PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― Food takes center stage with Thanksgiving next week. There is an alarming study about a popular food ingredient that's often hidden and it can make you gain weight.
MSG, monosodium glutamate, is found in everything from canned soup to those cheese flavored tortilla chips. In many cases it's what makes these favorite foods taste so good.
"You're eating a lot of MSG and you probably don't even realize it. It's just a baseline across a lot of foods," said Nutritionist Melanie Pearsall.
Some people try to avoid MSG, believing it causes headaches, but a new study suggests it also can be contributing to America's expanding waistline.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina followed people in rural China. They all ate the same healthy foods. Some used MSG, others did not.
"We analyzed the data and found that those who used MSG are more likely to be overweight than non-users," said Dr. Ka He, University of North Carolina.
In fact, the researchers found three times the rate of overweight people in the high MSG-use group compared to the non-users.
For years, animal studies have suggested a possible link between MSG and obesity. This study is the first to make the connection in humans, but at this point there's no explanation.
Because the government considers it safe, there are no warnings or restrictions or MSG.
"We have to be pretty savvy about reading the label and trying to find things that are less processed," said Pearsall.
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1 comment:
Wow, very interesting and not entirely surprising. A sprinkle of deluxe finishing salt is tastier than MSG any day.
Check out the update on the "organic" butcher plz.
http://phillymarketcafe.blogspot.com/2008/11/reading-terminal-market-mis-management.html
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