MSG - What Foods To Avoid?

Pt 2 (for Pt 1, please refer to previous topic ..Excitotoxins List (The Cover-Up of Hidden MSG))

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We have attempted to give you a comprehensive list of what to avoid. You can see by the length of this list that most fast food establishments should be avoided - the worst offender by far is KFC®.

It should become obvious as well, that the foods most likely to give someone an MSG reaction at ANY restaurant are:

• CHICKEN and SAUSAGE products,
• RANCH dressing,
• PARMESAN items,
• GRAVY,
• and DIPPING SAUCES and
• fries with any kind of seasoning on them except plain salt.

FLAVORED salty snack chips that are usually sold with sandwiches are a problem - ESPECIALLY Doritos® and Cheetos® and items with cheese powder added. At regular restaurants, you want to avoid

• PARMESAN encrusted ANYTHING, SOUPS, CEASAR salad, FISH SAUCE or EXTRACT, SOY SAUCE, BOAR'S HEAD® deli meats and anything that comes out of a can.

Go to restaurants that make things from scratch - you can ask what is in food and also ask for special items without the offending ingredients. You WILL be glad you spoke up BEFORE you eat the wrong thing.

DON'T smother your choice in the parmesan cheese at the table either- Parmesan cheese is 1% straight MSG by weight.

At your friends and relatives homes - the hardest place to avoid MSG - avoid your aunt's "secret" recipe, anything that has Accent® in it, anything with

• a boullion cube or
• meat extract or
• "seasoning" packet,
• the Latino seasoning
• Goya Sazon®, Lawry's®
• seasoning salt, Gravy Master®,
• tuna with "broth" or hydrolyzed or
• autolysed ANYTHING on the label,
• grandma's Jello® gelatin mold dessert,
• potato chip dip or
• hamburgers with Lipton's® Onion Soup Mix in them,
• Vegetable dips with Knorr® vegetable soup mix in it,
• Italian foods smothered in Parmesan cheese,
• Hamburger Helper,
• canned soups - especially Progresso® and tomato or mushroom soup,
• the "green bean casserole" heck, ANY casserole.

Check packages of prepared baked items and avoid any with

• soy protein,
• casein,
• wheat gluten,
• malted barley, and
• non-fat dried milk

as an ingredient. Avoid

• aspartame, Nutrasweet®,
• "diet" drinks and
• artificially sweetened desserts - ESPECIALLY gelatin.

If you aren't sure - just eat the raw vegetables but don't dip them - eat them plain. Skip the hotdogs and cold cuts altogether unless you know they are safe. Have some iced tea and add plain sugar and fresh lemon. BRING foods you can eat so you aren't tempted and weak when your relatives ask why you aren't eating their prized recipe - and you cave in and poison yourself just to make them happy.

Avoid Ultra-pasteurized

• dairy products,
• cheeses,
• cream, and
• half and half with carageenan added.

Look for plain Pasteurized whole milk to put in your plain coffee and

avoid

• low fat and
• non-fat milk - because low fat dairy products usually have dried, high-free glutamate, non-fat dried milk added to boost the protein content.
  

So, here is the official list which was obtained from the website links provided. (Amazing what they call food nowadays, isn't it?)

The following Fast Food menu items contain MSG or enough free glutamate to cause a reaction:

McDonald's®

• Grilled Chicken Filet
• Hot and Spicy Chicken Patty
• Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad Grilled
• Chicken California Cobb Salad
• Seasoned Beef
• Sausage Scrambled Egg Mix, Sausage, and Sausage Patty
• French Fries - the "seasoning" added to the oil the fries are precooked in.
  

The "seasoning" is made from beef, wheat and milk, processed to break down the proteins into free amino acids like glutamate. US laws allow "natural flavoring" to consist of "protein hydrolysates" containing free glutamic acid. That's why they do it - to free glutamate to act like MSG so they can declare a "clean label" while misleading the consumer.

McDonalds® Ingredient Webpage

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Burger King®

• Breaded Chicken Patty
• Spicy Chicken Patty
• Breaded Tendercrisp Chicken
• Chicken Tenders
• BK Chicken Fries Garden Veggie Patty - contains hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat - which contains free glutamate
• Sausage Patty
• Ranch dipping sauce
• Ken's Fat Free Ranch Dressing

Burger King® Ingredient Webpage

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KFC®

• Roasted Ceasar Salad (WITHOUT dressing and croutons)
• Crispy Ceasar Salad (WITHOUT dressing)
• Roasted BLT Salad (WITHOUT dressing)
• Crispy BLT Salad (WITHOUT dressing
• Hidden Valley - The Original Fat Free Ranch Dressing
• KFC Creamy Parmesan Ceasar Dressing - contains parmesan cheese - very high in MSG naturally
• KFC Garlic Parmesan Croutons Pouch - contains parmesan cheese - very high in MSG naturally
• KFC Famous Bowls - Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
• Gravy
• KFC Famous Bowls - Rice with Gravy Rice
• Seasoned Rice
• KFC Snacker - Chicken
• KFC Snacker - Honey BBQ
• Honey BBQ Sandwich
• Double Crunch Sandwich
• Crispy Twister
• Oven Roasted Twister
• Oven Roasted Twister (WITHOUT sauce)
• Tender Roast Sandwich
• Tender Roast Sandwich(WITHOUT sauce)
• Original Recipe Chicken (its in the marinade - it's literally soaked in MSG and salt)
• Extra Crispy - MSG is in both the marinade AND the breading
• Colonel's Crispy Strips
• Popcorn Chicken
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Boneless HBBQ Wings
• Boneless Fiery Buffalo Wings
• Sweet and Spicy Boneless Wings
• Hot Wings
• Green Beans (yeah, this shocked us too)
• Mashed Potatoes with Gravy Potato Wedges

KFC® Ingredient WebPage

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Chick - fil - A® we'll examine this menu next, but we're not optimistic, the Chicken Sandwich has MSG in it. MSG is the second ingredient in the seasonings after salt.

Chick - fil - A® Ingredient Webpage

We have not been able to get a real accounting of what is in Applebee's food, the website is particularly vague, but we have gotten many reports of MSG reactions to foods at the chain restaurants like TGI Fridays, Applebees, and most chain restaurants that have marinated and seasoned meats and that overuse parmesan and soy sauce. In our experience, the better restaurants have chefs willing to make a special meal for you, and also the owners of local eateries (not chains) where things are made from scratch will be able to tell you everything that went into your meal. Don't take chances on your health - often good chefs and chef/owners like the chance to be creative and keep a customer at the same time. The hardest part is dealing with your friends (who think you are high maintenance). It helps to eat out with friends who also have special diet requirements.

