Hold the MSG: Food Triggers for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Illnesses

Last week, 60 Minutes reported on David and Susan Axelrod's search for a cure for epilepsy prompted by their two decade plus experience of the ailment, which their adult daughter has suffered since infancy. But while Katie Couric admiringly covered the researchers seeking to find "the Cure," ie. new anti-convulsive drugs, once again proactive, preventive health care strategies that might help to reduce incidence of epileptic attacks were overlooked.

How ironic it is that in the midst of the health care reform debate, Axelrod, a key Obama aide, is so poorly informed about integrative strategies that could help his own daughter.

For neurological illnesses, including Parkinson's Disease, epilepsy, and others, a body of scientific research demonstrates that certain food additives, singly and in combination with each other, contribute to excessive nerve cell firing; and thus, may be a possible trigger for epileptic attacks and other neurological incidents. In keeping with that, limiting or altogether avoiding these ingredients is a strategy that some integrative physicians recommend, though many who could benefit are unaware of the dangers these common food additives pose.

Because of their activity--stimulating nerve cells to rapidly fire and burn out, ultimately resulting in nerve cell death, the food additives are considered to be "excitotoxins." While some naturally occur in the body, people who consume processed foods are exposed to a much greater amount than ever before since industrial food scientists regularly add them to processed foods to enhance the food's flavor. The most widely used food ingredients that have excitotoxic activity are monosodium glutamate, aspartame, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and other additives that stimulate the taste buds and mask the flavor of many processed foods, Fresh, natural foods don't require this form of flavor enhancement. The artificial sweetener, aspartame, marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, and under several other brand names, is one of most widely consumed of the food additives with excitotoxic activity.

Nearly all food items sold in convenience stores are full of them, as are many processed, or packaged foods. If you read labels, you will discover that they are listed under many different names; and flavorings such as those in soups, soup mixes, and even many spices will often contain them as well.

With the increase in incidence of neurological illness, including Alzheimer's Disease, a basic proactive health strategy that many integrative practitioners recommend is to limit intake of these food ingredients. More information on excitotoxins can be found in Russell Blaylockm MD's book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills. Food Additives: A Shopper's Guide To What's Safe & What's Not by Christine Farlow is a shopper's guide to ingredient names.

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Comments

[ElaineILDS]

In response to your post, aspartame is NOT an excitotoxin. The faulty premise behind this allegation is that consuming large amounts of aspartame causes aspartic acid (one of the amino acids that makes up aspartame) to reach high levels in the blood. Critics claim that these high levels of aspartic acid circulate to the brain and kill nerve cells by over-stimulating them. Carefully conducted scientific research with aspartame, however, shows that this is not possible. Consuming extremely high levels of aspartame, even over a long period of time, does not result in high blood levels of aspartic acid. Since joining the Calorie Control Council - a non-profit trade association that represents the light food and beverage industry - I've spent a lot of time researching low-calorie sweeteners and fat replacers. Despite the online claims of many critics, the safety of aspartame is documented by one of the most extensive and thorough safety testing programs ever conducted on a food additive. Hundreds of studies of humans and animals, conducted across a broad range of areas, clearly indicate that aspartame does not cause any adverse health effects. For more information, visit www.aspartame.org, www.caloriecontrol.org and www.acsh.org/news/newsID.449/news_detail.asp.

[RMankovitz]

Great post.

Here is a link to a video by Russ Blaylock on excitotoxins:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2141666279271222294#docid=-2384105525501310962

Roy Mankovitz, Director
http://www.MontecitoWellness.com

[pc51]

I cut out MSG, artificial sweeteners and ALL gluten months ago - I felt 99% better almost immediately. If I slip up at all my symptoms come back. MSG gives me terrible headaches and numerous other weird symptoms. Gluton does pretty much as bad. Great unexpected side effect - about 5-10 pounds of ugly bloat has vanished!

[TakeSake]

What about dairy? Are you also lactose intolerant?

[pc51]

I don't seem to have a problem with skim/lo-fat milk products. Years ago when I first started with the headaches, digestive stuff, foggy fatique and numerous other problems a number of people thought that it was lactose, but eliminating it made no difference. The real difference started with MSG and all artificial sweeteners. Oh, and I have really cut down on sugar of all kinds (except fruit) and salt as well. Headaches immediately went from like an 8 or 9 on the scale to maybe a 3 or 4. The biggest change was eliminating gulten (something you have to be conscious of every meal!) - headaches at a level of 1 or maybe 2 barely once in a month now- soreness and fatique in the am - GONE! Palpatations, gone. Massive unperdictable digestive activity- 95% better. Energy way up. Ugly uncomfortable bloat vastly relieved (false fat?) The list goes on and on.

