Guest guest Posted July 24, 2000 Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 Zev stated: I don't agree that the aggravation of allergens outweigh the importance of foods that are " theoretically " good for you. And I don't agree that there is some genetic predisposition to allergic foods. Zev, despite the fact that you misquoted in your above statement, and may have missed the point, there are many people that are born with a predisposition to reactions to certain foods. Not too long ago a young boy here in my small town DIED because he ate a cookie that had small pieces of walnut. He was born with that allergic food reaction. He was generally healthy and did not have a lot of other food intolerance problems. That was not just spleen vacuity! And of course he is not the only person with that type of reaction to walnuts. As you know, severe peanut allergies are also common. Do all of these peanut allergy responders have the same blood type, or a vacuity as the cause? Perhaps, but not likely. I know several people that react to MSG. The negative consequences to their health of ingesting MSG can be quite severe. Please find me an herb or formula that will have the same intense effect on their health, on the positive side, every time they ingest it as the MSG has toward the negative. Gui Zhi Tang is a nice formula, for some people. But in fact some spleen vacuity types have a negative reaction, along the lines of a food sensitivity, to cinnamon! In the middle east there are many people that are allergic to fava beans, which apparently can cause damage to the red blood cells, spontaneous bleeding, and anemia in those who inherit this susceptibility. In these individuals an enzyme in their red blood cells (G6PD) that is important for maintenance of cellular structure and function, is deficient. Geneticists have found the G6PD deficiency characteristic to be the most common genetic variation that has as yet been identified. This does not mean that their constitution cannot be improved with good TCM dietary practices, appropriate herbs and acupuncture. But if you treat them every day for two weeks and then give them fava beans one time, you will have done many of them more harm with one dose of fava beans than the good they gained in the two weeks of treatment. Your response also states the potential benefits of using TCM to improve one's health, regardless of the condition. I think you're preaching to the choir. However it is also important to know one's limitations, and that would include the limitations of any one form of medicine. Of course we can all learn and know more about TCM, isn't that what we are doing here. Even Zhang Ji could have used some greater insight since nearly 100 of his relatives died over a short few years under his able care. And many of them had apparently been taking gui zhi tang! Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2000 Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 on 7/24/00 10:42 AM, stephen at stephen wrote: > > > Zev stated: I don't agree that the aggravation of allergens outweigh the > importance > of foods that are " theoretically " good for you. And I don't agree that > there is some genetic predisposition to allergic foods. > > > Zev, despite the fact that you misquoted in your above statement, and may > have missed the point, there are many people that are born with a > predisposition to reactions to certain foods. Not too long ago a young boy > here in my small town DIED because he ate a cookie that had small pieces of > walnut. He was born with that allergic food reaction. He was generally > healthy and did not have a lot of other food intolerance problems. That was > not just spleen vacuity! And of course he is not the only person with that > type of reaction to walnuts. As you know, severe peanut allergies are also > common. Do all of these peanut allergy responders have the same blood type, > or a vacuity as the cause? Perhaps, but not likely. I know several people > that react to MSG. The negative consequences to their health of ingesting > MSG can be quite severe. Please find me an herb or formula that will have > the same intense effect on their health, on the positive side, every time > they ingest it as the MSG has toward the negative. Gui Zhi Tang is a nice > formula, for some people. But in fact some spleen vacuity types have a > negative reaction, along the lines of a food sensitivity, to cinnamon! Stephen, Even though MSG has a natural source (seaweed, I believe, correct me if I am wrong), it is closer to a chemical drug after processing, and, therefore, is potentially quite toxic. Certainly we are dealing with a drug toxin effect with MSG in Chinese medical terms, and there are protocols for dealing with such situations. > > In the middle east there are many people that are allergic to fava beans, > which apparently can cause damage to the red blood cells, spontaneous > bleeding, and anemia in those who inherit this susceptibility. In these > individuals an enzyme in their red blood cells (G6PD) that is important for > maintenance of cellular structure and function, is deficient. Geneticists > have found the G6PD deficiency characteristic to be the most common genetic > variation that has as yet been identified. This does not mean that their > constitution cannot be improved with good TCM dietary practices, appropriate > herbs and acupuncture. But if you treat them every day for two weeks and > then give them fava beans one time, you will