed and continue to suffer.
Also, have you noticed how obscure the labels are in so far as the
print is minute and the colors used (ie., maroon on black and
vice versa) seem deliberately difficult to read.
It takes so many years for poisons in the environment to become
apparent and an effort made to prevent them but surely there is
something the individual can do? I have intended for a long time
to write to the food companies and the Food and Drug
Administration and will certainly do so now I know I am not an
isolated case. Is there any group or organization endeavoring to
state "No MSG" or change the situation? If so, I would appreciate
the address.
There is hardly anything I can eat but your recipes will help!
One other symptom that occurs with me is that if I have an MSG
severe allergy reaction, I find myself transposing letters in words,
or leaving them out. Although this is during the worst attacksand
may be a combination of allergy as I also get severe reaction to
soap powders and liquids in seemingly all detergents I have
triedeven the "biodegradable" ones.
 Page 144
Thank you again for having the courage to speak-out and not be
intimidated by the corporations involved. You are a warrior,
indeed.
Santa Monica, CA
Comment: A particular symptom demonstrated here is the
neurological reaction usually described as fuzzy thinking,
difficulty in concentration, or confusion. These neurological
reactions are of great concern in view of the rising associations of
glutamate metabolism with neurological conditions such as
Alzheimer's disease. This is a migraine-related confusional state
that may appear prior or even in place of the characteristic
headache. These neurological impairments may be accompanied
by evidence of brain damage which may be seen on the MRI
(magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain. Metabolic changes in
such cases can be seen on the PET scan (positive emission
tomography).
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
My husband and I are writing you to thank you for the answer to
years of waking at 5:00 A.M. to devastating, sickening headaches
and other associated symptoms that would put him in a dark
room suffering for at least eight to ten hours.
I would like to give you some background information on Tony's
years of headaches. He is a 39-year-old self-employed plumbing
contractor. He has since childhood suffered with hay fever
allergies, sinus problems and migraine headaches. He has been
treated with allergy shots, pain relievers as strong as Percodan
and Caffergot PB, all of which did absolutely nothing but
compound the pain. Doctors never found the root of his
problem.
Before knowing about MSG my husband would substitute a
healthy vegetable juice drink for morning coffee but his
symptoms got worse. At lunch time he would have a can of good
old-fashioned chicken soup with a tuna sandwich and by
suppertime he thought of going to the Emergency Room for the
pain would be so severe.
 Page 145
In February of 1989 I was watching TV . . . and saw you. I was
starting to cook dinner when I put everything down and for one
hour could not believe what I was hearing. Everything you
described as MSG reactions was exactly what Tony was suffering
from.
Getting your book was like trying to obtain an illegal substance.
It was hard to find. After both of us reading and re-reading and
outlining information we knew what had to be done: a complete
review of our dietary products. It revealed large amounts of the
poison, sometimes double doses in all our favorite foods. We
began our quest to try to eliminate MSG from our diet, an almost
impossible task.
I cannot believe the FDA can make a cigarette manufacturer put
warnings on their packages, [yet] MSG can be hidden under a
barrage of alias names, that cannot be easily identified. It is
obvious that the Food Mafia is keeping the public from finding
out about this good tasting poison. What can we do as victims of
the FDA and food companies to stop the unnecessary poisoning
of family and friends?
After one year of trying to avoid MSG and its aliases, have
noticed a remarkable difference in Tony.
a) He has been through springtime blooms without reaction and
fall time defoliation without reactions.
b) After eating a meal that is MSG free he doesn't suffer from
stomach cramps and doesn't have to run to the bathroom.
c) Most of all, 5:00 A.M. headaches are eliminated.
d) Lost workdays were also eliminated.
e) Cooking habits have gone back to the basics. Your recipes
were very helpful.
. . . We would like to tell you about Thanksgiving Dinner this
year. Having two turkey gravies, one MSG free and one
containing a full gamut of MSG, we could see the reaction of
people fighting for the bathroom, falling asleep after our meal,
mood swings, etc. Tony, on the other hand, had the first holiday
dinner that did not cause a headache the next day.