The best advice to anyone visiting a Fast Food establishment (if you have to):

• AVOID all CHICKEN items
• AVOID all SAUSAGE items
• AVOID all PARMESAN items
• AVOID all Ranch dressings - stick to oil and vinegar Italian
• AVOID Croutons
• AVOID KFC altogether - we're not kidding
• AVOID Dipping Sauces
• AVOID Gravy
• AVOID TOMATO AND MUSHROOM soups

Unfortunately, certain food companies are experimenting on how to put more MSG in your MSG-free foods. We recommend you avoid ANY and all products from the following food companies - since they will NOT have a label that will alert you to the presence of free glutamic acid. They are trying to keep a clean label while increasing the amount of free glutamic acid in your food.

• Nestle'
• Campbells
• Frito-Lay
• Unilever
• Dairy Management Inc.
• The Mushroom Council
• Ajinomoto Food Ingredients
• Senomyx

The following foods contain MSG or its business end - the free amino acid glutamate - in amounts large enough to cause reactions in those sensitive to it.:

• Taco Bell® - seasoned meat - contains autolyzed yeast - which contains free glutamate
• Other menu items that contain soy sauce, natural flavors, autolyzed yeast or hydrolyzed protein which can contain up to 20% free glutamic acid - the active part of MSG.
• Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles® (targeted towards children)
• Doritos®
• Campbell's® soups - all of them - based on their commitment to add "umami" (read - MSG) to their products
• Pringles® (the flavored varieties)
• Boar's Head® cold cuts and most of their hotdogs
• Progresso® Soups - all of them
• Lipton® Noodles and Sauce
• Lipton® Instant soup mix
• Unilever or Knorr® products - often used in homemade Veggie dips.
• Kraft® products nearly all contain some free glutamate
• Gravy Master®
• Cup-a-soup® or Cup-o-Noodles®
• Planters® salted nuts - most of them
• Accent® -this is nearly pure MSG
• Braggs® Liquid Aminos - sold at Whole Foods
• Hodgson Mill Kentucky Kernel Seasoned Flour®
• Tangle extract (seaweed extract) - found in sushi rolls (even at Whole Foods) Seaweed is what MSG was first isolated from.
• Fish extract - made from decomposed fish protein - used now in Japanese sushi dishes - very high in free glutamate.
• sausages - most supermarkets add MSG to theirs
  processed cheese spread
• Marmite®
• supermarket poultry or turkeys that are injected or "self-basting"
• restaurant gravy from food service cans
• flavored ramen noodles
• boullion - any kind
• instant soup mixes
• many salad dressings
• most salty, powdered dry food mixes - read labels
• flavored potato chips
• restaurant soups made from food service soup base or with added MSG
• monopotassium glutamate
• glutamic acid
• gelatin
• hydrolyzed vegetable protein (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, like canned tuna and even hot dogs)
• hydrolyzed plant protein (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, like canned tuna and even hot dogs)
• autolyzed yeast (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, read labels)
• sodium caseinate
• textured protein
• beet juice - it is used as a coloring, but MSG is manufactured from beets and the extract may contain free glutamic acid - Yo Baby - organic baby yogurt has just changed the formula to include beet extract
• yeast extract
• yeast food or nutrient
• soy protein isolate
• soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Kombu extract
• dry milk and whey powder
• "natural flavors" - may contain up to 20% MSG
• carageenan
• dough conditioners
• malted barley
• malted barley flour - found in many supermarket breads and all-purpose flours including:
• King Arthur, Heckers, and Gold Medal flour
• body builder drink powders containing protein
• Parmesan cheese - naturally high in free glutamate
• over-ripe tomatoes - naturally high in free glutamate
• mushrooms - naturally high in free glutamate
• Medications in gelcaps - contain free glutamic acid in the gelatin
• Cosmetics and shampoos - some now contain glutamic acid
• Fresh produce sprayed with Auxigro in the field. (Yes the EPA approved this. It appalled us too.)

Food manufacturers are hiding MSG so you don't know where it is. Lately, food manufacturers mention a "clean label" when referring to soy sauce and other processed flavor enhancers that already contain MSG in the form of glutamic acid. Food manufacturers use these ingredients so they can claim "no added MSG". Hence a "cleaner" label. They know it's in there, they are just hoping you don't.

See exactly how food manufacturers are trying to use free glutamic acid without telling you about it: Food Product Design article

Foods that start out low in free glutamate become extremely high in free glutamate the more they are processed as shown in the following chart. Eating fresh whole foods WILL help you.

In the latest pro-MSG "news" article in the Wall Street Journal - everything old is new again as the writers try to make "umami" (the name for the flavor enhancing effect MSG has had since it was isolated in 1908) seem like something newly discovered. What is truly appalling is that in the article, MSG is said to be something consumers are trying to avoid, and at the same time, the writers tout "umami" foods while at the same time admitting that they are high in the glutamate - the business end of MSG. The makers of MSG, Ajinomoto, accurately point out that what makes an "umami" food is it's glutamate content. The "chefs" in the article KNOW that diners are trying to AVOID MSG in their food.

These "chefs", like Jean-Georges Vongerichte are actually trying to INCREASE the use of MSG, not decrease it, and they find that OK because the food has a "Clean Label". The recent Cambell's soup commercial where "sea salt" is used instead of regular salt leads one to assume that "umami" figures into their motives. At least the Wall Street Journal has done us all a favor and let us in on what they are planning for your dinners. You may want to pass on their "umami bombs". And note that they don't think they can even come close to the MSG hit young men take when they eat Doritos. The "umami" pushers will continue to add straight MSG to Doritos, because they are afraid of a "riot" should the young men get less glutamate in their "umami bomb" snacks.

Just because the tongue can detect sugar, fat, and salt as well as the presence of protein - because even bound glutamic acid is typically found on the outer surface of a protein molecule, is not a mandate to add simple sugar, trans fat, and an unbalanced amount of free glutamic acid to all of our foods at the expense of other nutrients. Tell a diabetic they can eat as much sugar as they want in any food simply because their tongues were designed to taste it and let us know what they tell you, after they are done laughing at your ignorance.

The most blatant example of a so-called "clean label":

Unilever appears to be in trouble in Vietnam for marketing a product called Knorr Dam Dang as a substitute for MSG. Unfortunately for Unilever, (the makers of the Knorr dried vegetable soup popular in vegetable dips), their product was actually tested and found to have 30% MSG in it. Despite clearly misleading consumers in Vietnam, the company representatives argue that they are legally allowed to do this due to current labeling laws allowing it. Vietnam news story.Vietnam News UpdateMSG by any other name.......

• 
  In Japan, MSG is labeled as 味の素 or AjinomotoI
• n China, MSG = wie jing
• In the Phillipines, MSG = Vetsin
• In Thailand, MSG = phong churot
• In Germany, MSG = Natriumglutaminat
• In Europe - MSG = E621, but avoid E620-625 as they also contain glutamate
• In the US - "umami", MSG, glutamate, free glutamic acid
• We are also getting reports of MSG being added to sausages called "boerewors" and other meats found in supermarkets in South Africa.