have done many of them more > harm with one dose of fava beans than the good they gained in the two weeks > of treatment. Favism has been known for centuries, and seems to appear among those where fava beans are a major part of the diet. This, again, would seem to be a toxin present in a particular food, and the response of individuals to it over time. Is it possible that this response becomes coded in the genetic code? On the enzyme in blood cell issue, this is more complex, and there are pros and cons on the deterministic factors of genetic predispositions. I think they are greatly overrated, myself. For example, the recent debate over breast cancer genes and predisposition to the disease. Also, a question comes up that I tried to raise in my last e-mail.. . we need to ask WHY there is a genetic predisposition to disease or food intolerance? Is this from environmental factors that have been coded in genetics? > > Your response also states the potential benefits of using TCM to improve > one's health, regardless of the condition. I think you're preaching to the > choir. However it is also important to know one's limitations, and that > would include the limitations of any one form of medicine. Of course we can > all learn and know more about TCM, isn't that what we are doing here. Even > Zhang Ji could have used some greater insight since nearly 100 of his > relatives died over a short few years under his able care. And many of them > had apparently been taking gui zhi tang! Perhaps you can qualify this last statement a bit more? By the way, I really appreciate the work you are doing with Chinese herbs. I hope your work with China is going well. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2000 Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 MSG is a natural byproduct of making Miso Alon - Monday, July 24, 2000 11:26 AM Re: food/herb intolerance on 7/24/00 10:42 AM, stephen atstephen wrote:> > > Zev stated: I don't agree that the aggravation of allergens outweigh the> importance> of foods that are "theoretically" good for you. And I don't agree that> there is some genetic predisposition to allergic foods.> > > Zev, despite the fact that you misquoted in your above statement, and may> have missed the point, there are many people that are born with a> predisposition to reactions to certain foods. Not too long ago a young boy> here in my small town DIED because he ate a cookie that had small pieces of> walnut. He was born with that allergic food reaction. He was generally> healthy and did not have a lot of other food intolerance problems. That was> not just spleen vacuity! And of course he is not the only person with that> type of reaction to walnuts. As you know, severe peanut allergies are also> common. Do all of these peanut allergy responders have the same blood type,> or a vacuity as the cause? Perhaps, but not likely. I know several people> that react to MSG. The negative consequences to their health of ingesting> MSG can be quite severe. Please find me an herb or formula that will have> the same intense effect on their health, on the positive side, every time> they ingest it as the MSG has toward the negative. Gui Zhi Tang is a nice> formula, for some people. But in fact some spleen vacuity types have a> negative reaction, along the lines of a food sensitivity, to cinnamon!Stephen, Even though MSG has a natural source (seaweed, I believe, correct me if Iam wrong), it is closer to a chemical drug after processing, and, therefore,is potentially quite toxic. Certainly we are dealing with a drug toxineffect with MSG in Chinese medical terms, and there are protocols fordealing with such situations.> > In the middle east there are many people that are allergic to fava beans,> which apparently can cause damage to the red blood cells, spontaneous> bleeding, and anemia in those who inherit this susceptibility. In these> individuals an enzyme in their red blood cells (G6PD) that is important for> maintenance of cellular structure and function, is deficient. Geneticists> have found the G6PD deficiency characteristic to be the most common genetic> variation that has as yet been identified. This does not mean that their> constitution cannot be improved with good TCM dietary practices, appropriate> herbs and acupuncture. But if you treat them every day for two weeks and> then give them fava beans one time, you will have done many of them more> harm with one dose of fava beans than the good they gained in the two weeks> of treatment.Favism has been known for centuries, and seems to appear among those wherefava beans are a major part of the diet. This, again, would seem to be atoxin present in a particular food, and the response of individuals to itover time. Is it possible that this response becomes coded in the geneticcode? On the enzyme in blood cell issue, this is more complex, and thereare pros and cons on the deterministic factors of genetic predispositions.I think they are greatly overrated, myself. For example, the recent debateover breast cancer genes and predisposition to the disease.Also, a question comes up that I tried to raise in my last e-mail.. . weneed to ask WHY there is a genetic predisposition to disease or foodintolerance? Is this from environmental factors that have been coded ingenetics? > > Your response also states the potential benefits of using TCM to improve> one's health, regardless of the condition. I think you're preaching to the> choir. However it is also important to know one's limitations, and that> would include the limitations of any one form of medicine. Of course we can> all learn and know more about TCM, isn't that what we are doing here. Even> Zhang Ji could have used some greater insight since nearly 100 of his> relatives died over a short few years under his able care. And many of them> had apparently been taking gui zhi tang!Perhaps you can qualify this last statement a bit more?By the way, I really appreciate the work you are doing with Chinese herbs.I hope your work with China is going well.> Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2000 Report Share Posted July 25, 2000 Here is an article I wrote on MSG. There are poisons in our environment that nature never intended for us to consume. Therapies of any sort can not compensate for a life that has moved away from nature/wisdom. WHAT IS MSG DOING IN OUR FOOD? Working in the health field helps me to keep in touch with some of the latest " misinformation" that is perpetuated upon the general public by the media, pharmaceutical companies and some factions of the food industry. One of the most recent things that I have come upon is the use of MSG and its hidden uses in foods that we do not suspect. The history of MSG is interesting and I will give a very brief outline of it. For thousands of years the Japanese have used seaweed or Kombu as a seasoning ingredient. At that time the active flavor enhancing substance within the seaweed had not been identified. In 1909, a Japanese man, Kikunae Ikeda, discovered the active extract of the seaweed had the characteristics of glutamic acid, and that this active substance was monosodium glutamate, the sodium salt of glutamic acid. The product that was eventually trademarked was call ‘Aji - no - moto” which means, “ At the origin of flavor.” It was generally accepted as a food additive in the USA after the second World War when the Japanese rations were noticed to taste good. At a landmark meeting in 1948 of the heads of all the major food industries, it was generally agreed upon that MSG was the substance that they needed in the food. It made the food taste better as well as hid the tastes of staleness, bitterness, sourness, tinny taste (from canned foods), and generally improved flavors. With the use of MSG, they also did not have to try to enhance the foods with extra spices which are more costly and time consuming to prepare. Now, MSG is used widely as a food enhancer for increasing the flavor of food. But what most people do not know is that it produces flavor enhancing effects by stimulating your taste buds. Scientists call glutamic acid, from which MSG is derived, " an excitotoxic amino acid" because it is known to excite and even kill brain cells in laboratory animals. In other words MSG doesn't change the food at all but excites the taste buds and in many cases causes adverse reactions. Now, we may think to ourselves, " Well, I'll just stay away from foods that have MSG in them." This is possible only to a certain extent. When the protein hydrolysis and processing yield a product that is 99% free glutamic acid, the product is called "monosodium glutamate" or MSG and must be labeled as such on foods in which it is added to. But here's the trick. When a product contains anything less than 99% pure MSG it does not have to be labeled as MSG and may be listed under other names such as sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, autolyzed yeast, textured protein, yeast food, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and hydrolyzed protein. All these products contain MSG - between 8 - 40%. But there is more to it. Under FDA regulation, hydrolyzed protein may be included in various products with no mention of these MSG "type" products. Thus, broth, bouillon, stock, flavoring, natural flavoring, many soups, salad dressings, processed meats, some crackers, bread, some brands of canned tuna fish, most frozen entrees, some ice cream and frozen yogurt may have MSG put in the product without it being known by the consumer. Even NutraSweet R which has an excitotoxic amino acid in it similar to MSG and has created adverse reactions to thousands of people. The Federal Code of Regulation, defining natural flavorings states that “natural flavoring” be applied to: “ the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate distillate (hydrolyzed protein) or any product of roasting or heating….” This definition paves the way for labeling protein hydrolysate as natural flavorings. There are more than 80 million pounds of MSG is used early in the United States alone and this doesn’t even include the enormous amounts of hydrolyzed vegetable protein added to foods. What are symptoms of MSG toxicity or poisoning? There are so many different symptoms that people often question how a single substance could cause such diverse reactions. The answer lies in the fact that MSG is a neurotropic drug - that is a substance that affects the nervous system. If you realize that valium and lithium, which are popular neurotropic drugs, may produce a wide variety of side effects, you should not be surprised that the same is true of MSG. It is estimated that approximately 25 - 30% of the population react to MSG at levels presently found in food. Some people show an overt MSG reaction when it is take in foods but we do not know what type of reaction people may be having to MSG that is not showing up as an obvious reaction. Some of the reactions that MSG - sensitive people have reported are simple skin