I went to a Chinese restaurant a few months ago. When I asked for my meal without MSG the waiter simply nodded his head and repeated me. He also nodded his head when I asked for honey for my tea and never bought it to me so I wonder, when you ask for NO MSG do they really comply?

I don't eat out much mostly because you really have no idea what you are eating. Stir fry is soooooo easy to make at home and so much better for you.

From Life Extension Magazine:  Thus, MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, while "glutamate," as the term is used most often these days, is the ionic form of glutamic acid. True, the body can use MSG as a source of glutamate, but there is also all that sodium coming in, perhaps causing sodium/potassium imbalance, dehydration, and disturbances in the constriction and dilation of blood vessels. Dehydration alone is enough to cause the kind of dull headache that some Western patrons of Chinese restaurants have complained about. I suspect that some (most?) Westerners eat much larger portions than Asians, and thus perhaps consume more MSG in one meal than is typical of Asians.

Nevertheless, those prone to migraines should avoid MSG and aspartame, and all of us should avoid these compounds in large doses. There is no question that very high doses of MSG can overwhelm brain defenses and cause neural damage. It is interesting that it is young children with immature nervous systems who are most susceptible to MSG damage, and not the elderly.

We should be just as concerned about the toxic ingredients in so-called “natural” supplements. I’m learning more and more about the toxicity of magnesium stearate and stearic acid, and they’re in just about every supplement on the market. Here’s a copy & paste from a web site I found that sells products that don’t contain either of those. I’m not connected to this company,  just passing along this information:

Check your vitamin labels.  Do they contain Magnesium Stearate or Stearic Acid? Studies by the University of Texas Health Science Center and the East Carolina University School of Medicine reveal that these toxic excipients cause a rapid collapse of T-cell membrane function and cell death; therefore suppressing the immune system. (Immunology, 1990, Jul.)

It is estimated that 90% of the vitamin and mineral products consumed today contain stearates.  Stearates are used as binders in tablets and in the processing of gelatin capsules.  Consumers often take handfuls of capsules and tablets to get vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients from supplements that contain stearates, and instead, in reality, get a powerful immune suppressive treatment.

For more information on this topic and copies of the above-quoted studies as well as other studies and warnings concerning stearates, send an email to service@qnlabs.com.

"The public must be more aware of nutritional products that initially bring a good vitamin or mineral but hurt you in other ways." (Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, Commissioner - Texas Department of Health, speaking before the Texas Strategic Health Partnership,

University of Texas, Sept. 25, 2003)