 Page 146
In closing, we would like to extend our complete gratification to
everyone involved in putting this valuable book together. And to
you, Dr. Schwartz, for bucking the established Food Mafia.
Thank you again.
Monroe, CT
Comment: I would like to point out that Tony observed that his
other allergies were reduced in intensity by removal of MSG. We
have heard this now from many sources. Many days of lost work
and educational opportunities as well as a decrease in quality of
life were caused by monosodium glutamate. A student who
suffers from MSG sensitivity may prematurely drop out of school
or not attain the highest educational level he or she is capable of
due to a toxic, disabling reaction to MSG. Migraine headaches are
rapidly increasing in frequency due to widespread MSG use and
mislabeling.
The following letter was addressed to the National Organization
Mobilized to Stop Glutamate (NoMSG), and forwarded to Dr.
Schwartz.
Dear Gentlemen:
Regarding the article in the New York Times, by Sandra Blakeslee,
March 6, 1990, about MSG sensitivity:
I had dinner at an Oriental restaurant and later took a walk with
my wife. Within an hour I was in the hospital with large hives (1
´´ to 2´´ in length) on my face, neck and the top and sides of my
head. In addition to the hives, my throat was closing and I felt
very weak and ill. I was taken to the hospital and given an
injection of Benadryl. The symptoms then started to subside and
were gone within a few hours.
Furthermore, I was left with a residue of fluid which hung in the
skin under my chin and this remained for about a week. The
doctor at the emergency room said my condition was caused by
the MSG in the
 Page 147
food that I had eaten. About eight months later I made the
mistake of eating at another Oriental restaurant and had a similar
but less severe reaction.
Maybe you can forward this letter to (Dr.) George R. Schwartz
mentioned in the N. Y. Times article as an MSG critic. It might
serve as some more "ammo" for him. I applaud your efforts and
hope you can convince the FDA to either stop the use of MSG as
a food additive or at least label all foods containing it, so that
those of us that are allergic to MSG will not have to play Russian
roulette when we eat.
Yonkers, New York
Comment: Even when restaurants put up signs saying "No MSG"
the toxic substance may still be present in various prepackaged
soup mixes and sauces. One continual offender in Chinese foods
is oyster sauce. This usually contains either monosodium
glutamate or hydrolyzed vegetable protein. The latter type
frequently has "No MSG Added" written on the bottle's label.
 Page 149

Appendix 4
More about Hydrolyzed Protein
There has been so much discussion and industry defense of
hydrolyzed protein as being "natural" and therefore harmless that
it is time to put this matter at rest.
In the journal Food Trade Review54 Dr. Prendergast reviewed the
production of hydrolyzed protein and demonstrated the steps of
manufacture. These are:
1. Protein sourceanimal or vegetable.
2. Add hydrochloric acid and elevate temperature for extensive
time.
3. Pump into new chamber and add sodium hydroxide.
4. Sediment or black sludge (humin) is filtered off.
5. Pump filtrate into new chamber and add bleach to decolorize
and pass through activated charcoal to debitter.
6. Filter the bleached liquid into a new chamber for drying or
concentrate to a paste in vacuum pans.
Reviewing this process, it is clear that using the term "natural"
disguises extensive chemical processing and misleads the health-
conscious consumer.
Fermented flavor enhancers, such as autolyzed yeast, have gained
some use partly due to the finding of carcinogens in hydrolyzed
protein.55 These alternatives to hydrolyzed protein contain MSG
as well and are commercially produced in ways that I do not see
as "natural," prepared from hydrolyzed yeast protein, salt, and
monosodium glutamate. Industry "spec sheets" go on to advise
companies to declare
54 Prendergast K: Protein Hydrolysate - a Review. Food Trade
Review, 44:1421, 1975.
55 Fermented flavor enhancers can replace HVPs, Food Engineering,
1989.
 Page 150
this substance as "natural flavor."