rash, flushing, tingling, bloating, fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe gastric distress, diarrhea, headache, migraine headache, irregular heart beat, rapid heart beat, chest tightness, arthritic joint pains, diarrhea, nausea, blurring vision, seeing shining lights, difficulty focusing, nausea, vomiting, anxiety attacks, depression, hyperactivity in children, mood swings, mouth lesions, asthmatic attacks, and tremors. If you experience any of these symptoms you must understand that none are caused exclusively by MSG. But MSG may cause these reactions or trigger some of these conditions that people already suffer from. These symptoms do not necessarily happen immediately but may take from 15 minutes to up to 48 hours to manifest as it absorbs deeper into the tissues. Some people keep a journal of the foods they eat and if they contain MSG or its equivalent, and note the reaction they may have. One couple kept a journal for their son and found that it took two days for the MSG to cause a reaction in him which was in the form of severe migraines for which he usually needed hospitalization. After eliminating the MSG the headaches have ceased. As an herbalist, I see so many people who are ill with a myriad of conditions and symptoms. In the ancient days it may have been much easier to treat some of these conditions because the situations may have been less complicated. But for example, if a person is suffering from irregular heart beat, I may recommend certain herbs and may not see the results that I expected. This condition may be due to the fact that the client may be eating food that contain a "neurotropic drug" which is causing an adverse stimulation of the nervous system thus the situation is constantly being stimulated by a hidden drug. The key to handling this situation is to eat an MSG free diet. This would include fresh fruits, vegetables and unprocessed fresh meats, poultry and fish. Whole grains such as rice and pastas are usually fine. Organic, of course, is the best. Avoid all use of sugar substitute "aspartame" found most often as NutraSweet R because it causes the same adverse reactions as MSG and avoid foods and breads that have "dough conditioners" as these have MSG like material in them. Read the labels on salad dressing because many of them have MSG or some derivative of it. Be careful of any of the new "light" food which have reduced fat. The reduced part is fine, but to replace the flavor lost when the fat content was cut, most manufactures are using MSG. Read labels carefully. Avoid processed or dried foods with “flavor packets.” Many times these packets contain MSG to improve the flavor. They are most commonly found in boxed rice and pasta dishes. Check the ingredients of canned meats and fish as well as gravies, chili, stews and sauces. And watch for the MSG that may be in the deli case. Most sausages, some luncheon meats as well as smoked meat products contain MSG as well. What I feel is so disturbing about this type of situation is that we may be trying to do our best to create health and inner harmony but are unaware of the practices so some food manufacturers. In a way it may be getting us to reconnect to the nourishment that we receive from the food and forces us to be very conscious of all our choices in our lives. This way we may regain some of the sense of gratefulness and connect again with the energies of the plants and creatures who take in the earth, water, sun and air and which we in turn take in to nourish us in our deepest parts. It may force us to prepare our own foods with consciousness and care and thus be an active part in our healing, giving and receiving. Candis Cantin Packard, AHG, professional herbalist alonmarcus wrote: MSG is a natural byproduct of making MisoAlon - Z'ev Rosenberg Monday, July 24, 2000 11:26 AM Re: food/herb intolerance on 7/24/00 10:42 AM, stephen at stephen wrote: > > > Zev stated: I don't agree that the aggravation of allergens outweigh the > importance > of foods that are "theoretically" good for you. And I don't agree that > there is some genetic predisposition to allergic foods. > > > Zev, despite the fact that you misquoted in your above statement, and may > have missed the point, there are many people that are born with a > predisposition to reactions to certain foods. Not too long ago a young boy > here in my small town DIED because he ate a cookie that had small pieces of > walnut. He was born with that allergic food reaction. He was generally > healthy and did not have a lot of other food intolerance problems. That was > not just spleen vacuity! And of course he is not the only person with that > type of reaction to walnuts. As you know, severe peanut allergies are also > common. Do all of these peanut allergy responders have the same blood type, > or a vacuity as the cause? Perhaps, but not likely. I know several people > that react to MSG. The negative consequences to their health of ingesting > MSG can be quite severe. Please find me an herb or formula that will have > the same intense effect on their health, on the positive side, every time > they ingest it as the MSG has toward the negative. Gui Zhi Tang is a nice > formula, for some people. But in fact some spleen vacuity types have a > negative reaction, along the lines of a food sensitivity, to cinnamon! Stephen, Even though MSG has a natural source (seaweed, I believe, correct me if I am wrong), it is closer to a chemical drug after processing, and, therefore, is potentially