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Are You Excited?
By David Blyweiss
Your food can be a killer—and I don’t mean just the junk food. The main culprits are the additives monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartate (a component of NutraSweet) that lace our foods to enhance their taste. Known as “excitotoxins,” these chemicals have been used for years to pump up the flavor of processed foods like soups, snacks, sauces, gravies, many low-fat and vegetarian processed foods. Of course, food manufacturers insist that they are completely safe, but a growing number of studies are raising red flags over their affect on the brain.
It turns out that excitotoxins over stimulate neuron receptors. As a result, research suggests that regularly consuming excitotoxins like MSG and aspartame can, over time, destroy significant numbers of brain cells and lead to serious health problems including neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Recent studies also suggest that artificial sweeteners can damage DNA, and I’m not just talking about aspartame. Acesulfame-K and saccharin can also trigger breaks in DNA strands. This DNA damage can eventually lead to serious health problems including cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Even short-term exposure can cause problems. According to many experts, foods containing flavor-enhancing excitotoxins are also often to blame for headaches, water retention, skin problems and other health complaints.
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