Hydrolyzed proteins are commonly used to help food processors
develop more seasoned foods while retaining a "healthy
image."56 In 1988 Takeda USA, a major manufacturer of MSG-
containing products, released a hydrolyzed protein named
Amiflex. This product offered a high concentration of glutamic
acid, but can be labeled as "seasoning." Amiflex contained just
under 40% sodium glutamate.
56 HPP Provides Seasoning, Food Engineering, p. 29, 1988
 Page 151

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 Page 171

Index
A
Abdominal pain, 13, 16, 29, 74
See also Stomachaches
Accid, 59
ADD. See Attention deficit disorder
ADHD. See Attention deficit hyperactive disorder
''Agent Blue" factor, 3, 30
Aging, MSG and, 39
AIDS, glutamate and, 72-73
Airplane meals, MSG in, 112-13
Ajinomoto, Japanese use of 1, 6, 8, 78, 79
Allen, David H., 25, 26, 129
Allergic reaction, ix, 133, 136, 141-44, 54
MSG and, 47-49
ALS. See Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Alzheimer's disease, 39, 40, 64-66, 67, 144
antiglutamate substances and, 61-62
aspartame and, 64
American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, 80
American Academy of Science, journal of, 13, 48
Amiflex, 150
Amino Products Corporation, 8
Amphetamines, 117
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (Lou Gehrig's disease), 39,
64-65, 66-67
antiglutamate substances and, 61-62
aspartame and, 64
glutamate and, 66
MSG and, 40
Anabolic steroids, 117
"Analysis of Adverse Reactions to Monosodium Glutamate," x, xi
Anaphylaxis, 47
Andrews, John, 9
Angiotension, 71
Anhedonia, 29
Animal studies, MSG and, 67
Antidepressants, 30, 59
Anti-MSG organizations, vii, 79, 80-81, 132, 146-47
Antioxidants, 65
Antischizophrenic drugs, 42
Arby's, MSG at, 107
Archer Daniels Midland, MSG and, 79
Arrhythmias, 44, 65
Arthritis, 18, 51, 52, 54, 136
Aspartame, 63-64
Asthma, vii, 2, 47, 51, 53, 54, 59, 65, 111, 133, 136, 142
acute/chronic, 129
death rate from, 27-28, 134
MSG and, 25-28, 44, 45, 118, 129-30, 134
Atlantic Monthly, on Agent Blue, 30
Atopic dermatitis, 20
Atrial fibrillation, 43, 44, 72
Attention deficit disorder (ADD), vii, 3, 24-25, 38, 52, 53, 118
Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), 38, 110
Autolyzed yeast, 34-35, 93, 131, 149
Auxien, 95
Auxigro, 94
B
Baby foods, MSG in, 3, 23, 138
Bacon, Sir Francis, 115
Baker, Gary, viii, 25, 68, 129-30
Balance problems, 53, 74
Barbecue sauce, 85, 86, 121
Basic fresh tomato sauce, recipe for, 122
Beechnut, MSG and, 3
Beef gravy, recipe for, 119
Beef stock, recipe for, 124-25
Behavioral problems, 3, 25, 31, 139, 142
children and, 45, 53
Benadryl, 141, 147
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, 41
Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (EPA), L-
glutamic acid and, 95
Bladder control, loss of, 53
Bladder irritation, Nutrasweet and, 63
Blakeslee, Sandra, 146
Blaylock, Russell, viii, 63
Blindness, aspartame and, 63
Blood pressure, 71, 74
Body temperature, changes in, 74
Boller, Anna, 9
Borden, Gail: condensed milk and, 116
 Page 172
Bouillon cubes, 85, 93
Bowel control, loss of, 53
Brain, glutamate and, 71-72
Brain cell atrophy, 40
Brain damage, x, 33, 67, 111, 144
Brain scans, 32, 37, 137
Brain symptoms, listed, 54
Breast cancer, 72
Breathing problems, 13, 16, 54, 74
Bronchial carcinomas, 72
Broths, 84, 94
