How your body responds to MSG will shock you!

Most people know that Monosodium Glutamate is associated with a host of health problems, but thier avoidance only extends as far as Chinese food. What many fail to realize is that MSG is found in virtually every processed food. It gives "food products" that would otherwise taste like cardboard, a savory, highly addictive flavor profile, leaving you wanting more.Did you know that it is also a serious contributor to weight gain?This "natural flavoring" is injected into rats to cause weight gain before new diet pills are tested. Scientists have shown that MSG has the ability to increase the appetite of rats by up to 40%. It has also been shown to triple the amount on insulin secreted by the pancreas. This is a hormone which can cause weight gain, especially around the abdomen if overproduced. An increase in insulin is often attributed to carbohydrate/grain/gluten consumption, especially by those making profit off retirictive diet programs. But the real insulin increasing villain is MSG! Not necessarily carbohydrate-rich foods.MSG also effects the hypothalamus leading to leptin resistance! Another hormone, that when resisted causes an increase in appetite and weight gain.You can track your calories everyday, which I do not recommend doing, but if MSG is present in your food you have a low chance of losing any weight.My MSG mistakeThis summer, when I first moved to England I was introduced to marmite. This delicious substance quickly became my seasoning of choice. Sandwiches, toast, heck I would even put it on salads. Do you know what happened that summer? Despite being on my feet from 9-5, eating a healthy diet, and surfing daily, I gained about 8 pounds. I didn't realize it at the time, but Marmite is essentially MSG in a bottle. Just once serving is extremely high in glutamate. I didn't perform a double blind study so I don't have proof but I'm quite confident that the random weight gain was from the incorporation of marmite in my meals.Be careful when checking food labels to ensure no MSG is present. This can be tricky, as monosodium glutamate is hidden under many other names such as:

• Yeast extract
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• natural flavors
• Textured protein
• Calcium Casinate

Of course, if you don't recognize an ingredient, don't eat it, and when in doubt avoid these foods that usually contain MSG:• Fast Food• Soups, boullion, stocks, marmite• Vegetarian meat product• Chips/ crisps/ crackers• Pre-made dressings and sauces• Processed cheese and meats• Kraft/Nabisco productsI hope this information spurs you to have low, MSG diet rather than following another "healthy" low-macronutrient diet!Have you had any bad MSG experiences? Do you go out of your way to avoid it?