MSG is also finding its way into "fast" foods in India, Brazil and Viet Nam
It is getting harder and harder to avoid MSG regardless of where on planet earth you live......See also:[ MSG and Aspartame ] [ MSG as Crop Spray ]

Be aware it is not just the brand names mentioned, but many similar products to the ones listed also contain MSG. You must always read labels. These product names were given as examples of the many products that contain MSG.
Four good rules of thumb are:

• The more salty a processed food is, the more likely it is to contain MSG or free glutamate.
• The more processed a food is, the more likely it is to contain MSG or free glutamate: powdered stuff that used to be food is likely to have added MSG because the original flavor has been degraded, AND processing concentrates and frees glutamate already bound and present.
• The more ingredients in a packaged food, the more likely MSG is present. Read labels carefully . Time is money. If a food has more than five ingredients and you don't have half an hour to read one ingredient label - put it back on the shelf - you'll be better off.
• Do not trust something simply because it is in a health food store and the label states it is natural or even organic. The US allows "natural flavors" to include protein hydrolysates which can contain up to 20% MSG by weight. A distinction without a difference.
  

The next wave of hastily approved "MSG replacers" you may wish to avoid will be Senomyx. According to the New York Times April 6, 2005 article "Food Companies Test Flavorings That Can Mimic Sugar, Salt or MSG":

• " Since Senomyx's flavor compounds will be used in small proportions (less than one part per million), the company is able to bypass the lengthy F.D.A. approval process required to get food additives on the market. Getting the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association status of generally recognized as safe, or GRAS, took Senomyx less than 18 months, including a 3-month safety study using rats. In contrast, the maker of the artificial sweetener sucralose spent 11 years winning F.D.A. approval and is required to list the ingredient on food labels."
  

And Senomyx DOESN'T have to be labeled as such. It will be grouped under "artificial flavors". They still don't believe the consumer should know what they are eating. In fact, that is exactly the strategy. Here is one last quote from the NYT article to leave you with:

"We're helping companies clean up their labels," said Senomyx's chief executive, Kent Snyder.
Mr. Snyder, that is EXACTLY what we are afraid of.

For more Information:MSG and AspartameMSG as Crop Spray

Excitotoxins List (The Cover-Up of Hidden MSG)

Pt 1 (for Pt 2, please refer to next topic ..MSG - What Foods To Avoid?)

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December 12, 2008 by: Avi OfferKey concepts: MSG, the FDA, health

(Excitotoxins) The safety of MSG is a controversial issue that deserves much more attention, debate and discussion within the health industry, the mainstream media and the public.

Independent researchers, experts and whistle-blowers claim that MSG functions not only as a flavor enhancer, but as a harmful neurotoxin that has adverse effects in the short term and long term for much more than 2% of the public. However, the FDA regards MSG as generally safe and claims that only 2% of the public suffers from adverse reactions to it. They allow many companies, such Kraft, Pringles and Campbell's Soup, to hide it in seemingly benign ingredients without including it on the label. In many ways, the FDA has been part of a cover-up of hidden MSG in many food and beverage products as well as a cover-up of MSG's potential health risks. The public deserves the right to have proper labeling of MSG and to be completely aware of its many health risks in order to make fully informed decisions.

The terms "MSG" and "Processed Free Glutamic Acid" can be used interchangeably because they`re essentially and functionally equivilant. Sodium has no function in MSG other than to turn it into the salt form commonly known as monosodium glutamate.

The only way a smart consumer can avoid it is by knowing the list of ingredients that contain or result in MSG. Food and beverage companies often use Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG) as a cheap flavor enhancer. However, according to independent studies and researchers/insiders such as neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, ex-food processing scientist and engineer Carol Hoernlein (http://www.msgtruth.org/), consumer advocate Debbie Anglesey (http://www.msgmyth.com/), Dr. John W. Olney, and MSG activists and investigators Jack Samuels & Dr. Adrienne Samuels, the founders of the Truth in Labeling Campaign (http://www.truthinlabeling.org/), Processed Free Glutamic Acid is also a harmful neurotoxin and excitotoxin that leads to and/or worsens many health problems ranging from headaches, migraines, mood change, nausea, pains in joints/bones, sleep disorders, chronic post nasal drip, heart irregularities and excessive perspiration to Asthma, ADD, Depression, Obesity and many more. It is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Lou Gehrig`s (ALS), MS, Parkinson`s and Alzheimer`s.

According to the FDA and The Glutamate Association (see http://www.msgfacts.com/facts/msgfacts.html), MSG is regarded as natural and generally safe. The FDA`s wordy rules and regulations treat bound glutamate and free glutamate as one despite that free glutamate is processed and more harmful to your health than bound glutamate, which is found in protein that had not been processed by manufacturers or through fermentation. Jack Samuels commented that "the staff at the FDA are unbelievably fantastic in their ability to write in a way that deceives the public, but loosely based on fact. We refer to such writing as half truths. Read the FDA points carefully and you will see how MSG can be hidden in foods." The FDA has not returned phone calls to comment about this important matter yet.Please feel free to watch this 60 Minutes segment about hidden MSG from 1991.The FDA allows companies to hide Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG) in many seemingly benign ingredients without disclosing its presence or precise quantity on labels. Moreover, the FDA considers all of those ingredients to be natural even though they contain the artificial chemical, Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG).

The following ingredients always contain various amounts of unlabeled Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG):

• Autolyzed yeast
• Calcium caseinate
• Dry milk powder
• Dry milk protein
• Gelatin
• Glutamate
• Glutamic acid
• Hydrolyzed corn gluten
• Hydrolyzed soy protein
• Hydrolyzed wheat protein
• Monopotassium glutamate
• Monosodium glutamate
• Natrium glutamate
• Sodium caseinate
• Textured protein
• Yeast food
• Yeast nutrient

The following ingredients often contain or result in various amounts of unlabeled Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG):

• Barley malt
• Bouillon
• Broth
• Carrageenan
• Citric acid
• Corn Starch
• Corn Syrup
• Enzymes
• Flavors/Flavoring
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Maltodextrin
• Malt extract
• Malted Barley
• Malt flavoring
• Natural chicken flavoring
• Natural beef flavoring
• Natural flavors/flavor
• Natural pork flavoring
• Pectin
• Protein fortified food
• Seasonings
• Soy protein isolate
• Soy protein or soy protein concentrate
• Soy sauce
• Stock
• Ultra-pasteurized
• WheyWhey protein
• Whey protein concentrate
• Whey protein isolate

Regardless of whether or not Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG) is safe, why doesn`t the FDA require companies to disclose it on food/beverage labels? Why does the FDA consider MSG to be natural? Why isn`t the list of ingredients that contain MSG fully exposed to the public, students, doctors and the mainstream media?