quite toxic. Certainly we are dealing with a drug toxin effect with MSG in Chinese medical terms, and there are protocols for dealing with such situations. > > In the middle east there are many people that are allergic to fava beans, > which apparently can cause damage to the red blood cells, spontaneous > bleeding, and anemia in those who inherit this susceptibility. In these > individuals an enzyme in their red blood cells (G6PD) that is important for > maintenance of cellular structure and function, is deficient. Geneticists > have found the G6PD deficiency characteristic to be the most common genetic > variation that has as yet been identified. This does not mean that their > constitution cannot be improved with good TCM dietary practices, appropriate > herbs and acupuncture. But if you treat them every day for two weeks and > then give them fava beans one time, you will have done many of them more > harm with one dose of fava beans than the good they gained in the two weeks > of treatment. Favism has been known for centuries, and seems to appear among those where fava beans are a major part of the diet. This, again, would seem to be a toxin present in a particular food, and the response of individuals to it over time. Is it possible that this response becomes coded in the genetic code? On the enzyme in blood cell issue, this is more complex, and there are pros and cons on the deterministic factors of genetic predispositions. I think they are greatly overrated, myself. For example, the recent debate over breast cancer genes and predisposition to the disease. Also, a question comes up that I tried to raise in my last e-mail.. .. we need to ask WHY there is a genetic predisposition to disease or food intolerance? Is this from environmental factors that have been coded in genetics? > > Your response also states the potential benefits of using TCM to improve > one's health, regardless of the condition. I think you're preaching to the > choir. However it is also important to know one's limitations, and that > would include the limitations of any one form of medicine. Of course we can > all learn and know more about TCM, isn't that what we are doing here. Even > Zhang Ji could have used some greater insight since nearly 100 of his > relatives died over a short few years under his able care. And many of them > had apparently been taking gui zhi tang! Perhaps you can qualify this last statement a bit more? By the way, I really appreciate the work you are doing with Chinese herbs. I hope your work with China is going well. > Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education. Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2000 Report Share Posted July 25, 2000 When a product contains anything less than 99% pure MSG it does not have to be labeled as MSG and may be listed under other names such as sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, autolyzed yeast, textured protein, yeast food, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and hydrolyzed protein. All these products contain MSG - between 8 - 40% That sucks. I did see a program on soy beans on the discovery channel were they stated that MSG is a by product of making either Miso or Nato alon - Lonnie & Candis Packard Tuesday, July 25, 2000 8:01 AM Re: food/herb intolerance Here is an article I wrote on MSG. There are poisons in our environment that nature never intended for us to consume. Therapies of any sort can not compensate for a life that has moved away from nature/wisdom. WHAT IS MSG DOING IN OUR FOOD? Working in the health field helps me to keep in touch with some of the latest " misinformation" that is perpetuated upon the general public by the media, pharmaceutical companies and some factions of the food industry. One of the most recent things that I have come upon is the use of MSG and its hidden uses in foods that we do not suspect. The history of MSG is interesting and I will give a very brief outline of it. For thousands of years the Japanese have used seaweed or Kombu as a seasoning ingredient. At that time the active flavor enhancing substance within the seaweed had not been identified. In 1909, a Japanese man, Kikunae Ikeda, discovered the active extract of the seaweed had the characteristics of glutamic acid, and that this active substance was monosodium glutamate, the sodium salt of glutamic acid. The product that was eventually trademarked was call ‘Aji - no - moto” which means, “ At the origin of flavor.” It was generally accepted as a food additive in the USA after the second World War when the Japanese rations were noticed to taste good. At a landmark meeting in 1948 of the heads of all the major food industries, it was generally agreed upon that MSG was the substance that they needed in the food. It made the food taste better as well as hid the tastes of staleness, bitterness, sourness, tinny taste (from canned foods), and generally improved flavors. With the use of MSG, they also did not have to try to enhance the foods with extra spices which are more costly and time consuming to prepare. Now, MSG is used widely as a food enhancer for increasing the flavor of food. But what most people do not know is that it produces flavor enhancing effects by stimulating your taste buds. Scientists call glutamic acid, from which MSG is derived, " an excitotoxic amino acid" because it is known to excite and even kill brain cells in laboratory animals. In other words MSG doesn't change the food at all but excites the taste