Crohn's Disease and Colitis Patients Should Avoid MSG and Stick to Raw Food

A healthy diet does not include monosodium glutamate (referred to as MSG). This fact holds true for everyone - especially Crohn's Disease and Colitis patients. The primary source of MSG is processed foods. The Western diet of fats, sugars, and processed foods is believed to be the culprit responsible for the prevalence of Crohn's Disease and Colitis in North American society.

Patients with these conditions do much better with a diet of fruits and vegetables. In fact, many people claim that they have found a way to manage (and even eliminate) their uncomfortable symptoms. Some patients say that taking part in a water fast followed by a regular raw food diet worked for them. Of course, nobody should start a fast or make drastic changes to their diet without checking with their medical proffessional.

Mostly, people do not have problems with a diet of fruit and vegetables. Yet the body has to go through a period of adjustment to its new "fuel." People with multiple conditions may experience temporary challenges with a raw food diet. It is always better for patients to check with their own medical proffessional.

In almost every case, fruits and vegetables will be the best choice. A diet saturated with MSG is never the right choice. In fact, Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon and author of "Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills," names monosodium glutamate as "the taste that kills." That designation makes a powerful statement.

Yet Dr. Blaylock insists that MSG deserves that disturbing title. According to this physician, monosodium glutamate use can result in brain damage. In addition, this harmful substance can worsen diseases including Lou Gehrig's disease and Alzheimer's disease as well as other serious conditions. The doctor even believes that MSG can increase the level of a learning disability.

MSG is thought to cause headaches, eye damage, and even depression. Monosodium glutamate has been linked to short-term and long-term effects. A series of complications has been attributed to MSG. Indeed, there are reports that MSG has led to death under certain circumstances.

Obviously, this unhealthy substance will hinder rather than help anyone with Crohn's Disease and Colitis. These sufferers should be looking for the healthiest choice. Sticking to a raw food diet is the best way to avoid monosodium glutamate.

Sold originally decades ago in the US under the brand name 'Accent' (a meat tenderizer), today's MSG can be harder to spot in foods at the supermarket. Monosodium glutamate shows up in salad dressings, canned soups, frozen dinners, and a variety of other products. The scariest fact about MSG is that it has been found on occasion in baby foods and formulas.

Monosodium glutamate must be listed on labels. Yet 'free glutamic acid' (a MSG component) does not have to appear on a list of ingredients. By choosing a raw food diet, Crohn's Disease and Colitis sufferers can avoid this "MSG mess." Even when dining out, everyone must still be vigilant about their consumption of MSG. When you choose fresh food over processed products, it becomes much easier to avoid substances with no health benefits but plenty of harmful effects.