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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Jan 21 2008 at 11:53am | IP Logged
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So I'm trying to have us eat a little healthier around here, and I'm starting to cook more from scratch (mainly due to budget reasons). I decided for no scientific reason to try to cut MSG out of our diet as much as possible. I don't know why I chose MSG compared to dyes, hydrogenated oils, and nitrates, but I did. I think it's because I'm pregnant and the "pregnancy police" would always hound me about MSG whenever I would order Chinese food during my first pregnancy.
I've been trying to find more information about the safety of and concerns about MSG, but most of what I find doesn't seem very conclusively against using MSG. I've seen a possible connection to increased glaucoma. And I've also seen it being connected to obesity, which I can believe since it is in so much pre-packaged food.
I should note that I have never had a reaction to MSG as far as I know. Furthermore, I am not concerned about sodium intake, since most forms of sodium include much-needed iodine.
I just wanted to see what some of you more health conscience people out there thought about MSG. Good, bad, or not even on the radar?
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
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insegnante
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| Posted: Jan 21 2008 at 2:23pm | IP Logged
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Not good, just to err on the side of caution. I wasn't aware of enough evidence against it that I avoided it when it was helping me get my protein during this very food-averse pregnancy. But I'm happy to be avoiding it again along with everything else in the Chef Boyardee or super-salty soups I was having for a while. Here is someone answering a safety question about MSG in pregnancy mentioning a study that showed damage to brain development in mice that has not been replicated in humans (I don't know if that's because no one has tried): http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/psafe/0,,45df,00.htm l The main reason the writer gives to avoid it is it's just a salty additive (less sodium than table salt) with no real value.
I know you didn't ask, but I am aware of more specific evidence against nitrates/nitrites within or outside of pregnancy. They can turn into a carcinogen called nitrosamines. This is off the top of my head, just trying to give you enough info to Google, but I believe kids who ate twelve hot dogs per month with the stuff had a higher rate of some kind of cancer, and in at least one study, children of mother who ate meat with nitr*tes during pregnancy(not sure how much) developed more pediatric brain tumors -- BUT I think one or more other studies may not have found the same result.
So I do my very best to avoid nitr*tes, but I actually gave in and asked my husband to buy just one package of bologna -- I had read that certain things like orange juice taken at the same time could prevent the formation of nitrosamines, so just for a few sandwiches I would eat the bologna, and drink OJ with it. But, just after the bologna had run out, I read this, which I can barely claim to understand with my level of brainpower lately, but it makes me extra determined just to avoid the nitr*tes altogether (especially during pregnancy) as after reading this it seems that Vitamin C might in some cases not only fail to help, but actually hurt?
Hope this made sense -- sorry most of it is not what you were asking about, but these subjects are so much on my mind lately as I try to find something to eat and it was just last night I happened to be doing my nitr*te "research" 
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Theresa
mommy to three boys, 3/02, 8/04, and 9/10, and a girl, 8/08
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Jenny
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| Posted: Jan 21 2008 at 9:11pm | IP Logged
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I avoid it b/c I seem to be sensitive to it. It makes my body feel restless and my mind gets jumpy, but not all the time. I don't know if it has to be in a certain concentration or what?
If I remember correctly, in Nourishing Traditions it said it was a neurotoxin?
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Jenny
Chris' wife and momma of 7. My blog: The Littlest Way--Bible Journaling, Inspiring Bible Quotes, Daily Affirmations, Prayer Journaling & photography
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Lori B
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| Posted: Jan 21 2008 at 9:56pm | IP Logged
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We avoid MSG on doctor's orders. Both myself and my son have asthma, and MSG can be a trigger. Also, MSG is only added to food that is low-quality to try and trick your tastebuds into thinking it tastes better than it does, so avoiding MSG has the added benefit of avoiding inferior food (that often has low nutritional value).
Actually, we avoid *all* chemical food additives, and we are all much healthier as a result. My ADHD son has far fewer issues, and my autistic daughter "woke up" almost overnight- it's scary thinking what those chemicals must have been doing to their developing brains. 
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 22 2008 at 8:43am | IP Logged
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Well, MSG can be called many things besides MSG, and I'm pretty sure that if you cut it out of your diet, you will probably cut out most processed foods and subsequently, the hfcs and trans-fats to boot.
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/
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Lindsay
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: MSG?