buds and in many cases causes adverse reactions. Now, we may think to ourselves, " Well, I'll just stay away from foods that have MSG in them." This is possible only to a certain extent. When the protein hydrolysis and processing yield a product that is 99% free glutamic acid, the product is called "monosodium glutamate" or MSG and must be labeled as such on foods in which it is added to. But here's the trick. When a product contains anything less than 99% pure MSG it does not have to be labeled as MSG and may be listed under other names such as sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, autolyzed yeast, textured protein, yeast food, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and hydrolyzed protein. All these products contain MSG - between 8 - 40%. But there is more to it. Under FDA regulation, hydrolyzed protein may be included in various products with no mention of these MSG "type" products. Thus, broth, bouillon, stock, flavoring, natural flavoring, many soups, salad dressings, processed meats, some crackers, bread, some brands of canned tuna fish, most frozen entrees, some ice cream and frozen yogurt may have MSG put in the product without it being known by the consumer. Even NutraSweet R which has an excitotoxic amino acid in it similar to MSG and has created adverse reactions to thousands of people. The Federal Code of Regulation, defining natural flavorings states that “natural flavoring” be applied to: “ the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate distillate (hydrolyzed protein) or any product of roasting or heating….” This definition paves the way for labeling protein hydrolysate as natural flavorings. There are more than 80 million pounds of MSG is used early in the United States alone and this doesn’t even include the enormous amounts of hydrolyzed vegetable protein added to foods. What are symptoms of MSG toxicity or poisoning? There are so many different symptoms that people often question how a single substance could cause such diverse reactions. The answer lies in the fact that MSG is a neurotropic drug - that is a substance that affects the nervous system. If you realize that valium and lithium, which are popular neurotropic drugs, may produce a wide variety of side effects, you should not be surprised that the same is true of MSG. It is estimated that approximately 25 - 30% of the population react to MSG at levels presently found in food. Some people show an overt MSG reaction when it is take in foods but we do not know what type of reaction people may be having to MSG that is not showing up as an obvious reaction. Some of the reactions that MSG - sensitive people have reported are simple skin rash, flushing, tingling, bloating, fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe gastric distress, diarrhea, headache, migraine headache, irregular heart beat, rapid heart beat, chest tightness, arthritic joint pains, diarrhea, nausea, blurring vision, seeing shining lights, difficulty focusing, nausea, vomiting, anxiety attacks, depression, hyperactivity in children, mood swings, mouth lesions, asthmatic attacks, and tremors. If you experience any of these symptoms you must understand that none are caused exclusively by MSG. But MSG may cause these reactions or trigger some of these conditions that people already suffer from. These symptoms do not necessarily happen immediately but may take from 15 minutes to up to 48 hours to manifest as it absorbs deeper into the tissues. Some people keep a journal of the foods they eat and if they contain MSG or its equivalent, and note the reaction they may have. One couple kept a journal for their son and found that it took two days for the MSG to cause a reaction in him which was in the form of severe migraines for which he usually needed hospitalization. After eliminating the MSG the headaches have ceased. As an herbalist, I see so many people who are ill with a myriad of conditions and symptoms. In the ancient days it may have been much easier to treat some of these conditions because the situations may have been less complicated. But for example, if a person is suffering from irregular heart beat, I may recommend certain herbs and may not see the results that I expected. This condition may be due to the fact that the client may be eating food that contain a "neurotropic drug" which is causing an adverse stimulation of the nervous system thus the situation is constantly being stimulated by a hidden drug. The key to handling this situation is to eat an MSG free diet. This would include fresh fruits, vegetables and unprocessed fresh meats, poultry and fish. Whole grains such as rice and pastas are usually fine. Organic, of course, is the best. Avoid all use of sugar substitute "aspartame" found most often as NutraSweet R because it causes the same adverse reactions as MSG and avoid foods and breads that have "dough conditioners" as these have MSG like material in them. Read the labels on salad dressing because many of them have MSG or some derivative of it. Be careful of any of the new "light" food which have reduced fat. The reduced part is fine, but to replace the flavor lost when the fat content was cut, most manufactures are using MSG. Read labels carefully. Avoid processed or dried foods with “flavor packets.” Many times these packets contain MSG to improve the flavor. They are most commonly found in boxed rice and pasta dishes. Check the ingredients of canned meats and fish as well as gravies, chili, stews and