Dr. Mercola July 29 2008 73,211 views
Food additives and poor diet could help explain poor school performance, criminal behavior, alcoholism, and the growing numbers of Alzheimer‘s patients.
According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, high sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which in turn leads to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes the brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.
The glutamate that causes this is identical to the flavor-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its chemical cousins, which are found in thousands of food products, further exacerbating the problem.
Repeated hypoglycemic episodes increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer‘s disease, Parkinson‘s and ALS (Lou Gehrig‘s). In children, hypoglycemia often leads to hyperactivity. In both children and adults, it can cause violent and aggressive behavior. In older people, there can be mental confusion.
An anti-hypoglycemic diet would consist of lean meat and lots of fresh vegetables. Another key is limiting sugars and starches.
Americans spend about 90 percent of their food budget on processed foods, which contain a staggering number of artificial food additives, preservatives, colors and flavor enhancers. It’s virtually impossible to identify them all and ascertain their true impact on your health.
However, some we know more about than others. For example, there’s a substantial body of evidence backing up the claim that sugar, artificial sweeteners and MSG have a radically negative impact on your body.
As you may know, I wrote an entire book just on artificial sweeteners, called Sweet Deception.
Another recent article addressed other hazardous food additives that should be avoided, such as:
Food Dyes and Preservatives That Make You See Red
The issue of whether or not food additives such as artificial colors contribute to behavioral problems in children has been disputed for many years. However, the tide is finally turning.
A carefully designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal The Lancet last year (for a free PDF of the full study see this link) concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate – found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings – do cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.
The study also found that the E-numbered food dyes do as much damage to children's brains as lead in gasoline, resulting in a significant reduction in IQ.
The results of this study have prompted the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) to issue an immediate advisory to parents, warning them to limit their children's intake of additives if they notice an effect on behavior. They’re also advising the food industry to voluntarily remove the six food dyes named in the study by the end of 2009, and replace them with natural alternatives if possible.
The U.S., however, has not followed suit in issuing any similar warnings to American parents.
Beware of Banned Food Additives in Children’s Medicines Too!
Another thing you need to be aware of, as a parent, is that when an ingredient is banned for use in food, it is not automatically banned for use in other areas such as medicine. According to an expose’ by the British Food Commission last year, food additives that have already been banned for use in food and beverages are still used in a majority of pediatric over-the-counter medicines.
Their survey found that ALL BUT ONE medicine out of 41 contained an additive that had been banned.
The additives found in these drugs included:
This is just one more reason why it’s so important to question what your doctor or any other health professional may prescribe or recommend for your child, no matter what side of the counter it comes from, as many pediatric drugs can certainly be harmful, if not downright toxic to your child’s health.
Sugar Does Nothing to Sweeten Your Demeanor
One study that measured the visible effects of sugar consumption gave kids the amount of sugar equal to one soda. As a result, their test scores went down. In fact, one hour after consuming the sugar, they made twice as many mistakes. The sugar-loaded students also showed more "inappropriate behavior" during free play.
As Dr. Blaylock explains, sugar has a profound influence on your brain function, and hence your psychological function. When you consume excess amounts of sugar, your body releases excess amounts of insulin, which in turn causes a drop in your blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia in turn causes your brain to secrete glutamate.
Glutamate is a “messenger molecule” that serves an important function in your body. However, when excess amounts of glutamate are excreted it can wreak havoc with your brain and nervous system, causing a variety of side effects such as agitation, depression, anger, anxiety and panic attacks.
The glutamate produced in your body is identical to the flavor-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is added to thousands of food products that boost your body’s glutamate load even higher.
The Bitter Impact of Added MSG
MSG is used in countless foods in your supermarket, local restaurants, school cafeterias, and more. Everything from soup to crackers to meats may contain it because MSG, as dangerous as it is, makes food taste good and it is dirt cheap, just like sugar.
There are a couple of main reasons why MSG is one of the worst food additives on the market. First, as Dr. Blaylock explains in his book Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, MSG is an excitotoxin, which means that it acts as a poison that overexcites your cells to the point of serious damage. MSG is non-discriminatory in its destructive path and can cause serious side effects throughout your bodily systems, including:
Other studies have confirmed that early exposure to MSG and other excitotoxins can destroy neurons in a crucial part of your brain, which can lead to gross obesity.
The second part of the equation is that MSG can be literally hidden in food labels, under names like broth, casein, hydrolyzed, autolyzed, natural flavors, and more, making it extremely difficult to identify.
