Autism Vox

Sure, Let’s Blame MSG Too!

by Kristina Chew, PhD on July 5th, 2007

Add MSG—monosodium glutamate, the sodium salt made by fermenting corn, potatoes, rice, and sugar cane and adding “flavor” to the food of many a Chinese restaurant—to the list of possible causes for autism. From the July 5th Straight.com:

Assuming you’re not one of the few dinosaurs to resist having an e-mail address, chances are good you’ve received one of the latest chain messages to sweep the continent. Its subject line is “MSG… You need to know this!” and within it is a ton of disturbing information about monosodium glutamate. To some, the flavour enhancer is as harmless as pepper, but to others it’s a nasty substance that’s making people sick.

Much of the content in the mass e-mail is drawn from The Slow Poisoning of America, a 2003 book written by John E. Erb and Michelle Erb. Among the ailments associated with MSG, the pair claims, are Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, autism, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and schizophrenia. The two also argue that monosodium glutamate is the seasoning of choice of so many fast-food restaurants because it is addictive. Since it makes people want to eat more, MSG is a key factor contributing to North America’s obesity epidemic, they write. The food manufacturers that produce MSG, on the other hand, argue that the substance makes food tastier and is scientifically proven to be safe.

“Chinese-restaurant syndrome” was first described in 1968: “Symptoms included headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, facial pressure, tightness of the jaw, burning or tingling sensations over parts of the body, chest pain, and back pain.” Now rather known as “MSG-symptom complex,” you won’t be safe from it just by not ordering out for Chicken Kung Pao. MSG is also found in “countless canned soups and vegetables, crackers, cookies, potato chips, salad dressings, condiments, frozen meals, processed meats, infant formulas, and more,” and is also present (but unlabelled) in such ingredients as these: “autolyzed yeast, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate [sic], textured protein, and hydrolyzed protein.”

I don’t mean to make light of the effects of MSG as I have a bad reaction to the stuff myself, and prefer to stay away from Chinese restaurants, and to make my own stir-fry. Nonetheless, so many inventions (TV, electromagnetic radiation, ultrasounds) and hazards (pollution, PCBs) of the contemporary world have been identified as possible causes of autism that one sometimes wonders what will not be blamed (well, not parents, or not anymore).

Both autolyzed yeast extract and monosodium glutamate being ingredients in Chicken McNuggets and other McDonalds chicken items, you might ponder at what point they get added into mix in this tour of a McDonalds factory. If that seems like a turn-off, here’s a way to make burger- and bun-less burger bites with various packaged items…….. but be sure to read the labels first.

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POSTED IN: Cause, China, Food and Diet