Page 16 - Spring 2019 Journal

The modern food culture in Viet- nam is not perfect. Vietnamese people consume some soft drinks, MSG, vegetable oil, and other processed foods. I doubt that their animals are entirely grass-fed. KFC, Burger King, and Starbucks are increasingly present. Grocery stores contain familiar rows of boxed and bagged products. However, I believe that the food habits of the Vietnamese still contain strong ties to tradition. These ties provide protection against disease.
In Vietnam, I observed almost no obesity, and the elderly were healthy and active. Ha’s large family was filled with happy, curious and well-adjusted people of all ages, who welcomed me with open arms. I believe that the health and happiness of the Vietnamese, who thrive despite the obvious hardships of the past, is due partly to their daily con- sumption of bone broth, organ meats, and other unprocessed foods. I hope that they do not eat such foods blindly but with an appreciation for their food tradition and for the health that it pro- vides. Without such an appreciation, I fear that their tradition will erode with predictable health consequences.
Patrick Crawford Prince Frederick, Maryland
TRUTH-IN-LABELING CAMPAIGN Should you be concerned about MSG added to the food you and your
family eat?
Our nonprofit Truth-in-Labeling
Campaign website blows the lid off FDA and industry assurances that MSG added to food is safe. Unfortunately, our kids are at the biggest risk of suf- fering lifelong damage.
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Letters
There really is no controversy. MSG is a toxic substance that puts everyday consumers at risk for a wide variety of health problems ranging from headaches, anxiety and depression to
heart-rhythm ailments and brain dam- age. Even more frightening, it puts the very young in jeopardy of lifelong con- ditions such as reproductive disorders and gross obesity.
MSG added to children’s food is an excitotoxic endocrine disruptor, meaning it has the power to disrupt how hormones work to coordinate the proper growth and functioning of a child’s body.
TLC’s new website, truthinlabel- ing.org, reflects decades of scientific re- search, personal experience and inves- tigation into the effects of monosodium glutamate, exposing the truths about this commonly used additive. Further, it reveals the “Six Big Fat Lies” used as propaganda by the glutamate industry.
You’ll also learn how the Food and Drug Administration has long turned a blind eye to the ongoing efforts to
keep manufactured free glutamic acid (found in such ingredients as autolyzed yeast, glutamic acid, hydrolyzed pea protein, maltodextrin, and monoso- dium glutamate) unlabeled, practically unregulated and unrestricted in foods, drugs and supplements.
Once you realize how our food supply has been compromised to allow a known brain toxin to be liberally used in processed foods, food products de- signed for invalids and infant formulas, you’ll never be able to shop the same way again.
The Truth in Labeling Campaign was founded in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing the full and clear labeling of processed foods. Over the years, the group’s ac- tivities have included visits with poli- ticians and scientists, attending food industry meetings and giving testimony before the FDA. In 1995, TLC filed a lawsuit against the FDA.
The website also offers visitors a free download of the book, It Wasn’t Alzheimer’s, It Was MSG.
All of the information presented at the TLC website is thoroughly refer- enced with reams of supporting data to help the public make informed choices. The website offers tips on how to avoid hidden MSG in food, as well as ways to advise others about the insidious dangers of this unlabeled additive.
Adrienne Samuels, PhD Chicago, Illinois
Wise Traditions
SPRING 2019
Gifts and bequests to the Weston A. Price Foundation will help ensure
the gift of good health
to future generations.