Why are food and drugs regulated by the same administration and not separate ones? What will it take to bring accountability and democracy into the health industry?When asked whether the public has the right to know all sides of the issue of MSG so that they can make fully informed decisions, Heidi Rebello, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs at the FDA, replied, "Yes, of course. Why wouldn`t they?" In reality, though, the public doesn`t know all sides of the issue given the cover up of hidden MSG and all of its health hazards.

Recall that the FDA had once were part of the cover-up claiming that cigarettes were safe for the public.Please feel free to continue consuming McDonald`s, Burger King, Dorito`s, Pringles, Pepsi, Entenmann`s, Snapple, Glaceau Vitamin Water and Campbell`s Soup if you desire to, but at least consume it while knowing all of the risks to your health. Do you trust independent studies/researchers or the FDA?

Would you take the health risks to consume a food or beverage that has MSG, a controversial, potentially toxic ingredient, even if it`s allowed to be hidden on labels? Do you believe that the FDA is truly living up to its mission statement (click here)? Decide for yourself, do the research, and, most importantly, ask questions.

About the authorConsumer Health Advocate, Journalist, Publicist and HumanitarianAbout the author: Consumer Health Advocate, Journalist, Publicist and Humanitarian

The Dangers of MSG

You may not realize that here are many hidden dangers of MSG (monosodium glutamate). After all, it is a common ingredient in many popular foods.

Monosodium glutamate is known to cause a long list of side effects and health problems. Here are some to watch out for:

• Allergic reactions
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Asthma attacks
• Burning, numbness, or tingling in or around your mouth
• Brain damage
• Cancer
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Damage to your unborn child
• Death due to an MSG reaction
• Diarrhea
• Eye inflammation
• Flushing
• Free radical damage to your blood vessels (this can lead to a heart attack or a stroke)
• Headaches (including migraine headaches)
• Heart disease
• Memory loss
• Nausea
• Pressure or tightness in the muscles in your face
• Fertility problems (for both men and women)
• Rapid, fluttering heartbeats
• Seizures
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Swelling of the brain (brain edema)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Weakness
• Weight gain (the weight you gain from eating MSG is very difficult to lose)
  

Babies and children are more sensitive and susceptible to the dangers of MSG than adults because their bodies and brains are not fully developed yet. If you are pregnant, it is especially important to avoid eating anything that contains MSG.
Even though monosodium glutamate is associated with all of these problems you will STILL find it in fast food, restaurant food, and several thousand different (mostly processed) food products including:

• Baby foods,
• baby formulas (msg gets formed when soy proteins and milk proteins are processed),
• beef stock,
• beef jerky,
• beverages,
• bouillon cubes,
• candy,
• canned soup,
• cheese,
• chewing gum,
• chicken stock,
• condiments (such as BBQ sauce, salad dressings, etc),
• cookies,
• crackers,
• frozen dinners,
• frozen seafood,
• ice cream,
• instant noodles (in the seasoning package),
• medications (some varieties),
• potato chips (the flavored kind),
• processed meats,
• seasonings (such as Sazon, Vegeta, Accent, vegetarian chicken style seasonings, and others),
• supplements (some brands),
• tortilla chips (the flavored kind),
• vegetable stock,
• vitamin enriched foods (some),
• and the list goes on….

You may be exposed to the dangers of MSG without even knowing it! Some manufactures hide or disguise MSG by using alternate names that most people will not suspect.

Some ingredients to watch out for are yeast extract, textured protein, protein isolate, and calcium caseinate. MSG may even be labeled using very vague terms such as “natural flavors” or “seasonings.” Click here for a more complete list of hidden sources of monosodium glutamate. Note: This link will open up a new window and take you to another website.

Tips to Help You Avoid MSG

Now that your eyes are opened to the many dangers of MSG, here are some practical tips to help you reduce or eliminate this food additive from your diet.
Avoid processed foods and stick to natural whole foods instead.

If you must eat anything that is prepackaged, read the label very carefully. Remember to watch out for hidden MSG – even when you are choosing healthier brands from the health food store. Some packaged organic foods may contain MSG (listed as yeast protein).

Avoid foods that are “ultra pasteurized” (as this process can cause free glutamates to form).
Avoid eating fast foods. Do your research and choose restaurants that offer healthier, MSG-free meals.

Make your own food from scratch using your own herbs and seasonings. Click here for some naturally healthy recipes!

Related pages:
Monosodium Glutamate
Food AdditivesReturn from Dangers of MSG to Natural Health Restored

The Dangers of Vaccines

BASIC FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT VACCINATIONS

1. Vaccines are toxic.*Vaccines contain substances poisonous to humans (i.e. mercury, formaldehyde, aluminum, etc.) Vaccine package inserts contain this and other information required by law to be disclosed to the public. Although these inserts are produced for consumers, doctors do not make them available to their patients.*Vaccines are grown on and contain foreign tissue and altered genetic material of both human and animal origin.
2. Immunization (the act of injecting vaccines) depresses and disables brain and immune function. Honest, unbiased scientific investigation has shown vaccinations to be a causative factor in many illnesses including:*Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (aka SIDS, crib or cot death)*developmental disorders (autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia, etc.)*immune deficiency (i.e. AIDS, Epstein Barre Syndrome, etc.)*degenerative disease (i.e. muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cancer, leukemia, lupus, fibromyalgia, etc.)
3. The high rate of adverse vaccine reactions is being ignored and denied by conventional medicine.*Prior to 1990, doctors were not legally required to report adverse reactions to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).*Adverse reactions are considered "normal", are ignored or diagnosed as other diseases. Even with this poor system, reported damage is substantial.*Despite their current legal obligation, less than 10% of doctors report the damage they witness to the CDC.*Throughout history, many prominent medical and non-medical health professionals around the world have voiced their vehement opposition to vaccination calling it scientific fraud.
4. Mass Vaccination Programs systematically and recklessly endanger the public while disregarding our rights.*Since vaccination breaks the skin, it is technically a surgery. All surgeries by law require informed consent. Informed consent is rarely attained before vaccines are administered.*Doctors vaccinate the unwitting and uninformed. The vaccine manufacturers' package inserts which contain biased industry claims and the bare minimum required by law to reveal are not routinely made available to consumers so that they can make a more informed choice.*Double-talk and unethical enforcement such as threats, intimidation and coercion are used to ensure vaccination compliance.
5. There is no proof that vaccinations are safe or effective.*There are no control group studies. Authorities consider that "to not vaccinate" is unethical and have refused to study unvaccinated volunteers. If control studies were done according ' to honest science, vaccination would be outlawed.*Studies which have been done are not designed to eliminate the examiners bias. Authorities who compile and report disease statistics work closely with and have a vested interest in companies which produce the vaccines. In other industries, this kind of bias is not tolerated. Injuries and deaths in these studies are attributed to anything but vaccination to skew the results and make it appear that vaccines have some merit.
6. Laws allow drug companies to violate the public trust.*In private vaccine damage suits, information is revealed condemning vaccines as deadly.*Vaccine manufacturers use "gag orders" as a leverage tool in vaccine damage legal settlements to restrict the plaintiff from disclosing to the public the truth about the dangerous nature of vaccines. Our government has allowed these unethical tactics to be used which jeopardize public welfare.
7. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1987 is a pacifier.*This compensation program pretends to acknowledge the existence of vaccine damage by making "right" the wrongs done. Nothing in this Act attempts to avert these adverse events from happening in the future.*This Act is the result of vaccine producers pressuring the government to "immunize" them from private lawsuits which can run an average of $4 million per case.*The fund is made up of tax added into the cost to the consumer of each vaccine, thereby making vaccine consumers pay for one another's and perhaps their own injury; the vaccine manufacturers have made themselves quite "immune" from accountability. In recent years it has become even more difficult to be compensated through this program due to the parameters for determining vaccine damage changing and coroners now ruling out vaccine damage and charging the parents with Shaken Baby Syndrome.
8. Private insurance companies, which do the best liability studies, have totally abandoned coverage for damage to life and property due to:*Acts of God*Nuclear war and nuclear power plant accidents*Vaccination
9. Vaccination is not emergency medicine.*It is claimed that vaccines avert a possible future risk and yet people are pressured to decide on the spot. A doctor's use of fear and intimidation to force compliance is not ethical. Vaccines are drugs with potential serious adverse reactions. Time and forethought should be given before a decision is made.
10. There is no law enforcing vaccination for babies or anyone else.*Vaccination is linked with school attendance but is not compulsory. Exemptions from vaccinations, although restricted and monitored, are part of every state public health law and can be expanded by public pressure.*Departments of Health, Education and the American Medical Association personnel profit from the sale of vaccines. They keep the existence of and details about exemptions relatively unknown.