sauces. And watch for the MSG that may be in the deli case. Most sausages, some luncheon meats as well as smoked meat products contain MSG as well. What I feel is so disturbing about this type of situation is that we may be trying to do our best to create health and inner harmony but are unaware of the practices so some food manufacturers. In a way it may be getting us to reconnect to the nourishment that we receive from the food and forces us to be very conscious of all our choices in our lives. This way we may regain some of the sense of gratefulness and connect again with the energies of the plants and creatures who take in the earth, water, sun and air and which we in turn take in to nourish us in our deepest parts. It may force us to prepare our own foods with consciousness and care and thus be an active part in our healing, giving and receiving. Candis Cantin Packard, AHG, professional herbalist alonmarcus wrote: MSG is a natural byproduct of making MisoAlon - Monday, July 24, 2000 11:26 AM Re: food/herb intolerance on 7/24/00 10:42 AM, stephen at stephen wrote: > > > Zev stated: I don't agree that the aggravation of allergens outweigh the > importance > of foods that are "theoretically" good for you. And I don't agree that > there is some genetic predisposition to allergic foods. > > > Zev, despite the fact that you misquoted in your above statement, and may > have missed the point, there are many people that are born with a > predisposition to reactions to certain foods. Not too long ago a young boy > here in my small town DIED because he ate a cookie that had small pieces of > walnut. He was born with that allergic food reaction. He was generally > healthy and did not have a lot of other food intolerance problems. That was > not just spleen vacuity! And of course he is not the only person with that > type of reaction to walnuts. As you know, severe peanut allergies are also > common. Do all of these peanut allergy responders have the same blood type, > or a vacuity as the cause? Perhaps, but not likely. I know several people > that react to MSG. The negative consequences to their health of ingesting > MSG can be quite severe. Please find me an herb or formula that will have > the same intense effect on their health, on the positive side, every time > they ingest it as the MSG has toward the negative. Gui Zhi Tang is a nice > formula, for some people. But in fact some spleen vacuity types have a > negative reaction, along the lines of a food sensitivity, to cinnamon! Stephen, Even though MSG has a natural source (seaweed, I believe, correct me if I am wrong), it is closer to a chemical drug after processing, and, therefore, is potentially quite toxic. Certainly we are dealing with a drug toxin effect with MSG in Chinese medical terms, and there are protocols for dealing with such situations. > > In the middle east there are many people that are allergic to fava beans, > which apparently can cause damage to the red blood cells, spontaneous > bleeding, and anemia in those who inherit this susceptibility. In these > individuals an enzyme in their red blood cells (G6PD) that is important for > maintenance of cellular structure and function, is deficient. Geneticists > have found the G6PD deficiency characteristic to be the most common genetic > variation that has as yet been identified. This does not mean that their > constitution cannot be improved with good TCM dietary practices, appropriate > herbs and acupuncture. But if you treat them every day for two weeks and > then give them fava beans one time, you will have done many of them more > harm with one dose of fava beans than the good they gained in the two weeks > of treatment. Favism has been known for centuries, and seems to appear among those where fava beans are a major part of the diet. This, again, would seem to be a toxin present in a particular food, and the response of individuals to it over time. Is it possible that this response becomes coded in the genetic code? On the enzyme in blood cell issue, this is more complex, and there are pros and cons on the deterministic factors of genetic predispositions. I think they are greatly overrated, myself. For example, the recent debate over breast cancer genes and predisposition to the disease. Also, a question comes up that I tried to raise in my last e-mail.. . we need to ask WHY there is a genetic predisposition to disease or food intolerance? Is this from environmental factors that have been coded in genetics? > > Your response also states the potential benefits of using TCM to improve > one's health, regardless of the condition. I think you're preaching to the > choir. However it is also important to know one's limitations, and that > would include the limitations of any one form of medicine. Of course we can > all learn and know more about TCM, isn't that what we are doing here. Even > Zhang Ji could have used some greater insight since nearly 100 of his > relatives died over a short few years under his able care. And many of them > had apparently been taking gui zhi tang! Perhaps you can qualify this last statement a bit more? By the way, I really appreciate the work you are doing with Chinese herbs. I hope your work with China is going well. > Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education. http://www..orgThe Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education. http://www..org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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