MSG and Asthma

We are eagerly awaiting our newest addition to the family with about 6 weeks left to go! Mr C has continued doing well in school, but his asthma has suddenly taken a turn for the worst. I tried to eliminate the last medication, which is a corticosteroid and it turned into daily use of albuterol and all previously used medications to help with symptoms.

He also caught a terrible cold with an ear infection, so we are slowly trying to regain his health. I guess as you are trying to heal the body there can be ups and downs as the body adjusts. However, I am determined to figure out the solution to this as I find it difficult to believe that he should have to be on multiple medications, including steroids and albuterol (what I also refer to as liquid speed) for an extended period of time.

My latest research has been regarding MSG or monosodium glutamate. This is actually known to provoke and cause asthma symptoms among many other health problems including symptoms of ADHD, sensory challenges, and Alzheimer’s disease. It is an “excitotoxin” or neurotoxin that leading neuroscientists say has degenerative and deadly effects on the brain and nervous system.

The worst part is that it has almost 30 different names and after reading the labels of what we generally eat, it’s in everything! Even meat that we were buying has ingredients that are considered to be MSG and products that say no MSG are not necessarily MSG free.

Research shows that in the 1950’s the average person in America consumed about 12 g of MSG each year. Now, it is estimated to be around 400-500g per person/per year. How could this not be affecting our health? Could this be the missing link to the latest health epidemics? For more information check out the following brochure on MSG.