MSG
MSG
Maybe the reason you can't lose weight is because of a controversial ingredient in your food called monosodium glutumate (MSG). Initially made from seaweed and used as a flavor enhancer, MSG has become widely used in food preparation. The problem is, MSG makes you hungrier than you might otherwise be.
MSG directly stimulates the pancreas to over-produce insulin. This in turn lowers blood sugar which makes you hungry and tired. Insulin then begins to store that sugar as fat. And so now because your blood sugar is low, you want to eat again. Thus, it becomes a vicious cycle. There is no doubt in my mind that this is why you gain weight and crave food.
Not only has MSG been shown to increase hunger, but it also damages the gland which controls hunger--the hypothalmus. MSG is also considered a excito-toxin. This means that it excites and destroys neurons (brain and nerve cells). Before the widespread use of MSG,
Type II diabetes(adult onset diabetes) and obesity in children was almost unheard of. And numerous research studies show that MSG may be the cause of both obesity and Type II diabetesIn laboratory studies, MSG increased the apetite of mice by as much as 40%. Amazing, isn't it? I don't know if you saw the movie Supersize me, but in that movie the central character gains 25 pounds in one month. He does so by eating McDonald's fast food. Many of McDonald's products are high in MSG. In fact, I contend that the reason restaurants and food manufacturers use MSG is to enhance the flavor of food and to cause an addiction to it. What other reasons would this known excito-toxin be used in food except for greed and profit. Studies show that people who eat food spiced with MSG eat more and become almost ravenous when it comes to eating.
What is the answer?
The answer is to try to avoid MSG like the plague. If you are eating fast food, there is a very high probability that you are getting high doses of MSG. And one of the big problems is that MSG has many different names that it hides under when it comes to food labels. Here is just a small sampling of the names used for MSG: hydolyzed protein, natural flavors, Monopotassium glutamate, autolyzed protein, textured protein, yeast extract, yeast food, glumate, calcium caseinate, gelatin, sodium caseinate, vegetable protein extract. This list is not exhaustive but you get the idea.
For a more comprehensive list follow this link.The second thing you can do to reduce or eliminate your exposure to MSG is to prepare your own meals using only the spices that you put in. Stay away from processed condiments like mayo, ketchup, sauces, as they typically contain MSG. You can get healthy condiments at health food stores. They cost a little more but are worth it in the long run.
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