The Dangers of Aspartame

By Nancy Markle

I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on "ASPARTAME marketed as 'NutraSweet', 'Equal', and Spoonful"'. In the keynote address by the EPA, they announced that there was an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus, and they did not understand what toxin was causing this to be rampant across the United States. I explained that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.

When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants). The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus people were being diagnosed with having multiple sclerosis in error. The multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, where methanol toxicity is.

Systemic Lupus

In the case of systemic lupus, we are finding it has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. Also, with methanol toxicity, the victims usually drink three to four 12 oz. Cans of them per day, some even more. In the cases of systemic lupus, which is triggered by ASPARTAME, the victim usually does not know that the aspartame is the culprit The victim continues its use aggravating the lupus to such a degree, that sometimes it becomes life threatening. When we get people off the aspartame, those with systemic lupus usually become asymptomatic. Unfortunately, we can not reverse this disease.

Multiple Sclerosis

On the other hand, in the case of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, (when in reality, the disease is methanol toxicity), most of the symptoms disappear. We have seen cases where their vision has returned and even their hearing has returned. This also applies to cases of tinnitus.
During a lecture I said "If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss -- you probably have ASPARTAME DISEASE!" People were jumping up during the lecture saying, "I've got this, is it reversible?" It is rampant. Some of the speakers at my lecture even were suffering from these symptoms. In one lecture attended by the Ambassador of Uganda, he told us that their sugar industry is adding aspartame! He continued by saying that one of the industry leader's son could no longer walk - due in part by product usage!

We have a very serious problem

Even a stranger came up to Dr. Espisto (one of my speakers) and myself and said, 'Could you tell me why so many people seem to be coming down with MS?' During a visit to a hospice, a nurse said that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence. Here is the problem. There were Congressional Hearings when aspartame was included in 100 different products. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, but to no avail. Nothing as been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Now there are over 5,000 products containing this chemical, and the PATENT HAS EXPIRED!!!

At the time of this first hearing, people were going blind. The methanol in the aspartame converts to formaldehyde in the retina of the eye. Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of dmgs as cyanide and arsenic-- DEADLY POISONS!!! Unfortunately, it just takes longer to quietly kill, but it is killing people and causing all kinds of neurological problems.

Aspartame changes the brain's chemistry

It is the reason for severe seizures. This drug changes the dopamine level in the brain. Imagine what this drug does to patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease. This drug also causes Birth Defects.

There is absolutely no reason to take this product. It is NOT A DIET PRODUCT!!! The Congressional record said, "It makes you crave carbohydrates and will make you FAT". Dr. Roberts stated that when he got patients off aspartame, their average weight loss was 19 pounds per person. The formaldehyde stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs.

Aspartame is especially deadly for diabetics

All physicians know what wood alcohol will do to a diabetic. We find that physicians believe that they have patients with retinopathy, when in fact, it is caused by the aspartame. The aspartame keeps the blood sugar level out of control, causing many patients to go into a coma. Unfortunately, many have died. People were telling us at the Conference of the American College of Physicians, that they had relatives that switched from saccharin to an aspartame product and how that relative had eventually gone into a coma.
Their physicians could not get the blood sugar levels under control. Thus, the patients suffered acute memory loss and eventually coma and death.

Memory Loss

Memory loss is due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotoxic without the other amino acids found in protein. Thus it goes past the blood brain barrier and deteriorates the neurones of the brain. Dr. Russell Blaylock, neurosurgeon, said, "The ingredients stimulates the neurones of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees. Dr. Blaylock has written a book entitled "EXCITOTOXINS: THE TASTE THAT KILLS" (Health Press 1-800-643-2665). Dr. H.J. Roberts, diabetic specialist and world expert on aspartame poisoning, has also written a book entitled "DEFENSE AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE" (1-800-814-9800). Dr. Roberts tells how aspartame poisoning is escalating Alzheimer's Disease, and indeed it is. As the hospice nurse told me, women are being admitted at 30 years of age with Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Blaylock and Dr. Roberts will be writing a position paper with some case histories and will post it on the Internet. According to the Conference of the American College of Physicians, 'We are talking about a plague of neurological diseases caused by this deadly poison".
Dr. Roberts realized what was happening when aspartame was first marketed. He said "his diabetic patients presented memory loss, confusion, and severe vision loss". At the Conference of the American College of Physicians, doctors admitted that they did not know. They had wondered why seizures were rampant (the phenylalanine in aspartame breaks down the seizure threshold and depletes serotonin, which causes manic depression, panic attacks, rage and violence).

No Aspartame!

Just before the Conference, I received a FAX from Norway, asking for a possible antidote for this poison because they are experiencing so many problems in their country. This poison is now available in 90 PLUS countries worldwide. Fortunately, we had speakers and ambassadors at the Conference from different nations who have pledged their help. We ask that you help too. Print this article out and warn everyone you know. Take anything that contains aspartame back to the store. Take the "NO ASPARTAME TEST" and send us your case history.
I assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of aspartame, knows how deadly it is. They fund the American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, Congress, and the Conference of the American College of Physicians. The New York Times, on November 15, 1996, ran an article on how the American Dietetic Association takes money from the food industry to endorse their products. Therefore, they can not criticise any additives or tell about their link to MONSANTO.

