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Americans are in a world of hurt. Use of store-bought painkillers primarily for headaches increased by nearly 90% between 1997 and 2005 according to statistics provided by the Department of Drug Enforcement.
What’s worse, frequent use of over the counter painkillers can cause withdrawal headaches causing the sufferer to use an ever-increasing dose to treat symptoms and a cycle of overuse.
It’s no secret that recurring and sometimes debilitating headaches are a primary reason for the abuse of over the counter pain meds. Unfortunately, most folks popping pills to rid themselves of headaches have absolutely no idea what is causing them. Neither do most people know about natural ways to relieve headaches.
What if I told you that completely eliminating a single food additive would rid you of many, if not the majority of headaches that you suffer from?
That additive is none other than the ubiquitous monosodium glutamate, better known as MSG.
MSG is the mirror image of the naturally occurring glutamic acid in the human body. In a nutshell, MSG is glutamic acid gone bad.
MSG is a Neurotoxin and a Primary Cause of Headaches
MSG is a potent neurotoxin, according to neurologist Dr. Russell Blaylock MD, author of Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills. When consumed as an additive in processed foods, it hammers the hypothalamus, part of the brain stem, and shrivels and kills brain cells.
The hypothalamus is the Master Gland of the endocrine system. It controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue, and sleep.
Rats fed or injected with MSG get morbidly obese, possibly because the MSG causes the pancreas to increase the amount of insulin it secrets which can rapidly lead to insulin resistance and Metabolic Syndrome.
Ok, so we now know that MSG can contribute to weight issues and other metabolic problems.
But did you also know that MSG is a primary cause of headaches and migraines?
Most people fail to make the connection between MSG and their headache problems because the headache doesn’t always immediately happen after eating a MSG laced fast food meal, for example.
In some cases, the headache won’t take hold for a full 24 or even 72 hours later, long after that brief, dietary lapse has faded from memory.
The good news is that you can eliminate this additive from your life once and for all, and with it, your headaches and dependence on over the counter pain meds!
This is especially important for children. For example, even infrequent Tylenol use increases asthma risk tremendously.
Remove Processed Foods from Your Life
To accomplish this goal, you must basically swear off most, if not all, processed foods. Earlier in this post, I referred to MSG as ubiquitous because it is everywhere. MSG is the dominant additive in the food supply occurring in approximately 95% of all processed foods!
Restaurants use MSG-laden ingredients too. Most soups and sauces in restaurants come from some sort of “flavor” package. This innocent looking packet or bouillon cubes are loaded with MSG.
Steaks are frequently brushed with MSG before grilling to make them tastier for the consumer. This also disguises poor quality or old meat.
Beware also of restaurants that claim that they do not use MSG! What they are really telling you is that they don’t add any MSG.
MSG is still very much present in the flavor mixes, soup starters, and bottled sauces that they buy and use to prepare the food. They don’t make that stuff from scratch, I can assure you!
Beware also of products that have on the label “No MSG Added”.
The picture above is of a package of beef sausage bites my husband bought for our kids thinking it was MSG-free. Is it? Absolutely not! The ingredients list includes “natural spices” which is an MSG-alias.
Again, the manufacturer can get away with the “No MSG added” label because none of the listed ingredients contain more than 50% MSG.
Games, games, and more labeling games. Bottom line? If you think a product may contain MSG, it most likely does considering that 95% of processed foods have it added somewhere.
Once you decide to get off MSG and avoid it like the plague like I do, you will be delighted to see that headaches become a distant memory in your life story.
I can’t remember the last time I actually took ibuprofen or any over the counter pain med for anything, let alone a headache!
There is much benefit to be gained from slaying the Processed Food Giant in your home! Start by eliminating MSG from your life and experience the wonder of headache-free days that ensue from a happy hypothalamus!
References
(1) Department of Drug Enforcement
(2) When Headaches Come Off the Rebound
More Information
Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels are False!
Bone Broth and MSG: What You Need to Know
Healthy and Easy Bouillon Cubes Recipe
Stock or Broth? Are You Confused?
I am recently diagnosed with Celiac disease, and I have been suffering migraines since I was a young child. I am currently off all Gluten and still occasionally suffer from Migrains. I am seeing a nuerologist and he has me on on meds that dont seem to work.
I have had to change my diet and I think changing it a little more by avoiding MSG would be worth it.
Thanks to my dear friend Heather who sent me this article.
I am always open for suggestions if anyone out there has any.
Thanks Again for this!!
Nicole
A great post about MSG and the problems it causes. It is almost impossible to avoid MSG if you eat processed foods, or eat in restaurants. But the health benefits of avoiding MSG are terrific, not just in preventing headaches, but in protecting your mind, having more energy, and just plain feeling better.
It is worth it to eat real food, and avoid every possible source of MSG.
