Since this is my second post about my husband and I poisoning each other, you might be thinking there is some kind of problem. There is, – but it’s not that we want to kill each other, at least not this weekend. It’s just that it’s not that hard to do. Here’s how it happened: I like protein for breakfast. Pretty substantial protein usually. It’s Sunday and I’m thinking, “…I guess he’s not brining me breakfast in bed.” Actually what I thought was, “It would be nice to grill something.” So I send him out on a manly mission to light up the grill. We have some lovely organic beef all thawed. I decide some asparagus and tomato would be good with that, maybe a little mozzarella and fresh basil… I remember that the last time we grilled, I used this Greek seasoning that a friend had recommended for salmon and it was luscious. As I am making the hamburger patties I start anticipating how delicious the meat is going to be, because wow, that salmon was really good… I mean, it was like it was etched into my brain how good it was. And then I thought, ‘That’s weird.’ I suddenly got this little ‘stop’. Reaching for the seasoning I start reading through the ingredients. Monosodium Glutamate was fourth on the list. No wonder my brain was all lit up. Note to self: What is dumber than dumb friend? Me. I pitched the bottle straight in the trash and confessed immediately.

There is a lot of conflicting information out there about MSG, and it has been around a long time, but in my opinion that does not make it safe or good. Depending on which studies you believe or who you trust, it can be considered everything from a possible allergen, to a chemical time bomb.

One thing we can say for sure is that it is something that does not occur in nature in that form, and there is a good bit of evidence that it has long term, as well as short-term perils. Dr Mercola calls it, “A widespread and silent killer that’s worse for your health than alcohol, nicotine and many drugs,” Even if it just “might be” true, that’s reason enough for me to avoid it, – if that is even possible! It really is everywhere, and when you are eating out unless you ask, you could be getting dosed unknowingly. The grilling incident was on Sunday, but just the day before, we were out investigating the wares on the mainland and stopped to get something to eat in a small Chinese restaurant. We both left feeling – not right. I had a headache and Ragnar The Explorer said he was feeing, “flushed.” I would like to think it was my cute outfit, but it might also have been that the food had MSG.

An article in How Stuff Works states that, “A double blind study found that MSG exposure caused muscle tightness, fatigue, numbness or tingling, and flushing [Source: Yang]. One study in mice concluded that injections of MSG produced obesity, inactivity and many other hormone fluctuations.”

I am not even going to comment on that hormone fluctuations thing.

So – This is one where the Runes will not help you. Whoever you choose to believe, remember it’s your life and health you are deciding for or against.

Wikipedia – Monosodium Glutamate

The Facts on Monosodium Glutamate

MSG: Is This Silent Killer Lurking in Your Kitchen Cabinets – Dr Mercola

The Dangers of Monosodium Glutamate

Mayo Clinic on MSG