How bad is this?

We told a mother who had a child on NutraSweet to get off the product. The child was having grand mal seizures every day. The mother called her physician, who called the ADA, who told the doctor not to take the child off the NutraSweet. We are still trying to convince the mother that the aspartame is causing the seizures. Every time we get someone off of aspartame, the seizures stop. If the baby dies, you know whose fault it is, and what we are up against. There are 92 documented symptoms of aspartame, from coma to death. The majority of them are all neurological, because the aspartame destroys the nervous system.

Aspartame Disease

is partially the cause to what is behind some of the mystery of the Desert Storm health problems. The burning tongue and other problems discussed in over 60 cases can be directly related to the consumption of an aspartame product. Several thousand pallets of diet drinks were shipped to= the Dessert Storm troops. (Remember heat can liberate the methanol from the aspartame at 86 degrees F). Diet drinks sat in the 120 degree F. Arabian sun for weeks at a time on pallets. The service men and women drank them all day long. All of their symptoms are identical to aspartame poisoning. Dr. Roberts says "consuming aspartame at the time of conception can cause birth defects". The phenylalanine concentrates in the placenta, causing mental retardation, according to Dr. Louis Elsas, Pediatrician Professor - Genetics, at Emory University in his testimony before Congress.

In the original lab tests, animals developed brain tumors (phenylalanine breaks down into DXP, a brain tumor agent). When Dr. Espisto was lecturing on aspartame, one physician in the audience, a neurosurgeon, said, "when they remove brain tumors, they have found high levels of aspartame in them".

Stevia, a sweet food, NOT AN ADDITIVE, which helps in the metabolism of sugar, which would be ideal for diabetics, has now been approved as a dietary supplement by the F.D.A. For years, the F.D.A. has outlawed this sweet food because of their loyalty to MONSANTO.

If it says "SUGAR FREE" on the label-- DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!

Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote a bill that would have warned all infants, pregnant mothers and children of the dangers of aspartame. The bill would have also instituted independent studies on the problems existing in the population (seizures, changes in brain chemistry, changes in neurological and behavioural symptoms). It was killed by the powerful drug and chemical lobbies, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting public. Since the Conference of the American College of Physicians, we hope to have the help of some world leaders. Again, please help us too. There are a lot of people out there who must be warned, please let them know this information.

"There are in truth, no incurable conditions...that which exists is and was produced from a first cause, and may be met or counteracted, or changed, for the condition is the breaking of a law." (3744-1) Edgar Cayce

The Dangers of Fluoride and Fluoridation

Approximately half of the United States' drinking water supply is fluoridated in an attempt to reduce dental cavities in children. Is this state of affairs justified? Is it safe?

Most Americans are unaware of the dangers of ingesting fluoride. Most dentists, physicians and scientists are unaware of the dangers of fluoride and water fluoridation. According to a 1988 article in the prestigious Chemical and Engineering News, scientific voices of opposition to fluoridation have been suppressed, since 1950 when the U.S. Public Health Service first endorsed fluoridation. Power tactics including threats, ridicule and frank censorship aimed at scientists and clinicians knowledgeable about fluoridation have prevented the truth about fluoride to be disseminated to the science world as well as to the public. Whenever a public agency is charged with objectively evaluating the safety of a procedure while at the same time endorsing and recommending it, a serious conflict of interest is set up. This is exactly the position of the U.S. Public Health Service for the past 44 years.

Facts About Fluoride

So, what are some of the facts about fluoride? According to the handbook, Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, fluoride is more poisonous than lead and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. It is a cumulative poison that accumulates in bone over the years. According to the Physicians Desk Reference, "in hypersensitive individuals, fluorides occasionally cause skin eruptions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, or urticaria. Gastric distress, headache, and weakness have also been reported. These hypersensitive reactions usually disappear promptly after discontinuation of the fluoride."

From 1990 to 1992, the Journal of the American Medical Association published three separate articles linking increased hip fracture rates to fluoride in the water. In the March 22, 1990 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that fluoride treatment of osteoporosis increased hip fracture rate and bone fragility.

A study by Procter and Gamble showed that as little as half the amount of fluoride used to fluoridate public water supplies resulted in a sizable and significant increase in genetic damage. Epidemiology research in the mid-1970's by the late Dr. Dean Burk, head of the cytochemistry division of the National Cancer Institute, indicated that 10,000 or more fluoridation-linked cancer deaths occur yearly in the United States. In 1989, the ability of fluoride to transform normal cells into cancer cells was confirmed by Argonne National Laboratories. Results released in 1989 of studies carried out at the prestigious Batelle Research Institute showed that fluoride was linked to a rare form of liver cancer in mice, oral tumors and cancers in rats, and bone cancer in male rats. Since 1991, the New Jersey Department of Health found that the incidence of osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, was far higher in young men exposed to fluoridated water as compared to those who were not.

In addition to the well documented toxic effects of fluoride, fluoride even at dosages of 1 part per million, found in artificially fluoridated water, can inhibit enzyme systems, damage the immune system, contribute to calcification of soft tissues, worsen arthritis and, of course, cause dental fluorosis in children. These are unsightly white, yellow or brown spots that are found in teeth exposed to fluoride during childhood. In 1993, the Subcommittee on Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride of the National Research Council admitted that 8% to 51% and sometimes up to 80% of the children living in fluoridated areas have dental fluorosis. Malnourished people, particularly children, usually targeted for fluoridation, are at greater risks to experience fluoride's harmful effects.

Surprisingly, the most recent studies do not even show that water fluoridation is effective in reducing tooth decay. In the largest U.S. study of fluoridation and tooth decay, United States Public Health Service dental records of over 39,000 school children, ages 5-17, from 84 areas around the United States showed that the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth per child was virtually the same in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. Dr. John Colquhoun, former Chief Dental Officer of the Department of Health for Auckland, New Zealand, investigated tooth decay statistics from about 60,000 12 to 13 year old children and showed that fluoridation had no significant effect on tooth decay rate.

Given all of this scientific information, what is behind this push for universal fluoridation? Prior to 1945, fluoride was properly regarded as an environmental pollutant. It was responsible for many lawsuits against industries, such as the aluminum industry and the phosphate fertilizer industry, whose waste products contain large quantities of fluoride. This fluoride destroyed crops and animals, leading to the lawsuits. The limited public view was that fluoride was an environmental pollutant that needed to be reduced or eliminated from the environment.

