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for developing one of these diseases would never develop a full- blown disorder if not for their exposure to high levels of food- borne excitotoxin additives. Some might only have had a very mild form of the disease, if not for the exposure. Likewise, food- borne excitotoxins may be harmful to those suffering from strokes, head injury and HIV infection, and certainly should not be used in a hospital setting. for developing one of these diseases would never develop a full- mate is the most important neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus.* blown disorder if not for their exposure to high levels of food- Later studies indicated that the damage by monosodium glutamate borne excitotoxin additives. Some might only have had a very was much more widespread, affecting the hippocampus, circum- mild form of the disease, if not for the exposure. Likewise, food- ventricular organs, locus ceruleus, amygdala, limbic system, sub- borne excitotoxins may be harmful to those suffering from thalamus and striatum.’ More recent molecular studies disclosed strokes, head injury and HIV infection, and certainly should not the mechanism of this destruction in some detail.’ be used in a hospital setting. Early on, it was observed that when neurons in vitro were exposed to glutamate and then washed clean, the cells appeared THE DISCOVERY OF EXCITOTOXINS perfectly normal for approximately an hour, at which time they In 1957, two opthalmology residents, Lucas and Newhouse, rapidly underwent cell death. It was discovered that when calci- were conducting an experiment on mice to study a particular eye um was removed from the medium, the cells continued to survive. disorder.* During the course of this experiment, they fed newborn Subsequent studies have shown that glutamate and other excita- mice MSG and discovered that all demonstrated widespread tory amino acids attach to a specialised family of receptors destruction of the inner nerve layer of the (NMDA, kainate, AMPA and metabotroph- retina. Similar destruction was also seen in . q ic) which in turn, either directly or indirectly, adult mice, but was not as severe as in the When excitotoxin taste- opens the calcium channel on the neuron cell newborns. The results of their experiment enhancers are added membrane, allowing calcium to flood into were published in the Archives of the cell. If unchecked, this calcium will trig- Opthalmology and soon forgotten. For 10 together, they become ger a cascade of reactions, including free years prior to this report, large amounts of i radical generation, eicosanoid production MSG were being added not only to adult much more toxic than and lipid peroxidation, which will destroy foods but also to baby foods, in doses equal if taken individually. the cell. With this calcium-triggered stimu- to those given to the experimental animals. lation, the neuron becomes very excited, fir- Then, in 1969, Dr John Olney, a neurosci- ing its impulses repetitively until the point of entist and neuropathologist working out of the Department of cell death, hence the name "excitotoxin". The activation of the Psychiatry at Washington University in St Louis, repeated Lucas calcium channel via the NMDA-type receptors also involves other and Newhouse's experiment.’ His lab assistant noticed that the membrane receptors such as the zinc, magnesium, phencyclidine newborn of MSG-exposed mice were grossly obese and short in _and glycine receptors. stature. Further examination also demonstrated hypoplastic In many disorders connected to excitotoxicity, the source of the organs, including pituitary, thyroid and adrenal, as well as repro- glutamate and aspartate is endogenous. We know that when brain ductive dysfunction. Physiologically, they demonstrated multiple cells are injured, they release large amounts of glutamate from endocrine deficiencies, including of TSH, growth hormone, LH, surrounding astrocytes, and this glutamate can further damage FSH and ACTH. When Dr Olney examined the animals’ brains, surrounding normal neuronal cells. This appears to be the case in he discovered discrete lesions of the arcuate nucleus as well as strokes, seizures and brain trauma. But, food-borne excitotoxins less severe destruction of other hypothalamic nuclei. can add significantly to this accumulation of toxins. Since this early observation, monosodium glutamate and other excitatory substances have become standard tools in studying the COUNTERING THE FDA'S SPIN ON MSG SAFETY function of the hypothalamus. Recent studies showed that gluta- In July 1995, the Federation of American Societies for De antel De wx (DACED\ « da together, they become much more toxic than excitatory substances have become standard tools i in studying the COUNTERING THE FDA'S SPIN ON MSG SAFETY function of the hypothalamus. Recent studies showed that gluta- In July 1995, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) conducted a definitive study for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the question of safety of MSG. The FDA wrote a very deceptive summa- ry of the report in which it implied that, except possibly for asthma patients, MSG was found to be safe by the FASEB reviewers. But, in fact, that is not what the report said at all. I summarised, in detail, my criticism of this tL, SRR rs widely reported FDA deception in the revised | (ne SEAR rea - paperback edition of my book, Excitotoxins: The Nets 2 . Taste That Kills, by analysing exactly what the : report said and failed to say.’ For example, it never said that MSG did not aggravate neurode- generative diseases. What it said was, there were no studies indicating such a link; specifically, that no one has conducted any studies, positive or neg- ative, to see if there is a link. A vital difference. Unfortunately for the consumer, the corporate food processors not only continue to add MSG to our foods but go to great lengths to disguise these harmful additives. For example, they use such names as "hydrolysed vegetable protein", "veg- etable protein", "textured protein", "hydrolysed plant protein", "soy protein extract", "caseinate", 34 - NEXUS JUNE — JULY 2000 enhancers are added if taken individually. ~ os tt