MSG & Sweetener – What have they got in common that cause brain damage?

The answer is EXCITOTOXINS; glutamate in MSG and aspartame in artificial sweeteners. Excessive excitotoxins overstimulate neurons (brain cells) to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees. MSG works synergistically with aspartame to create even more damage to brain cells.

Avoid them at all cost! Read on to find out why. You will be shocked at what you are about to read.

Table of Contents

So what is MSG?

It stands for Monosodium Glutamate, the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids.

Monosodium Glutamate

Where can I find MSG?

Low levels of MSG are found naturally in many foods such as broccoli, tomatoes, spinach and grapes. It is commonly used as flavour enhancer in Chinese foods, snack foods, chips, savoury foods, sauces, packet soups, packaged meals and preserved meats.

How can I tell whether certain food has glutamate?

Look for these numbers or names on food labelling

621 – Monosodium L-glutamate (MSG)
622 – Monopotassium L-glutamate
623 – Calcium glutamate
624 – Monoammonium L-glutamate
625 – Magnesium glutamate

Watch out for other non-regulated, hidden sources of MSG such as hydrolysed vegetable or plant protein, plant protein extract, yeast extract, flavourings and seasonings. For a comprehensive list, click here

ASPARTAME – what is it?

It is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener composed of three ingredients; two amino acids (aspartic acid and phenylalanine) and a methyl ester bond.

Aspartame in Soft Drinks

Where can I find aspartame?

It has been marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It is not only commonly found in ‘diet’ sugar-free and low-sugar foods and soft drinks but also in mainstream foods such as snacks, desserts, cordials, juices, yoghurts and chewing gum.

What do I look for on food labels?

951 – Aspartame
962 – Aspartame Acesulphame salt

What can excitotoxins do to your health?

Normal levels play an important role in allowing brain cells to communicate with each other.

Some people who had ingested MSG reported symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, cold sweats, irritability and heart palpitations. It may also provoke an asthmatic attack.

After ingestion of Aspartame, some have reported symptoms such as migraines, headaches, dizziness, mood swings, visual disturbance, nausea, diarrhoea, sleep disorders, memory loss, heart palpitations and convulsions.

Excessive levels of excitotoxins will kill brain cells and have been linked to brain tumours, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease; learning disorders and behavioural problems such as hyperactivity.

The blood-brain barrier cannot protect you 100% from these toxins because it does not fully protect all areas of the brain and is damaged by numerous acute and chronic illnesses.

Foetuses, infants and young children are particularly vulnerable because the blood-brain barrier is not fully developed during childhood.

A large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain have to be killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed.

According to Dr Russell Blaylock, a retired neurosurgeon and the author of ‘Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills’,

“Excitotoxins have been found to dramatically promote cancer growth and metastasis. In fact, one aspartame researcher noticed that, when cancer cells were exposed to aspartame, they became more mobile and you see the same effect with MSG. It also causes a cancer cell to become more mobile, and that enhances metastasis, or spread. When you increase the glutamate level, cancer just grows like wildfire….”

In his book, Dr Blaylock cited over five hundred scientific studies and detailed exactly how these toxins affect the brain and ultimately cause death to brain cells. This is a must read!!!