With the holiday season officially upon us, we get a little lax when it comes to diet and nutrition, and let our indulgences temporarily take over. I know that I let my food habits take a back seat in the name of tasty traditions and extravagant meals... AND THAT'S OKAY! There's no point in eating clean if it feels like you are depriving yourself of what you want. We just know that if we eat our favorite junk, that we will need to clean out that junk later... and we will talk about that... LATER. For now, I want to focus on two sneaky additives that you need to be aware of that are NEVER okay because of how damaging they are, and the plethora different names they go by that infiltrate even baby foods!
These are: GLUTAMATE and ASPARTATE. They are 2 amino acids that have been found to pass our blood brain barrier and force open the calcium ion channels in our neurons. This allows a flood of calcium to overtake the neuron, overexciting it and ultimately kills the neuron! They were coined excitotoxins and have been reported upon and studied since the 90s. It was found initially that a spike in these 2 amino acids were found after traumatic brain injuries from things like head trauma and stroke.
Unfortunately for us, these additives have also been found to excite our taste buds as well. Many food and snack companies found that if they remove them from their products, sales go down and when they put them in, sales go up. It has slowly infiltrated many of our most common and beloved packaged foods, even foods for infants and toddlers! This is especially harmful when it comes to children, because their blood brain barriers are not completely formed until they are around 6-7 years old. Pair that with how children's brain is developing so much at that same age range (birth to 5-6), it is imperative that we keep these away from ourselves and our children!
Glutamate is the biggest offender, being responsible for 90% of the problem. It is the most common additive used in store bought goods as a flavor enhancer. Aspartate is found in 10% of foods, making it far less common in our everyday items, but where it IS prevalent is in: Drinks-- Namely calorie free sodas, although it can also be found in some medications, including children's medication. I was alarmed to find that if a pregnant women regularly consumes diet soda and has a boy, there is a 400% increase in autism due to the aspartame, and they mostly blame the methanol component.
Here are the common listed ingredients that ALWAYS contains Glutamate that are found in foods (but not complete list): Monosodium Glutamate, Glutamate, Glutamic acid, Monopotassium glutamate, Calcium Caseinate, Gelatin, Textured protein, Yeast nutrient, Yeast extract, Yeast food, Autolyzed yeast, Hydrolyzed protein, Hydrolyzed corn gluten.
This list contains common listed ingredients that OFTEN contain or are contaminated with glutamate during processing: Carrageenan, maltodextrin, malt extract, natural pork flavoring, citric acid, Malt flavoring, Bouillon and broth, Natural chicken flavoring, Soy Protein Isolate, Natural beef flavoring, Ultra-pasteurized soy sauce, Stock barley malt, soy protein, soy sauce extract, whey protein concentrate, pectin, soy protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, protease enzymes, anything protein fortified, flavors or flavorings, anything fermented, anything enzyme modified or hydrolyzed, natural flavor and flavoring, anything enzyme modified, anything enzymes.
These lists can be found on the website thetruthinlabeling.org. But if that wasn't depressing enough, the website also states "MSG reactions have been reported to soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics where MSG is hidden in ingredients that include the words "hydrolyzed," "amino acids," and "protein.""
There is a silver lining though~ MAGNESIUM!! Magnesium blocks the opening of the calcium ion channel, protecting the voltage gated ion channel from the excitotoxins effects. Furthermore, EVERYONE is DEFINITELY deficient in magnesium, because it has been leeched from our soil (thanks, Roundup!). That means even foods that typically should be high in magnesium don't actually have any in them because of the soil depletion. Because of that, EVERYONE should be supplementing with magnesium! How much you need depends on your weight ~ 3mg per lb. (eg. if you are 100 lbs, you will need 300mg a day). You can take half your daily dose in the morning with food, and the other half in the evening. As for what type of magnesium, I recommend magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate.
So all this is to say, that while you indulge, please do so responsibly! Read your labels, look out for those 2 amino acids and their sneaky aliases to minimize your exposure to these deceptively deadly additives. And supplement with magnesium according to your body weight needs!
Avoid Glutamate and Aspartate and their sneaky aliases... and supplement with magnesium according to your body weight needs!
On a personal note, I just want to say, that I know holiday season is a time for indulgence, and believe me, I am just as sad to see how prevalent these are found in our everyday foods, even those that I thought were healthy! Having 2 small children at home, I know how easy it is to have mom-guilt. The reality though, is that we can't get mad at ourselves for past actions when we didn't know. That being said, now that we DO know, we want to eliminate these excitotoxins for our families to protect their precious little developing brains and nervous systems, while fortifying their little ion channels with magnesium. And for the holidays, let's make our own indulgent yummies so that we all can have a safe and delicious holiday season! There are so many tasty and fun holiday recipes out there. You can make it a bonding experience for your family and have peace of mind that the ingredients are clean. If you need inspiration, we drop yummy recipes all the time in our newsletters!
I wish you all a safe, healthy, fun, family-filled holiday season full of homemade goodies... and lots of magnesium!
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