MSGMyth.com has done a good job trying to uncover the many hidden references that MSG can hide beneath.
Incredibly, even infant formulas and baby food contain this poison, even though babies and infants, who are four times more sensitive than adults to the toxic effects of this chemical, are the most at risk.
In the 1970’s, food processors "voluntarily" took processed free glutamic acid (MSG) out of baby food. But that didn’t mean it was entirely removed. It was merely hidden deeper.
According to Dr. Blaylock’s Wellness Report, a 1995 review of MSG toxicity by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) concluded that infant formula contained a dose of glutamate (the toxic ingredient in MSG) in the form of caseinate (cow’s milk protein) that can produce the very same brain injury seen in experimental animals.
MSG also finds its way into baby food in the form of fertilizers called "Omega Protein Refined/Hydrolyzed Fish Emulsion" or "Steam Hydrolyzed Feather Meal," both of which contain hydrolyzed proteins.
Battle Against MSG Goes Sour as Fresh Produce May be Tainted as Well
The use of MSG in food manufacturing and processing is so pervasive, they’ve even found a way to use it on fresh produce. A product called AuxiGro WP Plant Metabolic Primer (AuxiGro), produced by Emerald BioAgriculture (previously Auxein Corporation) contains both hydrolyzed protein(s) and about 29 percent monosodium glutamate.
AuxiGro is used as a desiccant, disinfectant, fertilizer, fungicide, and growth regulator to increase yield and prevent powdery mildew in various crops. It’s a “Metabolic Primer” that increases plant productivity by priming plant metabolic pathways associated with growth, plant disease resistance, flowering, and “quality characteristics” of the produce.
Despite a fervent online search, finding in-depth information on this product proved to be profoundly aggravating, as virtually all official links related to it were mysteriously broken… However, it wasn’t entirely fruitless. According to TruthInLabeling.org, AuxiGro has been sprayed on fruits, vegetables and nuts for at least a decade.
On September 12, 2000, the Auxein Corporation Web site gave the following information about its use:
Crops registered include: Celery; Fresh Market Cucumbers; Edible Navy and Pinto Beans; Grapes; Bulb Onions; Bell, Green and Jalapeno Peppers; Iceberg Head Lettuce; Romaine and Butter Leaf Lettuce; Peanuts; Potatoes; Snap Beans; Strawberries; Processing Tomatoes; Fresh Tomatoes; and Watermelons.
As of 2002, AuxiGro was registered for use in California on tomatoes, almonds, apricots, cherries, plums, nectarines, peaches, prunes, grapes (including grapes to be used in wine), and onions. And in 2004 they requested approval to add cole crops (including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, turnips, rutabaga, mustard, watercress, and kohlrabi) to the list of crops approved for AuxiGro use.
Today, there is no known commercial crop that has not been approved for treatment with MSG by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Emerald BioAgriculture have also requested approval to use AuxiGro on ORGANIC CROPS, in all states. It does not appear as though their request for use on organic crops has ever been approved, per se. However, MSG-containing ingredients are not specified on the National Organic Program’s list of prohibited substances either, so it’s difficult to discern whether or not it’s being used in some organic farming as well.
To be on the safe side, I recommend purchasing your produce locally from organic farmers, and simply ask them if they use AuxiGro on their crops.
Behavior Modification Through Diet
Just as Dr. Blaylock recommends, an anti-hypoglycemic diet is your best bet when dealing with behavioral problems in children, as well as for the prevention of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Here are my best recommendations:
A lot of families are drinking diet sodas, to avoid the sugar.....I have seen young families at a farmers market buying organic,but gulping the aspertame stoopid juice.And when you try to tell them that at least the toddler should not drink they look at you like you're from another planet.FDA approved it, nothing wrong with it, they even show splenda on tv shown to be given to kids instead of sugar.
I bring up Bextra, Phen Phen,etc..to no avail. Those were isolated incidents.
Some sheeple cannot be helped out of their fluoride stupor
Dr. Russell Blaylock really rocks. I have discovered just two MDs who are worth reading - Drs Mercola and Blaylock -- they rarely disagree in their ultimate advice. Google Blaylock and get his monthly newsletter.
Timmid1
I have never posted here before, but I just have to comment on this article.
