Is Your Food Engineered to Make You Eat More?

Have you ever polished off an entire bag of chips or box of crackers without even realizing it? Well, there’s a reason for that, and it’s not just because they tasted good.

Despite what it says on the front of the box (“Natural”, “Low-Fat”, etc. ) the only way to truly determine how healthy a product is, is to read the ingredient list. If there’s anything in there that you don’t currently stock in your kitchen (for example, mono and diglycerides), leave that box on the shelf where you found it.

Food Designed to Make You Eat More

You read that right. There are actually scientists employed by food manufacturers sitting around in lab coats right now trying to figure out how to make you eat more (and therefore, buy more). 

While there is a laundry list of controversial ingredients currently being used by food manufacturers, there is one in particular that I keep seeing pop up everywhere. (Even in some “healthy” snacks). It’s a flavor enhancer that has quite a few unfavorable side effects. You likely already know is bad for you, but may not realize that sneaky manufacturers are adding it to your food under a different name.

The Ingredient to Look Out For

Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG can be found in foods that don’t include those words on the ingredient list. Instead, manufacturers will use ingredients that have the same effect and include the main component of MSG, glutamic acid, yet have very innocuous sounding names, including the following:

Autolyzed Yeast Extract

Yeast Extract

Torula Yeast

Yeast Nutrient

Textured Protein

Hydrolyzed Protein

Calcium Caseinate

Sodium Caseinate

Glutamic Acid

Soy Protein

Whey Protein

As the great Shakespeare pointed out, "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." In this case, MSG by any other name will still have the same effects.

The Effects of MSG

Besides just causing us to overeat by shutting off the signal in our brain that tells us we’re full, MSG and the ingredients that include glutamic acid can cause a variety of side effects, including migraine headaches, diarrhea, upset stomach, heart problems, fuzzy thinking, and mood swings. Over time, some researchers believe it can do serious damage to your brain, and even cause obesity.

Surprised? So was I, especially since I’ve been seeing “Yeast” ingredients in a lot of foods that have a healthy halo around them.

Tweet it out: Is there MSG hiding in your kitchen cabinets? Likely. Find out what to look for: http://bit.ly/17KbEjq

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For more information on the engineering of food, check out this exposé from the New York Times Magazine: The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food.