MSG in, 85, 105
Brown gravy, recipe for, 120
Brown stock, recipe for, 125-26
Bulk quantities, MSG in, 94
Burger King, MSG at, 107
Byck, Robert: on MSG, 48
C
Cafeterias, MSG at, 110-12
Caffeine, 47, 117
Caffergot PB, 144
Calcium caseinate, 93
Campbell Foods, 9
criticism from, 77
MSG and, 79
Cancer
breast, 72
bronchial, 72
esophageal, 72
glutamate and, 72-73
Canned foods, 116
MSG in, 96-98, 115
substitution for, 85
Capp, Al, 10
Cardiac arrest, 72, 111
Cardiac surgery, glutamate and, 71
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 45
Cardiovascular effects, 59
Carrageenan, 85, 93, 109
Caseinate, 35-36, 85, 93
Catsup, 85-86, 127-28
Cerebral excitation, 57, 116
Chest pain, 12, 15, 16, 22, 51-53, 59, 74
Chest symptoms, listed, 51-52
Chest tightness, 15, 33, 51, 52, 54, 110
Chicken of the Sea Tuna, MSG and, 78
Chicken stock, recipe for, 123-24
Children
asthma and, 28
MSG in, 22-25
obesity and, 69
side effects for, 10
symptoms for, 53, 118
Chili sauce, 85, 122-23
Chills, 52, 141
Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (CRS), 11, 16, 54, 55, 75, 110
Chronic fatigue syndrome, vii, 136
Clinical Nutrition Assessment Branch (Department of Health and
Human Services), memorandum from, 73
Clozapine, 42
Cocaine, 117
Code of Federal Regulations
Section 101.22 of, 91
 Section 101.35 of, 35, 92-93
Colman, Arthur D.
on depression/MSG, 28, 29
on MSG reactions, 13-15
Computerized axial tomography (CT) scans, 137
Confusion, 25, 52, 54
Convulsions, 69-70
Cookies/crackers, MSG in, 98
Cooperative food market, shopping at, 84
Corn Products International, MSG and, 79
Cortisone abnormalities, 69
CPR. See Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cramps, 14, 51
stomach, 13, 17, 53, 54, 133, 141
Cristol, Richard
on labeling, 57
MSG safety and, 79
Croutons, MSG in, 102
CRS. See Chinese Restaurant Syndrome
CT scans. See Computerized axial tomography
Cured meats, MSG in, 98
D
Dairy products, MSG in, 85
Dairy Queen/Brazier, MSG at, 109
 Page 173
Dalphin, Charlotte, 9
"Debate Over the Safety of MSG Heats Up Again" (Gladwell),
132
Deficiency diseases, 48
Delgado, Sonia: on MSG, 91
Delicatessen foods, MSG in, 84, 99
Delohery, John, 25, 130
Dementia, 66
Denny's, MSG at, 108
Depression, 2-3, 21, 39, 45, 51-54, 59, 139
MSG and, 28-33
Nutrasweet and, 63
teenage/childhood, 30
Diabetes, MSG and, 43
Diarrhea 13, 14, 17, 19, 22, 32, 51, 54, 74
Diet foods, MSG in, 99
Disodium guanylate, 36
Disodium inosinate, 36
Dizziness, 13, 32, 52, 53, 74
Dogs, killing, with MSG, 61
Dopamine, 68
Dove, Franklin, 9
Dried foods, 84, 99, 115

E
Edema, 39
Elderly, MSG and, 39
Electroencephalograms (EEGs), 32, 37
Endocrine effects, 68
MSG and, x, 69
Eosinophilia-myalgia (EMS) syndrome, 76-77
EPA. See U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Epilepsy
childhood, 70
MSG and, 69-70
Epinephrine, 47
Esmel, Elyakim: report by, 16
Esophageal cancer, 72
Excitotoxicity, 38, 64, 65, 70, 72
Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills (Blaylock), 63
Eye pressure, 28, 45
Eye symptoms, 17, 28, 45, 52, 141
F
Face flush, 14, 51
Face tightness, 12, 15, 51, 53
Farmers' markets, shopping at, 84
FASEB. See Federation of the American Society for Experimental
Biology
Fast food restaurants, MSG and, 3, 4, 14, 23, 37, 106-9
Fatigue, 13, 22, 32, 74, 136
FDA. See Food and Drug Admin.