My 6 year old son was having behavior difficulties at school, as well as learning difficulties. They placed him in three special classes, speech, reading, and "special friends", i.e., to learn how to behave with other children. One day, my son came home with candy in his backpack. When I asked where he got it from, he said the teacher gives them out as rewards!!! Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, giving the kids Starburst and Skittles. When my MIL allowed my son to drink a bottle of Blue Gatoraide, the child was literally climbing the walls. I mean, literally, he ran around in circles and bounced off the walls. He could not calm down, and he ended up crying "Mommy, I just can't stop!" He couldn't stand himself, it was absolutely horrible. My MIL finally believed me when she saw that, I had been telling her for years to stop feeding him that crap. I ended up speaking to the teacher and purchasing little plastic dinosaurs and matchbox cars to give as rewards instead.
Then he began having 3-day illnesses, which I finally connected to him going camping with dh, and eating hot dogs, bacon, sausage. He also had visual disturbances, "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome" (google it). After opthalmologist, CT scan, etc., I put 2+2 together, and cut out all MSG, HFCS, food coloring (he didn't have much before, but he did on occasion while away).
I am pleased to report that all his AIWS is GONE, and he is now a pleasure to be around. He no longer vomits for 3 days after a weekend away. His reading level had increased from a level 4 to a level 14. He was going to be retained in 1st grade, but now his summer school teacher has stated that he is at a mid-2nd grade level, and will have no problem advancing to 2nd grade. No more impulsivity, no more tantrums, no more bed-wetting, and his self-esteem is getting better and better. All because of MSG, food dyes, and HFCS. - Michelle
Michelle, your son is so blessed to have you as his mother!
Well done! Your story will help other parents to do the detective work needed to help their children.
Thank you so much for taking time to post.
And welcome!
Shellyct
I went throught the same thing with my four-year-old. This week she will be six. She was having visual disturbances. She was coming up to us and asking us to make the spots go away. We went to three eye doctors. One was a specialist in Houston. We finally had an MRI that actually showed brain inflammation. During the MRI the 700 club was on and they were talking about msg, antibiotics and hormones in food, and artificial sweeteners. I realized that this was my daughters symptoms. I started the feingold diet as a basis to start with eliminated the msg and hfcs. I am constantly learning things about what is in the food. I kept a journal and in 25 days she was seeing only one spot. She is still seeing one spot. I have not been willing to put her through any more tests. I know that the Lord has healed her and the rest has been diet. Someone gave her goldfish the other day (yellow food coloring and msg) She could not stand herself and had migraine headaches for two days. I do treat the headaches with lavender and pepperment essential oils from youngliving.
Reesacat -- if I can open other parents eyes, it will be all worth it. I am continually amazed at the plethora of crap parents shovel into their kids on a daily basis, it just boggles the mind. We ate pretty well before, but had to really crack down and not let even a little bit in. The rewards are amazing!
Oh, and my son's comment to me last week: "Mommy, I had no idea I was so smart!" It about broke my heart in a million pieces.
Michelle
Wow, Shellyct, what a story!! Keep sharing it, others need to know. So many people think our bodies can run on whatever so-called fuel we put in it, and it won't affect our health, much less our behavior. Sooo wrong.
This is a very good explanation for probably most cases of children with such problems, and would explain why there has been such a huge increase! I have two little boys, and so many kids I see in their age group seem "off" to me, there's something wrong with them, and I bet much of it is diet.
Add in vaccines and high use of formula in the USA (which given the info in this article, CAN be blamed), and we have a whole country of kids who just don't have a chance to be normal!
Keep spreading the word, folks, it IS good news... It means these problems can be FIXED and CURED!!
Shellyct, I'm a new poster too - as this is my first post. This is a HOT topic with me right now and you have described my kids to a T. My youngest (4 year old boy) was nearly as bad as your son was, and my oldest (7 year old boy) is close behind. They are both pretty emotional, to the point where they say they cannot control themselves. I used to think I fed them pretty healthy. I rarely gave them soda, made sure they didn't get too much grain, made sure they had plenty of water, veggies, and fruit.
Where I failed was the processed foods. I used to buy things like Hamburger or Tuna helpers to prepare about 2 or 3 times per week. And *sometimes* we would not have a veggie side with those MSG laden foods. No more. We havn't had food from a box for about a year now. I've recently started analyzing EVERYTHING for hidden sources of MSG & other junk. Not only are my kid's moods improving, but mine is improving too.
I recently took both boys to a naturopath. They had a neurotramsitter test and I've received the results for my youngest. His Glutamate level was nearly 75, when optimal range is 10 to 35. All of his other levels were pretty messed up too. Because of this, I've read Dr. Blaylock's Excitotoxins book and learned a LOT.
I do my best to share this information with others who show the least bit of interest. I hope other parents really start to learn of these things.