Page 79 - Spring2008

food. He told us he was going to prepare an extensive article on MSG for REFERENCES
publication in one or more respected magazines and/or newspapers. How- 1. Chaudhari N, Landin AM, Roper SD. A metabotropic
glutamate receptor variant functions as a taste receptor.
ever, on the day before the meeting, the journalist called CSPI’s Michael Nat Neurosci. 2000 Feb; 3(2):113-9.
Jacobson for his thoughts about MSG, and Jacobson told the journalist that 2. www.truthinlabeling.org/l-manuscript.html
3.
Schainker B, Olney JW. Glutamate-type hypohalmic-pitu-
MSG was a non-issue and that he would be wasting his time by attending itary syndrome in mice treated with aspartate or cysteine
the meeting. He apparently stated it strongly since the reporter called me in infancy. J Neural Transm. 1974; 35(3):207-15.
that evening to cancel his coverage of the MSG issue. (After all that, we 4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/asia-pacifi c/1103450.stm.
5.
Scopp AL. MSG and hydrolyzed vegetable protein induced
found that the first speaker at the FASEB meeting, who spoke of the hazards headache: review and case studies. Headache, 1991, Feb;

of MSG, was a CSPI staff member.) 31(2): 1.
On another occasion when we believed that the FDA was moving 6. Millichap JG, Yee MM. The diet factor in pediatric and
adolescent migraine. Pediatr Neurol. 2003 Jan;28(1):9-15.
toward action on the MSG issue, a staff member of CSPI wrote to advise Review.
the FDA that more research on the subject needed to be done before any 7. www.truthinlabeling.org/obesityepidemic.html.
8.
Morrison JF, Shehab S, Sheen R, Dhanasekaran S, Shaffi -
action should be taken on the issue. Their letter totally ignored the fact that ullah M, Mensah-Brown E. Sensory and autonomic nerve
there are large numbers of peer-reviewed studies that have concluded that changes in the monosodium glutamate-treated rat: a model
of type II diabetes. Exp Physiol. 2008 Feb; 93(2):213-22.
MSG is dangerous while, at the same time, studies supporting the safety Epub 2007 Oct 2.
of MSG are industry-funded and flawed to the point of being worthless. 9. Allen DH, Delohery J, Baker G. Monosodium L-gluta-

It is of interest to note that all during this time, CSPI was champi- mate-induced asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol.1987 Oct;
80(4):530-7.
oning the use of lowfat and fat-free foods, foods that, with relatively few 10. Goldberg LH. Supraventricular tachyarrhythmia in asso-
exceptions, need some form of MSG to make them palatable. Also, CSPI ciation with the Chinese restaurant syndrome. Ann Emerg
Med. 1982 Jun; 11(6):333.
newsletters regularly promote foods that contain “hidden” forms of MSG 11. Gann D. Ventricular tachycardia in a patient with the
with no mention of its presence. “Chinese restaurant syndrome.”South Med J. 1977 Jul;
70(7):879-81.
Perhaps Jacobson will better understand the scope and severity of the 12. Gaby AR. Natural approaches to epilepsy. Altern Med Rev.
MSG issue if every MSG-sensitive person who subscribes to his newsletter 2007 Mar; 12(1):9-24. Review.
immediately cancels his or her subscription. 13. Feria-Velasco A, Feria-Cuevas Y, Gutiérrez-Padilla R.
Chronobiological variations in the convulsive effect of
monosodium L-glutamate when administered to adult rats.
Jack Samuels and his wife Adrienne are America’s leading anti-MSG ac- Arch Med Res. 1995;26 Spec No: S127-32.
tivists and founders of the Truth in Labeling campaign (truthinlabeling. 14. Reports to Truth in Labeling Campaign.
org). Jack will be a speaker on MSG’s effects on neurological function at
Wise Traditions 2008.

TAKING AFTER MOM: THE BUDDING ARTISTS OF THE FOREMAN FAMILY

The healthy, happy family of Amy Foreman
of Hannibal, Missouri, our cover artist
for 2008. Their runner-up entries are shown below,
by Louisa (age 12), Isaac (age 10) and Elaina (age 7).
The family enjoys fresh farm raw milk, kefir, and
yoghurt, pasture-raised eggs, kombucha and
homegrown vegetables and wheat.

SPRING 2008 Wise Traditions 79