That’s very interesting. I have been avoiding those things for a couple years now because of corn and soy food sensitivities in my daughter, among others. And I can’t remember the last time I had to take an ibuprofen!
So very true! My daughter suffers from migraines. It is hereditary, but we discovered the MSG link a couple of years ago and things have improved dramatically! http://www.msgmyth.com has a list available of MSG containing foods. There are some things my daughter still eats, she is very picky. Her headaches now, mostly come from too much activity, not enough water or lack of sleep. The hunt for finding foods without MSG has sparked the healthy revolution in our home:)
Thanks!
Great article!! It is so hard to avoid! We went away for the day with my Mom yesterday and ate out. I have been in bed most of the day from what I suspect is something I ate because I am so tired (worse than usual) and my head hurts. Ugh!!
I would love to get my family totally off any and all processed junk because I see what it is doing to us and I KNOW how terrible it all is. I feel like little David trying to face Goliath at the grocery store though, with our almost non-existent food budget, how cheap junk is and how addicted my family is. Even though an constantly telling DH about all my health findings, he just doesn’t care. But like David, I hope that my Goliath (the grocery beast and family resistance) can be conquered.
PS: I LOVE your new blog design! It is fantastic!
Hi Liz, yes – autolyzed yeast extract is in most crackers and it is MSG for sure. I was at a birthday party for my child’s teacher yesterday and I ate TWO Ritz crackers (they have MSG a la autolyzed yeast in them) and I got a very slight headache within MINUTES! Fortunately, didn’t get enough of a dose to cause a problem as I noticed the tightening in my head and stopped eating any more!
Ugh, that’s terrible — so sorry to hear that! And to think people consume loads of that stuff on a daily basis without even realizing.
I thought it was important that you include a list of disguises that MSG hides behind, I found this good list online from http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm :
* Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG *
Monosodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein (Including TVP)
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Corn Oil
* Food Additives That FREQUENTLY Contain MSG *
Malt Extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavors/Flavoring
Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices
* Food Additives That MAY Contain MSG Or Excitotoxins *
Carrageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Concentrate
Thank you for this list Elizabeth I didn’t realize there were so many other additives that had MSG as well!
I too realized that MSG as well as other things was a major factor in mine and my husbands migraines that we were getting almost daily. At that time we were eating lots of frozen lunches at work, lots of bagged potato chips etc….terrible diet, but since we’ve changed our habits as well as our stress load as we both changed jobs at that time as well, we both have not had migraines since. I am getting headaches occassionally again now but I think it’s possibly a nutrient issue, magnesium possibly, because I am still breastfeeding my 17mth old.
Thanks for this post! Isn’t Autolyzed Yeast Extract a “naturally-occurring” form of MSG that many companies will use as a clever disguise?
Fantastic article advising no MSG- I’ve been singing this tune for a long time. I’m so glad you posted this. MSG can be a real problem not only for people prone to headaches, but also Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It was added to our American diet to increase the taste of foods, but now it has only become an aggravation. Some food producers are beginning to take MSG out of their products. I truly hope they are!
Thanks again, Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show
http://www.healthmattersshow.com
Sarah,
thanks for the important posts! I suffered migraines starting @8 yrs old. You are right MSG in its many hidden forms, Natural flavorings, spices, autolyzed yeast extract. ACCENT flavoring, soy sauce , bouillion cubes , Nutrasweet, aspartame. made me feel like I had a vice around my head. The pain was excruciating. I went to a neurologist and they put me on Elavil which made me feel so sleepy all the time. Rather than figure out what was causing the prob. they just wanted to treat the pain. Dr. Blaylock has done amazing work on this.
Fast forward many years and I am almost 99% headache free. I do not eat anything out of a box only a barn and food from fields not factories. Also, cane sugar, gluten and pasteurized milk were triggers. I now make sure to stay well hydrated, get lots of rest/ at regular times and take 400 milligrams of magnesium citrate. one in eve. and one in am. I notice now that seasoning grass fed beef, veggies, or anything w/ celtic sea salt brings out the wonderful flavors inherent in the food. Thanks again for all you do to educate!
Hi Katie,
Can you elaborate on the magnesium citrate? Unfortunately I too, suffer from debilitating migraines and although I currently take two 50 mg tabs of amitriptyline as a preventative measure, I still have episodes that leave me with black eyes, nausea and severe light and sounds sensitivity. I thought mag cit was used for constipation -what’s the connection to migraines?
Tx,
C-
Hi Chris
my apologies for just seeing your note today. Mag. def. is very prevalent in migraine sufferers. Blue Bonnett mag citrate does not have corn either and some vitamins do that are in citrate form and corn is an issue for me. Gluten intolerance is a MAJOR reason also for migraines and neurolical , inflammatory responses. I would recommend getting testing for celiac/ gluten antibodies first and even if it comes back neg. eliminate all forms of gluten. I would google mag. def. and migraines for more med info. good luck to you!