[rmforall]

It's great seeing so many honest, goodhearted, reasonable, intelligent posts about toxins.

A lot of suffering is from the body's natural, rapid conversion of small amounts of methanol (wood alcohol) into the potent toxins, formaldehyde and thence to formic acid. Formaldehyde is in many products, ranging from wood and tobacco smoke to furniture and plywood to cleansers to mobile homes.

There's about the same amount of methanol in most wines and all aspartame drinks -- the major cause of "morning after the night before" hangover headaches.

The cheap, safe vitamin folic acid helps most people handle methanol and formaldehyde safely -- thus protecting the fetus in a mother's womb from birth defects.

To read my detailed reviews of mainstream science on these toxins the last ten years, Google "AspartameNM, Rich Murray" -- Yes we will... Win this one...

[Alison Rose Levy - Huffpost Blogger]

A 2005 study published in Toxicological Sciences studied synergistic reactions among common food additives, noting a synergistic increase in neurological reactions when Yellow Food Dye (not sure if it's Yellow # 5 mentioned below) is combined with aspartame.

"The list of non-nutritional additives in foods is extensive, and ... for many of the commercial
products analyzed, more than one additive was detected.. " the authors noted. "Humans are not
only exposed to.. simple mixtures, but also to complex mixtures of chemicals rather than to individual chemicals, yet (chemicals) continue to be tested for toxicity in isolation from each other."

Given the state of science noted by these toxicologists, namely that research has not yet studied combination effects, my question is:

When people report that their symptoms are relieved or mitigated by eliminating certain additives, why should their painstaking discoveries be disrespected by those of us not troubled by their symptoms?

Should they suffer these symptoms until the rest of us can be satisfied by scientific research that has yet to be undertaken? Or is it acceptable for people to find what works for them even if it doesn't work for everyone else?

Commenters report that they have conducted pragmatic, empirical -- and apparently successful mini-experiments (via dietary elimination methods advised for allergies and intolerances) to find symptom relief.

Thanks your courage and persistence.

Alison

Get the free Health Outlook at www.health-journalist.com

[mofmars333]

Oh for the days when we didn't have to worry about additives in our food.

In grade school we had a teacher before her time who taught us to look for such items in our food as mono sodium glutamate & told us to throw them out.

Some additives may be harmless but many aren't & it's criminal the way it's been condoned to the point of harm it's become.

To that toxic mix add too many vaccinations & here we are a nation full of diseased & chronically ill adults who go to early graves & a growing number of injured & dying children, both of which grew right in step with rise in the many toxins, especially vaccinations.

The Obama Administration is listening to "US" concerning vaccines & other toxins those we trusted with our well being let loose on "US"

Make your voice heard by adding it to the many others for one so loud, it can't be ignored.

No matter which side of this issue you stand on concerning vaccinations, our children are too important not to address this matter.

See this most revealing & eye opening information at this most important article in the comment section;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/24/obama-declares-swine-flu_n_332617.html

Read & learn more at;

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&

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/autistic-artist-draws-man_n_335817.html?show_comment_id=33521756#comment_33521756

Read more at:

[Sheldon101]

Levy:
A 2005 study...Yellow Food Dye (not sure if it's Yellow # 5 mentioned below) is combined with aspartame.

sheldon101: The article says Yellow 13, which is banned in some countries.

Levy: When people report that their symptoms are relieved or mitigated by eliminating certain additives, why should their painstaking discoveries be disrespected by those of us not troubled by their symptoms?

Sheldon101:
I agree. If I had a kid with a disorder, I'd want a rational specialist with knowledge of diet research. I hope I'd end up yelling at school staff because I want to try diet before drugs.

I'll give any diet a try as long as it was safe, something the kid would tolerate and consisted of real food. If I didn't stop artificial sweeteners, I'd switch to Splenda. I'd look at food additives and colors and stop using anything whether "artficial" or "natural" that looked dodgy. Why? It might work, for good reason, or just by coincidence --- since it isn't expensive and won't harm the kid, I don't care why.

Eventually, if enough parents or doctors say it works, researchers will try and validate it. If the results look good, even before a true RCT, specialists will start using it. After all, unlike alternative medicine practitioners, whether it is diet or drug, they don't make more money.

