Nexus - 0704 - New Times Magazine-pages

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"yeast extract" and "natural flavouring". We know experimental- A growing number of excitotoxins are being discovered, includ- ly that when these excitotoxin taste-enhancers are added together, ing several that are found naturally. For example, L-cysteine is a they become much more toxic than is seen individually."” In fact, very powerful excitotoxin. It is now added to certain bread excitotoxins in subtoxic concentrations can be fully toxic to spe- doughs and is sold in health food stores as a supplement. cialised brain cells when used in combination. Frequently on Homocysteine, a metabolic derivative, is also an excitotoxin.'* supermarket shelves I see processed foods, especially frozen or Interestingly, elevated blood levels of homocysteine were recently liet foods, that contain two, three or even four types of excitotox- shown to be a major, if not the major, indicator of cardiovascular ins. disease and stroke. Equally interesting is the finding that elevated We also know, as stated, that excitotoxins in liquid forms are levels of homocysteine are also implicated in neurodevelopmental much more toxic than solid forms because they are rapidly disorders, especially anencephaly and spinal dysraphism (neural absorbed and attain high concentration in the blood. This means tube defects).'° (It is thought that there is a protective mechanism that many of the commercial soups, sauces and gravies containing of action associated with the use of the prenatal vitamins B12, B6 MSG are very dangerous to nervous system health, and should and folate when used in combination.) It remains to be seen if the especially be avoided by those who have one of the above-men- toxic effect is excitatory or due to some other mechanism. If it is tioned disorders or who are at a high risk of developing one of excitatory, then unborn infants would be endangered as well by them. They should also be avoided by can- glutamate, aspartate (part of the aspartame cer patients and those at high risk for cancer, molecule) and the other excitotoxins. because of the associated generation of free Unfortunately for the Recently, several studies found that all radicals and lipid peroxidation." Alzheimer's patients examined had elevated In the case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis consumer, the corporate levels of homocysteine.”” (ALS), we know that consumption of red food processors not only One interesting study found that persons mean especily MS te-cancnt | gontinue to add MSG to feted y Alzheimers disse als tae much higher than seen in the normal popula- our foods but go to great glion cells.’ Interestingly, this is the area tion.” Similar studies, as far as Tam aware, lengths to disguise these found to be affected when Lucas and have not been conducted in patients with Newhouse discovered the excitotoxicity of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. But, as a harmful additives. MSG. While this does not prove that dietary general rule, I would certainly suggest that glutamate and other excitotoxins cause or persons with either of these diseases avoid For example aggravate Alzheimer's disease, it is powerful MSG-containing foods as well as red meats, U circumstantial evidence. When all of the they use such names as "hydrolysed vegetable protein", "vegetable protein", "textured protein", "hydrolysed plant protein", "soy protein extract’, “caseinate’, "yeast extract" and "natural flavouring’. cheeses and puréed tomatoes, all of which are known to have higher levels of glutamate. It must be remembered that it is the glutamate molecule that is toxic in monosodium glutamate. Glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid found in varying concentrations in many foods. Defenders of MSG safety allude to this fact in their defence. But, it is free glu- tamate that is the culprit. Bound gluta- mate, found naturally in foods, is less dangerous because it is slowly broken down and absorbed by the gut so that it oxidation products."” For example, the can be utilised by the tissues, especially brains of Alzheimer's disease patients muscle, before toxic concentrations can build up. Therefore, a have been found to contain high concentrations of lipid whole tomato is safer than a puréed tomato. The only exception peroxidation products and evidence of free radical accumulation to this as stated, based on present knowledge, is in the case of and damage.”.*!” information known concerning excita- tory food additives is analysed, it is hard to justify continued approval by the FDA for the widespread use of these additives. THE EFFECTS OF TOXIC FREE RADICALS It is interesting to note that many of the same neurological diseases associated with excitotoxic injury are also associated with accumulations of toxic free radicals and destructive lipid ALS. Also, the tomato plant contains several powerful antioxi- In the case of Parkinson's disease, we know that one of the early dants known to block glutamate toxicity." changes is the loss of one of the primary antioxidant defence sys- Hydrolysed vegetable protein is a common food additive and tems, glutathione, from the neurons of the striate system and espe- may contain at least two excitotoxins: glutamate and cysteic acid. cially in the substantia nigra.” It is this nucleus that is primarily Hydrolysed vegetable protein is made by a chemical process that affected in this disorder. Accompanying this, is an accumulation breaks down the vegetable's protein structure purposefully to free of free iron, which is one of the most powerful free radical gener- the glutamate as well as aspartate, another excitotoxin. This ators known.* One of the highest concentrations of iron in the brown, powdery substance is used to enhance the flavour of body is within the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra. The foods, especially meat dishes, soups and sauces. Despite the fact neurons within the latter are especially vulnerable to oxidant that some health food manufacturers have attempted to sell the stress because the catabolic metabolism of the transmitter, idea that this flavour enhancer is “all natural" and "safe" because dopamine, can proceed to the creation of very powerful free radi- it is made from vegetables, it is not. It is the same substance cals; that is, it can auto-oxidise to peroxide, which is normally added to processed foods. Experimentally, one can produce the _—_ detoxified by glutathione. As we have seen, glutathione loss in same brain lesions using hydrolysed vegetable protein as by using the substantia nigra is one of the earliest deficiencies seen in MSG or aspartate.'* Parkinson's disease. In the presence of high concentrations of free 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. JUNE — JULY 2000 NEXUS - 35