Federal Food and Drugs Act (1906), 60
Federation of the American Society for Experimental Biology
(FASEB), x, xi
on asthma/MSG, 27
glutamate safety and, 64
Select Committee on GRAS of, 33
Fernstrom, Dr., 62, 63
Fertility problems, 69
Fibromyalgia, vii
5´-nucleotides, 36
Flavor enhancers, 32, 46, 58-59, 90
fermented, 149
Flavorings, 34, 35, 93, 96, 112
 avoiding, 84
Fluoxetine, 38
Flushing, 14, 28, 33, 51, 54
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) glutamate and, ix, 76
labeling and, 90
MSG and, 44, 60, 73, 75, 134, 142, 143, 145, 147
MSG symptoms (listed), 74
tryptophan and, 77
Food Mafia, 145, 146
Food manufacturers criticism from, 77-78
MSG content and, 131
Food Preparation Network, 86
Food Trade Review, on HVP, 149
Free amino acids, in human milk, 64
Freedom of Information Act, 73, 91
Freeze dried foods, MSG in, 99, 115
Fresh foods, 84, 137
alert regarding, 94-95
Frost, John: atrial fibrillation and, 43
 Page 174
Frozen foods, MSG in, 83, 99-101, 115, 117

G
Gann, Dietmar: on MSG reactions, 15-16
Gas/bloating, 51, 135
Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) disease, 59, 140
Gastrointestinal diseases, vii, 39, 72, 140
Gastrointestinal symptoms, listed, 51
General Mills, criticism from, 77
Genetics, MSG and, 44
Gerber
Accent and, 60
MSG and, 3
GERD disease. See Gastroesophageal Reflux disease
Gerstl, Robert: on MSG, 48
Gladwell, Malcolm, 132
Glandular function, 69
Glutamate
ALS and, 66
buildup of, 67
free, 55
 manufacturing, 8
Glutamate Association, 64, 77, 78-79
In Bad Taste and, 79
lobbying by, 131
Glutamate Technical Association, 135
Glutamic acid, 5, 6, 7, 55
Glutathione, 65
Golden Ramen Oriental Noodles, mislabeling of, 36
GRAS (generally recognized as safe), 33, 90
Gravy, 119-20
MSG in, 101, 145
Growth hormones, 68

H
Hall, Robert: MSG Massacre and, 42
Headaches, 2, 12, 14, 17, 18, 22, 28, 33, 45, 51, 52, 54, 65, 74,
132, 138, 142, 145
children's, 38, 53
chronic, 32
migraine, 16, 24, 36, 38, 44, 118, 133, 144
MSG and, 36-37
Nutrasweet and, 63
Health food stores, 78, 137
Heart, glutamate and, 71-72
Heart attack, 12, 22
Heart irregularities, x, 2, 16, 53, 54, 59, 74
Heinz, MSG and, 3
Herb stock, recipe for, 126
Hiatal hernias, 140
Hives, 52, 54
Hormone changes, MSG and, 67
Hot or cold tomato herb soup, 126-27
H2 Blockers, 59
Human milk, free amino acids in, 64
Huntington's chorea, 40, 64-65, 67
HVP. See Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Hydrolysate, 90
Hydrolyzed milk protein, 85
Hydrolyzed protein, 34-35, 73, 85, 93, 131, 138, 150
labeling, 35, 75
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), 1, 18, 33, 59, 83, 84
described, 149-50
labeling and, 34, 91
Hydrolyzed yeast protein, 149
Hyperactivity, 14, 24, 44, 142
Hyperstimulation, aspartame and, 63, 68
Hypertension, MSG and, 43, 70-71
Hypotension, 70-71
Hypothalamic effects, 68, 69
I
IFIC. See International Food Information Council
Ikeda, Kikunae, 1, 5, 6, 8
Imported foods, labeling requirements for, 94
Incontinence, 3
Infertility, MSG and, 67