As a result of clever public relations campaigns, fluoride was transformed from an environmental pollutant to an essential nutrient necessary for producing healthy teeth. The science was poor, but the P.R. campaign was great. Being against fluoride was like being against motherhood or apple pie. Industries not only made millions from selling this environmental pollutant to water companies and toothpaste companies, but more importantly, it saved billions of dollars that would be required to clean up this environmental pollutant.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from fluoride?

First, avoid fluoridated water. Much of the metropolitan area, including New York City water is artificially fluoridated. Boiling water removes chlorine, but concentrates fluoride. Water filters do not remove fluoride, unless there is a reverse osmosis component. Children should avoid fluoridated vitamins and fluoride treatments at the dentist. Everyone should avoid fluoridated toothpaste. The concentration of fluoride in water is 1 ppm, in toothpaste 1,000 ppm and in fluoride dental rinses 10,000 ppm. Work on your legislators to get fluoride out of the water supplies.

© 1996 Michael B. Schachter M.D.

UPDATE The Wall Street Journal recently (3-23-06) ran an article reporting on the National Academy of Science's concern about high levels of fluoride in the nation's drinking water, and that the maximum allowed amount "should be lowered."

Trans Fat Danger

There are four kinds of fats: monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are the "good" fats. It is generally accepted that consumption of saturated fat should be kept low, especially for adults. Trans fat (which means trans fatty acids) is the worst kind of fat, far worse than saturated fat.

Partial hydrogenation is an industrial process used to make a perfectly good oil, such as soybean oil, into a perfectly bad oil. The process is used to make an oil more solid; provide longer shelf-life in baked products; provide longer fry-life for cooking oils, and provide a certain kind of texture or "mouthfeel." The big problem is that partially hydrogenated oil is laden with lethal trans fat.

Hydrogenator used to partiallyhydrogenate vegetable oils to create trans fatsIt is only the trans fat created by the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils that we are concerned about and that should be eliminated completely from your diet. We at BanTransFats.com are not concerned with the kind of naturally occurring trans fat found in small amounts in pomegranates, cabbage, peas, or the type found in the meat and milk of cows, sheep and goats.

Partially hydrogenated oils are commonly found in processed foods like commercial baked products such as cookies, cakes and crackers, and even in bread. They are also used as cooking oils (called "liquid shortening") for frying in restaurants.

Top nutritionists at Harvard have concluded that trans fat could be responsible for an many as 30,000 premature coronary deaths per year. See New York Times. See also "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating" at p.73.
30,000 premature deaths each year means 82 each day!

The trans fatty acid molecule
If you are not interested in the science, you can skip to the next section below entitled "Health effects." If you are interested in the science, here is a brief explanation.

In the illustration above, the light grey rounded areas are hydrogen atoms and the dark grey areas are carbon atoms. Note the different positioning of the hydrogen atoms in the middle which is caused by partial hydrogenation. The hydrogen atoms in the middle are in a "trans" position which makes this a "trans" fatty acid. The effect is to straighten out the molecules so they can pack together more closely and make the oil less liquid and more solid.
For a deeper discussion of the science, check out the following links:
Health Risks from Processed Foods and Trans Fats Part I
Health Risks from Procesed Foods and Trans Fats Parts II and III

Health effects
One of the reasons that partially hydrogenated oils are used is to increase the product's shelf life, but they decrease your shelf life.

Trans fats cause significant and serious lowering of HDL (good) cholesterol and a significant and serious increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol; make the arteries more rigid; cause major clogging of arteries; cause insulin resistance; cause or contribute to type 2 diabetes; and cause or contribute to other serious health problems.

Explanation of terms

LDL (bad) cholesterol: The main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries.
HDL (good) cholesterol: Carries cholesterol from the blood back to the liver, which processes the cholesterol for elimination from the body. HDL makes it less likely that excess cholesterol in the blood will be deposited in the coronary arteries. (HDL levels, to be considered "normal," should be at least 35 - 40 mg/DL.)
Blood vessels: There are three types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries. The arteries carry blood away from the heart. The capillaries connect the arteries to veins. Finally, the veins carry the blood back to the heart.
Click here for an excellent illustrated explanation of the effects of LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol.
Click here for a New York Times article about HDL cholesterol. Here is an extract:
"There is considerable evidence linking an increased risk of heart disease and stroke more strongly to low HDL levels than to high LDL levels. For every one-milligram rise in "good cholesterol," the risk for developing cardiovascular disease falls by 2 percent to 3 percent. A level of 60 milligrams or higher helps to protect against this major killer.In addition to enabling the body to get rid of unwanted cholesterol, HDL also acts in several other protective ways: as an antioxidant deterring the harmful oxidation of LDL, and as an anti-inflammatory agent, helping to repair what is now considered a major player in blood vessel disease. And it has anti-clotting properties, which can help keep blood clots from blocking arteries."
Click here for an article about raising your HDL (good) cholesterol level.

Studies

There have been many studies about the health effects of trans fats. Here are some examples.
1. A major comprehensive study on the health effects of trans fats was published in April 2006 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study brings together the findings from different studies and contains several findings, including the following:

1. On a per-calorie basis, trans fats appear to increase the risk of coronary heart disease more than any other macronutrient, conferring a substantially increased risk at low levels of consumption (1 to 3 percent of total energy intake). In a meta-analysis of four prospective cohort studies involving nearly 140,000 subjects, including updated analyses from the two largest studies, a 2 percent increase in energy intake from trans fatty acids was associated with a 23 percent increase in the incidence of coronary heart disease....
   Click here to read the study. Click here to read a summary of the study.
2. In a cross-over diet trial, scientists randomly assigned 29 healthy men and women to a diet high in trans fat, or a high saturated fat diet in which the trans fat was replaced by saturated fats. The trans fat came mostly from partially hydrogenated soybean oil and the saturated fat came from palm kernel oil. After four weeks on one diet, the subjects were crossed over to the other diet. For each subject, the researchers took four measurements of artery dilation in the arm. They found that the ability of the blood vessels to dilate was 29 percent lower in people who ate the high trans fat diet compared to those on the saturated fat diet. Blood levels of HDL cholesterol were 21 percent lower in the high trans fat group compared to the high saturated fat group. [De Roos, Bots and Katan: "Replacement of Dietary Saturated Fatty Acids by Trans Fatty Acids Lowers Serum HDL Cholesterol and Impairs Endothelial Function in Healthy Men and Women Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology": Journal of the American Heart Association, July 2001.]
3. In a study conducted in Australia, scientists acquired dietary information as well as fat biopsy samples from 79 people. Each had just had a first heart attack. The researchers obtained similar information and biopsy samples from 167 people without heart problems. The researchers inquired specifically about the participants' type and amount of fat intake. The heart patients and healthy individuals were also matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic background. Analysis revealed that trans fats from both animal and vegetable sources were significantly more abundant in the fat tissues of heart attack patients than in the healthy volunteers. The relationship of abundant trans fats with heart risk remained even after the scientists statistically accounted for the effect of saturated fats in the participants’ diets. [Clifton, Keogh and Noakes: "Trans Fatty Acids In Adipose Tissue And The Food Supply Are Associated With Myocardial Infarction."]
4. In a study in Seattle, 179 cases aged 25 to 74 were out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients attended by paramedics in Seattle from 1988 to 1999. 285 controls, matched to the 179 cases by age and sex, were randomly identified from the community. Participants were free of previous clinically diagnosed heart disease. Blood was obtained at the time of cardiac arrest (cases) or at the time of an interview (controls) to assess trans fat intake. Higher total trans fat in red blood cell membranes was associated with a modest increase in the risk of primary cardiac arrest after adjustment for medical and lifestyle risk factors. While trans isomers of oleic acid were not associated with risk, higher levels of trans isomers of linoleic acid were associated with a three-fold increase in risk. [Cell Membrane Trans-Fatty Acids and the Risk of Primary Cardiac Arrest.]
5. A recent study indicates that keeping HDL cholesterol high may help to reduce the risk of clot-related stroke in elderly men. Click here for information.
6. Click here for a study about the role of trans fats and systemic inflammation in heart failure.
   