Parents should pressure on government to fund diet studies.

[mbaty]

Did you know some vaccines contain MSG as a "stabalizer?" It's right there on the CDC website.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm
I wonder what happens when you mix it with mercury and aluminium and some type of virus grown in a chicken egg. Should be perfectly safe, right? We should inject our children with dozens of these shots.

[Omegaomni]

I would people to check this book out "The Taste that kills" on MSG and excito toxins http://www.amazon.com/Excitotoxins-Taste-Russell-L-Blaylock/dp/0929173252/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256678698&sr=8-1

[juliaschopick]

Alison:

Thanks for your response to my comment about the Ketogenic Diet. I bemoaned the fact that, although the Axelrods knew about the diet, they didn’t mention it on “60 Minutes” or in the “Newsweek” article where they were quoted. You wrote that the Ketogenic Diet is “essentially the ultimate low carb diet, in that nutrition comes from protein and fats--thus moving the body from glucose burning to fat burning,” adding “it's helpful for some, but not for everybody. And research is still underway.”

I’d like to point out that the Ketogenic Diet was more widely used for pediatric epilepsy before the advent of anticonvulsive drugs in the 1940s. Once these drugs arrived, doctors preferred them over the diet.

Jim Abrahams (www.CharlieFoundation.org) has compiled several studies, going back to the 1920s, and published in prestigious journals (“JAMA ,” “Journal of Pediatrics,” “Journal of Child Neurology,” etc.) which attest to the efficacy of the diet. (See http://honestmedicine.typepad.com/Ketogenic%20Diet%20Studies-Part%201-1920s%20to%201950s.pdf, and http://honestmedicine.typepad.com/Ketogenic%20Diet%20Studies-Part2-1960s-1990s.pdf, which contain several of these studies.) In May, 2008, results were published in “Lancet Neurology” of a randomized trial conducted by Helen Cross in England. Again, the results proved positive.

The studies have been done. So many more children could be helped by the diet, if only those who have a public platform – like the Axelrods – would tell people about it.

Julia Schopick
www.HonestMedicine.com

[Kim Stagliano - Huffpost Blogger]

Yes, they did drop diet for drugs. Perhaps because Land O Lakes doesn't offer a cruise to the islands for recommending butter? I know many folks for whom the diet really helped. Then those same neuros will bash a parent for wanting to try GFCF for behaviors. Go figure.

[insideoutgraphics]

I've no argument with what you've stated , however keep in mind that seizures is a very personal disorder. What leads one to to mention a particular treatment over another is perhaps their experience. If an individual is confronted w/ particular symp's at a given, yes diet is a major potential treatment.(KD) However,I can see where they may not have mentioned one treatment over another. Age, sz. type , allergies etc.. Or explored or mentioned one tx over another. It's all relative to one's experience, but the main point is , Research. They're advocating Research, as well as bringing it to mainstream media.Breaking down barrier's and increasing funding, a slow process sometimes.:-) Rule number one, Get your foot through the damn door then you break it down into particulars, in terms of treatment option, triggers,specific epilepsie's and syndromes etc . Just my opinion.

[FrTown]

KFC's 11th "secret" ingredient is MSG.

[iBlog4Fun]

you had a copy made?

[jennifer s]

MSG appears in so many processed foods, and so many foods marketed to children. Doritos, many foods at chain/fast food restaurants (like KFC--Oprah touted the "healthy" grilled chicken, but it's loaded with MSG, among other troubling ingredients). Avoiding junk foods is the answer, but getting people to understand just how damaging these foods are is not so easy, especially since these foods are marketed to us constantly.
-Jennifer Schonborn, Holistic Nutrition Counselor
http://www.jenniferschonborn.com

[insideoutgraphics]

I agree that for many, food additives, chemicals etc, may be a trigger. or at least lower one's threahold. However, not all epilepsies are the same. Not all seizures are the same and not all people with a sz.d. have the same triggers. Not all people w/ sz's experiance photosentivity,yet some sz.d.'s can be triggered by a hot shower, tooth brushing,music etc. I think food addivtives is only part of the equation and not a panacea. No more than a single AED will reduce all seizures.Epilepsy is a multifaceted disorder and requires a multifacted approach. But we ought not attempt to make generalizations because epilepsy sydromes, seizures and pathologies differ greatly. Abn.neuro firing differs amongst particular sz.'s/type­s/syndrome­s , re: cylcles per sec. However, the many types , varieties and syndromes, do share one thing, electrical misfires, but the initial insult to the brain that causes the disorder may vary from person to person.In other's , the cause is unknown.I've got retractable multifocal sz.d. . Not all meds work, I am not photosensitive to strobe lights and I've never had a sz. as a direct result from the ingestion of msg.(I don't eat it for other reasons) Which does not mean it can't be a trigger for some. Epelepsy is a multifacted disorder which requires a mulitfacted approach.Just an eppies 2 cents worth:-)

