For those of us poor souls who are sensitive to MSG in our food, I encounter two reactions in others. The first is a headache (I don't usually get that) or hives (you can scratch everything off your bones, or wish to). Many years ago I learned that MSG will engender that reaction in me. Last night I woke at 3 AM feeling as though every mosquito in the world had joined the global reunion on my body. Finally, in desperation, I yanked my body to the medicine cabinet, teeth chattering as I left my nice warm bed, and took two chlortrimeton (anti-histamine) which I will only take at night. After a bit more than a half hour it had taken effect and I fell back to sleep.
With the push of the government on ridding us all of obesity, it is confusing to me why the public has not been made more aware of these additives. I realized that I had mistakenly bought a bag of sour cream and onion baked potato chips, thinking it was unflavored. Stupidly, I fell into the 'gee, these taste good' trap and ate too many before I checked to see what was in them, having checked quickly at the store to make sure no MSG was contained. Sure enough, the ingredients list read 'autolyzed yeast extract'. Now I not only had been poisoned but with the extract it was industrial strength!
The list seems to exclude anything that tastes good...or is it that anything that tastes good is on the list because of it? The reaction to MSG ingestion is not usually considered allergy causing since it does not seem to lead to an anaphylactic reaction. Bully that it won't kill me instantly, but going through life scratching is hardly what I would call a good life. The itching seems to be greatest about 4 PM, 11 PM and in the middle of the night. Apparently this is when my body is at its lowest point, fiven my Circadian rhythm.
With the push of the government on ridding us all of obesity, it is confusing to me why the public has not been made more aware of these additives. I realized that I had mistakenly bought a bag of sour cream and onion baked potato chips, thinking it was unflavored. Stupidly, I fell into the 'gee, these taste good' trap and ate too many before I checked to see what was in them, having checked quickly at the store to make sure no MSG was contained. Sure enough, the ingredients list read 'autolyzed yeast extract'. Now I not only had been poisoned but with the extract it was industrial strength!
The list seems to exclude anything that tastes good...or is it that anything that tastes good is on the list because of it? The reaction to MSG ingestion is not usually considered allergy causing since it does not seem to lead to an anaphylactic reaction. Bully that it won't kill me instantly, but going through life scratching is hardly what I would call a good life. The itching seems to be greatest about 4 PM, 11 PM and in the middle of the night. Apparently this is when my body is at its lowest point, fiven my Circadian rhythm.
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