The U.S. Government position

On January 12, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. The Guidelines include the following recommendation:

• Consume 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
  

The Guidelines also contain the following strong message to the food industry:

• Because trans fatty acids produced in the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils account for more than 80 percent of total intake, the food industry has an important role in decreasing trans fatty acid content of the food supply.

Tommy Thompson, the Secretary of HHS, said at a news conference on the Guidelines on January 12, 2005 that the FDA may recommend that daily intake of trans fat be less than 2 grams, perhaps less than 1 gram. Click here to read the transcript of the news conference. In effect, that would mean totally avoiding any food containing partially hydrogenated oils.
In March 2003, Denmark issued new regulations limiting the amount of trans fat in processed foods. Denmark's food minister said: "We put the public health above the industry's interests." Why can't the United States do the same?

The American Heart Association position

In June 2006, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued its "2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations." The recommendations contain a balanced approach to maintaining a healthy diet. The full recommendations are well worth reading as they represent the "state of the art" on nutrition.
On the subject of trans fat, the AHA recommends that your daily intake of trans fats be limited to 1 percent of total calories, which is equivalent to roughly 2 to 2.5 grams of trans fat per day. (The AHA also recommends that you limit saturated fat to about 15 to 19 grams per day.)
The AHA makes a "high-priority recommendation" that food manufacturers and restaurants replace partially hydrogenated oils with low saturated fat alternatives." We wholeheartedly agree.
Click here to read the full AHA recommendations and analysis.
Click here for the AHA website page summarizing the recommendations.
Click here for the AHA news release regarding the recommendations.

How much trans fat is in the products that we eat?

How much trans fat do we consume in a day? Some of us are consuming virtually none, because we are being extremely selective about what we eat. Some of us are consuming in excess of 15 grams of trans fat per day. If that sounds unbelievable, look at the following figures:
One McDonald's large fries contains 8 grams of trans fat.
A McDonald's apple pie contains 4.5 grams of trans fat.
Four Girl Scout shortbread cookies contain 1.5 grams of trans fat.
A large order of KFC Popcorn Chicken contains 7 grams of trans fat.
KFC's Chicken Pot Pie contains 14 grams of trans fat.
A typical 3-piece KFC Extra Crispy combo meal, with a drumstick, two thighs, potato wedges, and a biscuit contains 15 grams of trans fat.
Incidentally, don't think that the problem is only at McDonald's or other fast-food chains. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many other restaurants, including "quality" restaurants, fry their food in partially hydrogenated oil and served baked goods containing partially hydrogenated fat. Many of them serve larger portions with more trans fat than McDonald's.
How much are you consuming?

What not to eat

Here are six rules to help you avoid consuming partially hydrogenated oils. Don't think for one minute that this is all you need to do for your heart and your health. Eliminating partially hydrogenated oils from your diet is just one piece of the puzzle. This is not the place to educate you about heart health and other medical issues. But if you don't understand heart health, then learn about it - please - for your own and your family's well-being. And if you are avoiding squarely facing up to the issue, and possibly kidding yourself, then go to a cardiologist for a checkup if you haven't already done so. That applies to women too. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States.

1. Don't eat any product which has the words "partially hydrogenated" or "shortening" in the ingredients list.
   The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises:
   Consumers can know if a food contains trans fat by looking at the ingredient list on the food label. If the ingredient list includes the words “shortening,” “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “hydrogenated vegetable oil,” the food contains trans fat. Because ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance, smaller amounts are present when the ingredient is close to the end of the list.
   Note: Fully hydrogenated oils do not contain trans fat. However, if the word "hydrogenated" is used without the word "partially," that product may contain partially hydrogenated oil. Not all labeling is accurate and the word "partially" may have been wrongfully omitted on some products.
2. If the label says zero trans fats, don't believe it. If the words "partially hydrogenated" or "shortening" are in the ingredients list, it DOES contain trans fat.
   Under FDA regulations in effect in the United States, "if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram [of trans fat], the content, when declared, shall be expressed as zero." Suppose a product contains 0.4 grams per serving and you eat four servings (which is not uncommon). You have just consumed 1.6 grams of trans fat, despite the fact that the package claims that the product contains zero grams of trans fat per serving. Changing this rule is a high priority for BanTransFats.com. We are working on it.
   (In Canada, the situation is not as bad. If the serving contains less than 0.2 grams of trans fat, the content may expressed as zero. Click here for the Canadian rules.)
3. Be careful when consuming products with labels from outside the United States. Sometimes they contain partially hydrogenated oil but it's not on the label.
4. In restaurants, bakeries, and other eateries, ask whether they use partially hydrogenated oil for frying or baking or in salad dressings. If they say they use vegetable oil, ask whether it is partially hydrogenated. Don't be shy about asking. Assume that all unlabeled baked and fried goods contain partially hydrogenated oil, unless you know otherwise.
   Ask about that fried food. Ask about the oil in the salad dressing. Ask about that donut. Ask about that pie crust. Ask about that bread. When you ask, you are sending a message to the seller of the food that you don't want trans fats.
5. Keep saturated fat intake low too. This is very important.
6. Remember that polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fats are good fats.
   One more thing. Cholesterol that affects our arteries comes from two sources: (i) animal products and (ii) bad fats. If a product is "cholesterol fee," that doesn't mean that it won't raise your bad cholesterol. If the product itself contains no cholesterol but it does contain trans fat or saturated fat, it will raise your bad cholesterol.
   

To learn more about good and bad fats, click here.
Click here to see a TV video clip about trans fats, which includes an interview with Dr. Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health.

* This is not medical advice. If you have a medical condition that requires you to eat a particular product, you should consult your doctor before making any changes.