Ingelfinger, Franz: Kwok's Disease and, 12
Insomnia, 51, 52, 54
International Food Information Council (IFIC), 79, 80
International Glutamate Technical Committee, 79
International Journal of Biosocial Research, MSG Massacre
and, 42
 Page 175
Irritability, 2, 14
Irritable bowel clinics, 136
Ischemia, glutamate and, 71
Israel Journal of Medical Sciences, 16
Itching, 47, 141

J
Jack in the Box, MSG at, 106-7
Jaw ache, 22, 54
Jobe, Inez, 9
Joint symptoms, 18, 74
Journal of Allergy & Clin. Immunology, 25
on asthma/MSG, 130
Journal of the American Dietetic Assoc., on epilepsy/MSG, 70
K
Kentucky Fried Chicken, MSG at, 109
Kidney failure, 41
Kline, Nathan, 31
anhedonia and, 29
Kombu, 1, 5, 37, 83
Kraft, MSG and, 78
Kwok, Ho Man, 2, 11, 12
L
Labeling, 34, 57, 91
campaign for, 81
imported foods and, 94
problems with, 35-36, 75, 84-90, 111, 118, 131, 134, 146
Larrowe, James E., 7, 8
Lawrence, Charles, 9
Lennox-Gestaut syndrome, MSG and, 70
L-glutamic acid, 94
Life Sciences Research Office (FASEB), xi
Lin, Dr.: glutamate-ALS connection and, 66
Lind, James, 48
Lipton, MSG and, 79
Lobbying organizations, 78-80, 117, 131, 132
Locking jaw, 22
Logal, Paul, 105
Long John Silver's, 108
Lou Gehrig's disease. See Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Lowfat products, MSG in, 86
L-tryptophan, 76-77
Lucas, J. P.: glutamic acid/retinal degeneration and, 60
Lupus, 18, 136
Lymphomas, 72

M
McCollum, Elmer: glutamate and, 7
McDonald's, MSG at, 107
McDonald's Massacre, 42
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), vii-viii, 137, 144
"Manufacture of a Flavoring Material" (patent number 9440), 6
Marie Callendar's, MSG at, 111, 112
Marriott Catering Services, MSG and, 113
Marshall, Albert: Larrowe and, 8
Mashman, Jan: on MSG, 48
Mayer, Jean, 3
Mayonnaise, recipe for, 128
Medical Journal of Australia, The: on asthma/MSG, 130
Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, 7
Mental confusion, 51
MI. See Myocardial infarction
Migraine symptoms, vii, 16, 24, 36, 38, 44, 118, 133, 144
Mitral valve prolapse, 59
Monopotassium glutamate, 95
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
aliases for, 93
American discovery of, 9-10, 116
avoiding, 17, 83-84, 109, 111-12, 142
development of, 1, 12
as drug, 116-18
foods containing, 89-90, 93
hiding, 33-34, 111, 131
substitutions for, 85-86
symptoms associated with, 39-44, 51
Montreal Neurologic Institute, 24
Mood swings, 2, 17, 22, 31, 45, 74
Morris, Betsy, 46
Motor nerve cell degeneration, 62
MRI. See Magnetic resonance imaging
MSG. See Monosodium glutamate
MSG Massacre, 42
MSG symptom complex, x, 10, 48, 54
Multiple sclerosis, 18
 Page 176
Muscle soreness, 17, 18, 52
Muscular dystrophy, 18
Myocardial infarction (MI), 12

N
Naldo-Ricketts Foundation, 61
Napoleon, Emperor, 116
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
asthma/children, 28
National Institute of Health (NIH), 135
National Institute of Mental Health, Agent Blue and, 3, 30
National Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamate (NoMSG),