[insideoutgraphics]

Sorry for the typos,mis-­spellings, etc.. Intractabel-not retractable. OK my meds have not fully kicked in yet:-) BTW.One of my triggers is eye movement...and I'm an artist. It still has not curbed my desire to be creative. Besides, some types of sz.'s for me, actually help me to produce my art. I hope that made sense.
http://members.tripod.com/inside_out_graphics/id1.html
http://members.tripod.com/inside_out_graphics/id10.html

[Alison Rose Levy - Huffpost Blogger]

Many thanks for pointing this out.

I think there is tremendous confusion about all of this due to biochemical individuality-- the reality that due to a complex of factors, influences, and exposures, we are each unique, our health state is individual, and our path to health recovery must therefore also be individualized.

For more in this, please see my earlier blog on this topic here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-rose-levy/a-guide-for-the-perplexed_b_327242.html

You can sign up for my free ezine, the Health Outlook at www.health-journalist.com

[klbrz]

Thank you for this. We have been dealing with food sensitivities for now 3 generations in my family (hmmm....roughly correlates to the prepackaged and fast food boom decades ago). In the 70s my parents figured out we should just steer clear of that stuff as much as possible (and actually, we normally did anyway because it was more expensive than eating real food).

I think all this stuff affects children's behavior, especially, not necessarily turning into epilepsy, but ADHD, depression, even some of the bigger ones like oppositional defiant disorder. I see problems people are having with their children that I did not witness when I was in school. And I am convinced much has to do with the very different diet children have these days (certainly other issues as well, maybe pollution, violence in the media).

And what a perfect name for these things - "excitotoxins."

[Danchi]

Part 4.
Good information at the following websites: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/21/MSG-Is-This-Silent-Killer-Lurking-in-Your-Kitchen-Cabinets.aspx
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Dang.html
http://www.msgmyth.com/
http://www.msgtruth.org/

[Danchi]

Part 3.
I am very cautious of what I eat . I always ask about MSG when eating out, read labels and when at gathering & parties I just stick to veggies & fruit with not dipping sauces. With every migraine I have a new symptom. The last time I experienced one in Atlanta, last year, I arrived in emergency room with the symptoms I mentioned before plus diarrhea, very low blood pressure and they I was so cold they couldn't get a body temp. The first thing they did was wrap me in warm blankets before they put the IV in and it was 97 degrees outside. The emergency Dr. said he thought I was reacting to a toxin of some sort. Some Drs. call MSG an excitotoxin. An excitotoxin is any substance that overexcites cells to the point of damage -- it acts as a toxin.

Those who have never experienced an MSG triggered headache will never understand the pain and anxiety one experiences. How much MSG does one have to ingest varies from person to person to trigger a reaction but I know what the signs are that trigger mine and I can usual head off a bad reaction by taking taurine, magnesium, vitamin B6 & Ibuprofen. I carry a remedy pack at all times and have used it because I find most restaurants managers don't know what's in the food they are serving. It's nothing to make light of. People have died because they go into

[TakeSake]

Don't you just love being the subject of your own experiments? I went through my own series of self-imposed tests a few years ago to figure out that I'm intolerant to wheat and dairy. MSG is on my list too, along with Nutra(sic)Sweet.

[Danchi]

Part 2.
I woke up around 5am and was asked a lot of questions about what was I doing when the headache started (sleeping), had I'd been cleaning, new perfume, pets etc. The only thing different that day was we'd gone out to dinner. It was a restaurant we'd gone to before but they had "Upgraded" the food bar and grill with new sauces, spices etc. I knew I was sensitive to MSG in Chinese food, which is why I order without but wasn't tuned into it in other foods. My personal Dr. said I needed to pay attention to what I was eating because in light of this headache. Over the last 7 years I now know my Migraines are triggered by MSG. This diagnosis comes from my Dr. and a lot of research after experiencing many more headaches of this nature-especially on vacations when you're eating out in restaurants. I've spent time in emergency rooms at several of the top vacation spots in America :)