What’s Wrong with MSG aka Glutamate?
MSG – monosodium glutamate – is a flavor enhancer that creates the savory “fifth flavor”, umami. MSG and its analogs are known by dozens of other names such as:
- Autolyzed protein
- Hydrolyzed protein
- Corn starch
- Protein isolates
- Yeast extract
- Gelatin
- Barley malt
- Bouillon
- Natural flavoring
- Artificial flavoring
- Soy sauce
Foods can be hiding other forms of glutamate even if MSG isn’t listed on the label. Processed foods contain orders-of-magnitude-higher levels of glutamate versus a few decades ago, as the authors document. The authors prove with peer-reviewed science that glutamate can:
- Damage or kill nerve cells because it is an excitotoxin
- Lead to dysbiosis in the gut microbiome
- Contribute to inflammation in the body
Katie Reid’s Personal Story
In the book, Dr. Reid details her daughter Taylor’s autism reversal, which was achieved gradually, first by making whole-food smoothies, next with the gluten-free/casein-free diet and then finally with the low-glutamate diet. At this point, she began questioning every single ingredient in her daughter’s diet, which led her into a “full-fledged investigation of the food industry.” She also developed the REID (Reduced Excitatory Inflammatory Diet) to help others understand how excess glutamate contributes to autism and other chronic health conditions.
What Else Is in the Book?
This book details Dr. Reid’s research and investigations into the food industry. By reviewing peer-reviewed medical research (see Sources & References, below), she built on the work of neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock’s Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills. She also discovered how excess glutamate signaling contributes to symptoms of:
- Mood disorders
- Learning disabilities
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinson’s
- Strokes
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Obesity
This book is an in-depth investigation of the deceptive practices of the processed-food industry, especially as it relates to what she calls “the food manufacturer’s secret ingredient”, glutamate. Readers will learn about loose regulations and enforcement of the industry, as well as misleading claims on food products and how the word “enzymes” on a food label is a red flag. Readers will also learn how the “glutamate is safe” debate is heavily funded by the food industry.
In later chapters, Dr. Reid explains glutamate signaling in depth, as well as how it and the processed foods it’s commonly found in can damage the health of the gut microbiome and lead to chronic inflammation. These processes are all drivers of chronic health conditions, and Dr. Reid describes how excess glutamate contributes to many of the diagnoses listed above.
The REID Protocol
The final chapter of the book details the REID protocol, of which there are six principles that form its foundation:
- Reduce excitotoxicity
- Reduce inflammation
- Increase fiber from vegetables
- Diversify
- Know where your food comes from and how it’s made
- Embrace the food journey as a lifestyle
From this protocol, Dr. Reid has developed ten goals about how to put REID into practice. These goals have detailed, practical ideas in a well-thought-order designed to create success in following the protocol. The goals are:
- A call to action to redefine food
- Eliminate wheat gluten and processed grains
- Eliminate dairy
- Increase consumption of high-fiber vegetables and herbs throughout the day
- Clean out your environment (start with your kitchen)
- Restock your kitchen
- Eliminate refined sugars and reserve fruit as a treat
- Identify your go-to foods
- Have a quality control plan for consuming foods outside the home
- Embrace the journey toward the perfect plate
Appendix B of the book contains a meal plan and recipes to guide readers into making these changes.
Success is definitely possible in following this protocol. Not only did Dr. Reid’s daughter reverse her diagnosis with this protocol, but you can also read about Patrick and Charlie’s reversal of their autism diagnoses here using the REID protocol.
About Katie Reid PhD
Dr. Katherine Reid is a biochemist and the founder of Unblind My Mind (UMM), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to improving health one bite at a time.
Because she is a biochemist, she researched brain chemistry and discovered that many of the foods she was feeding her daughter were causing her daughter’s autism symptoms. She discovered how free glumates in food can cause symptoms of autism, and her TEDx video Unblind My Mind: What Are We Eating? Dr. Katherine Reid at TEDxYouth@GrassValley has been viewed over 250,000 times.
In graduate school, she studied biochemistry and was a teaching assistant for Chemistry of Nutrition. From a scientific perspective, she appreciated the link between nutrition and vital biochemical functions. Her career has focused on protein chemistry mainly as it applies to developing protein therapeutics.
In graduate school, she studied biochemistry and was a teaching assistant for Chemistry of Nutrition. From a scientific perspective, she appreciated the link between nutrition and vital biochemical functions. Her career has focused on protein chemistry mainly as it applies to developing protein therapeutics.
About Barbara Price PhD
Barbara Price, MS, MA, PhD, has studied topics ranging from climate change to protein biophysics and has turned her passion for science into a career as a science writer and editor.
As a senior science development editor for major educational publishers, she helps textbook authors turn highly technical information into narratives that teach. As an editor and science write, she supports scientists who have their own stories to tell. Price has also authored original content for young learners and general audiences.
She is also an avid gardener and believes that health begins with good food. She lives in northern California.
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Resources
Books
Adams, Mike. The Truth About Aspartame, MSG and Excitoxins. Truth Publishing, Inc., 2010.
Blaylock MD, Russell. Excitoxins: The Taste That Kills. Health Press, 1996.
Lambert, Beth, et al. Brain Under Attack: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers of Children with PANS, PANDAS and Autoimmune Encephalitis. Answers Publications, 2018.
Reid, Katherine, et al. Fat, Stressed, and Sick: MSG, Processed Food, and America’s Health Crisis. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2023.
Ross, Julia. The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions–Today. Penguin Life, 2003.
Scott, Trudy. The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings. New Harbinger Publications, 2011.