80, 146-47
lobbying by, 132
"60 Minutes" and, 79
National School Lunch Program, 110
Natural flavorings, ix, 18, 34, 35, 73, 76, 84, 90, 93, 95, 106, 137,
150
labeling as, 134, 138
Natural foods, availability of, 83
Nausea, 12, 13, 17, 28, 51, 53, 74, 131
mild, 45
Neck tightness, 15, 28
Nerve plexi, actions on, 59
Nestles, 9
Neurodegenerative diseases, vii, 39, 64-65, 66, 118
Neuroendrocrine effects, 68
Neuroexcitatory effects, 61-63, 67
MSG and, 42
Neurological symptoms, 137
Neuromuscular symptoms, listed, 52
Neurostimulants, 38, 41
Neurotoxicity, 40, 68
prevention of, 65
Neurotransmitter, 68
glutamate as, 60-61
MSG and, 42
New England Journal of Medicine, 2, 11, 12, 48
on asthma/MSG, 25, 130
on children/MSG, 23
Newhouse, D.: glutamic acid/retinal
degeneration and, 60
NIH. See National Institute of Health
Nocturia, 41
NoMSG. See National Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamate
Norepinephrine, 68
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 137
Numbness, 12, 16, 74
Nutrasweet, 63-64
O
Obesity
in children, 69
MSG and, 43, 67, 69
Olivo-ponto cerebellar atrophy, 40
Olney, John W., viii, 67
on glutamate/retinal damage, 61
neurotoxicity and, 60
Orthostatic hypotension, 71
P
Palpitations, 12, 15, 51, 52
Panic attacks, 52, 59, 139
Paranoia, 2, 52, 54
Parkinson's disease, 39, 65-66
aspartame and, 64
Pepperidge Farm, MSG removal by, 78
Peptide linkages, 55
Percodan, 37, 144
PET scans. See Positive emission tomography scans
Pfeiffer, Carl: glutamate and, 10
Pharmaceutical companies, MSG, 59-60
Pillsbury, 9, 46
Pituitary effects, MSG and, 69
Pizza Hut, 108
PMS. See Premenstrual syndrome
Positive emission tomography scans (PET scans), viii, 144
Potato chips, MSG in, 101-2
Poultry gravy, recipe for, 119-20
Prednisone, 133
Pregnant women, MSG and, 140
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), MSG and, 40
Prendergast, Dr.: on HVP, 149
Prepackaged foods, MSG in, 83, 96-97, 112, 115, 147
Prilosec, 59
Processed foods, 84, 115
Prostate symptoms, MSG and, 41
 Page 177
Protein hydrolysis, 94
Prozac, 30, 38, 59
Psychiatric symptoms, 139
Psychological symptoms, x, 31, 52, 77
Public Law 115 (Maine), 131
Pullium, H. H.: on MSG, 110

Q
Quick herb stock, recipe for, 126
Quick white sauce, recipe for, 121

R
Rage reactions, 2, 42, 52, 53, 54, 139
Rashes, 21, 52, 54, 141, 143
Ratner, David: report by, 16
Recipes, MSG-less, 119-28
Red meat marinade, recipe for, 127
Reif-Lehrer, Liane, 24, 32
on children/MSG, 22-23
study by, 2, 13, 30, 45
Restaurants, MSG at, 109, 110-12, 131, 134, 142
Retinal degeneration, 60, 61
Ribonucleotides, 36
Ricketts, Max, 61
Ritalin, 24, 38, 110
Rothstein, J D: glutamate-ALS and, 62
S
Salad dressings, MSG in, 102
Salads, MSG, in, 102
Samuels, Adriene, viii
Sauces, 93, 103, 110, 111
recipes for, 121, 122-23
substitution for, 85, 86
Schaumberg, Herbert H., 11-13, 45, 48
Schizophrenia, glutamate and, 42
Science (American Academy of Science), 13
on MSG, 48
Scurvy, vitamin C and, 48
Seafood, MSG in, 84, 113
Seasonings, 84, 93
MSG in, 101, 103
natural, 34
Seasoning salt, 32, 111
Sea tangle, 1, 5
Seizures, 3, 67
aspartame and, 63
Seldane, 133
Select Committee on GRAS (FASEB), 33
Shakiness, 21, 52, 141
Shopping tips, 84-85
Shortness of breath, 13, 16, 54
Shoshani, Ehud: report by, 16
Showa-Denko, L-trytophan and, 76-77
Shudder-shiver attacks, 23
Side dishes, MSG in, 96-97
Sinus problems, 54, 144
"60 Minutes" program, MSG on, 79
Skin rashes, 47, 51
Sleep disorders, 53, 74, 142, 143
Slurred speech, 21, 53
Smithson, Linda, 46
Snacks, MSG in, 101-2, 118, 142
Sneezing, 22, 51, 53, 54
Sodium caseinate, 93
"Sodium free" advertising, 95
Sodium hydroxide, 149
Soup mixes, MSG in, 97-98, 105
Soups, 85, 97-98
Southern Medical Journal, Gann in, 15
Soy sauce, 86, 93, 110, 111
Spices, 34, 84, 93, 96
avoiding, 86
MSG in, 103
Status epilepticus, 70
Steffen's wastewater, 7
Stevens Hotel, symposium at, 8-9
Stock, 93
canned, 85
recipes for, 123-26
substitution for, 85
Stomachaches, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, 24, 28, 29, 142
children's, 53
See also Abdominal pain
Stomach cramps, 13, 17, 53, 54, 133, 141
Stroke, glutamate in, 71
Suicides, 3, 30
Supermarkets, MSG and, 95-96
Suzuki, Saburosuke, 6, 8
Suzuki Spice Company, 7
Swallowing, problems with, 74, 139
Sweating, 12, 15, 53
Swelling, 20, 22, 74
 Page 178
Symptoms, x, 39-44, 48, 55
brain, 54
chest, 51-53
for children, 53, 118
eye, 52
gastrointestinal, 51, 140
joint, 18, 74
migraine, vii, 16, 24, 36, 38, 44, 118, 133, 144
neurological, 137
neuromuscular, 52
prostate, 41
psychiatric, 139
psychological, 31, 52, 77
throat, 53, 54
Syncope, hypotension with, 70-71
T
Tachycardia, ventricular, 15, 72
Taco Bell, 108
Tagamet, 59
Takeda USA, Amiflex and, 150
Tamari, 86
Tendinitis, 18, 20, 52
Textured protein, 93
Theodur, 133
Throat symptoms, 53, 54
Thyroid abnormalities, 69
Tingling, 15, 45, 51, 52, 74, 110
TLC. See Truth in Labeling Campaign
Tollefson, Linda: on CRS, 75
Tomato herb soup, recipe for, 126-27
Tomato sauce, recipe for, 122
Train meals, MSG in, 112-13
Travelling, avoiding MSG when, 112-13
Tressler, Donald, 7
Truth in Labeling Campaign (TLC), 76, 81
Tryptophan, 76-77
Tumors, gastrointestinal, 72
U
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), labeling and, 75-76
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Auxigro and, 94
 L-glutamic acid and, 95
Unami, 6
Union Foods Company, mislabeling by, 35-36
Urinary retention, MSG and, 41
V
Vegetable broth, MSG in, 85
Vegetable gum, 93
Vegetable powder, 37
Ventricular tachycardia, 15, 72
Vetsin, 6, 61
Viagra, 117
Vision problems, 13, 52, 74
aspartame and, 63
Vitamin C, scurvy and, 48
Vomiting, 12, 22, 24, 74, 135, 141
W
Wall Street Journal on asthma deaths, 27
Pillsbury study in, 46
Weakness, 13, 15, 21, 52, 74
Wendy's, MSG at, 106
White sauce, recipe for, 121
Women's cycles, MSG and, 40
Worcestershire sauce
recipe for, 123
substitution for, 86
World Health organization (WHO), MSG report by, 75
Y
Yeast extract, 34-35, 93
Z
Zantac, 59
Zoloft, 59