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Summary: This book could save your life
Review: I've always known that MSG and aspartame were not exactly health foods, but Dr. Blaylock proves how these and other excitotoxins can actually destroy brain tissue. He gives countless examples of actual cases of brain injury from ingestion of these and other chemicals. What I liked best about it was, after explaining why MSG, aspartame and others are so bad for your health he goes on to explain that a diet rich in raw vegetables, fruits and grains is healthiest. This goes along with all the latest diet research. He tackles many diseases and points out the connection between the diseases and dietary factors and at the end he lists hidden sources of MSG to make it easier to identify them. It is a comprehensive study, but well worth engaging in.
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Summary: Conduct your own test
Review: If you think that this book is pseudo-science and crackery, conduct a test on your own body. Cleanse your body for 30 days, abstaining from all sugar-substitutes, and processed artificially sweetened carbohyrdrate foods. Then have a few cans of your favorite aspartame sweetened softdrink. You should get an *extremely* bad headache in about 1-2 hours. You may say that this really does not prove a thing...mere coincidence..... but the severity and intensity of the headache will make you think otherwise. Cutting out these excitotoxins will, in the least, make you feel better, and may possibly prevent the onset of serious disease/disorders later on in life.
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Summary: You Are What You Eat, or, Toxic Waste for the Masses
Review: It is almost a cliche in this day and age for someone to ask the waiter at a Chinese restaurant 'no MSG, please,' as is the waiter's knowing smirk in response. MonoSodium Glutamate (MSG), or 'The essence of taste' (as coined by the Japanese), is used as a 'taste-enhancer' in nearly every form of processed food on the market today, though 'taste addiction' may be a more correct term. But what exactly does it do? And how is it harmful?Dr. Russell L. Blaylock answers these questions and poses some startling evidence as to the eventual consequences of a heavy MSG-diet in his book _Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills_. In basic terms, MSG (and other, similar agents) pierces the blood-brain barrier and over-stimulates the neurons of a brain to a deadly degree. Habitual intake among animal experiments has shown the development of tumors, memory loss, and a whole host of neurodegenerative diseases as the end result of excess excitotoxin intake, including Alzhiemer's, Parkenson's, Lou Gerhig's etc. Walk into any gas station in the United States (or grocery store, for that matter) and, upon close investigation, you will find that 75%-90% of the available food has been 'enhanced' to some degree by excitotoxins. The chemical agents are often disguised by such ambiguous terms as 'spice' and 'natural flavors' or, my personal favorite, 'hydrolyzed vegetable protein.' A consumer society must have consumer slaves to keep it functioning; MSG is the crack cocaine of the food industry...and it is legally perpetuated by slush-fund advocates and a pork-glutted FDA. As proven again and again, money talks, ... [you can finish the maxim for me]. Blaylock's thesis is written in a technical style, but the use of repetition throughout each chapter hammer in his myriad points into the reader with precision and power. An important book for anyone concerned with the health of self and family. You are what you eat---but do you know _what_ it is you are eating, below the surface of taste/fulfillment?
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Summary: Sometimes it take a tragedy to open our eyes
Review: It's weird how fate sometimes thrusts a book into your hands at just the right moment. I was in New York and visited a bookstore, and was almost about to walk out when the title Excitotoxins caught my eye. I actually picked the book up thinking it would be about mycotoxins, which are found in mushrooms, and which some WHO scientists have identified as potential carcinogens. However, upon opening Russell Blaybock's excellent book, I was surprised to find that it was in fact a mystery book - a book written by a neurosurgeon for the purpose of understanding how Parkinson's had struck down one of his parents. As the son of two parents with Parkinson's, I was entralled by the book's premise - that common food additives could cause demonstrable health problems in sensitive individuals - and shocked that because these effects did not involve the whole population, such additives were deemed to be safe by the FDA. I was also shocked that manufacturers were given the right to add them to food under the guise of "spices", "natural flavoring" and other non de plumes. When my parents first became ill, I did a large amount of research into Parkinson's and related illnesses. One of the more interesting aspects I came across was the discovery by some researchers that sebhoric dermatitis and Parkinson's may have a link. Being a recent sufferer of this annoying skin condition, my heart sunk on hearing this news. However, since reading Excitotoxins I have made an effort to rid myself of any intake of the toxic additives mentioned in the book. It should come as no surprise that my skin problem has gone. My energy level has doubled. I recently visited my parents and gave them a copy of this book. My parents, who put their trust in general practitioners early in their diagnosis and saw themselves travel quickly down hill, have long since learned to look after themselves through greater knowledge, and careful use of supplements and alternative medicines. You should know that my parents are now far better than they were some years ago, and are on the slow road to stabilisation and recovery. Such things are possible if you dig deep enough and believe that things like Parkinson's do have a cause, and then work to get back your health. I believe this is an exceptionally important book, but only for sensitive individuals. Most people will remain unaffected by neurological disorders - for them, this is not an important book at all. For the rest of us, especially those of us with a genetic possibility of such sensitivity to additives, this book could well put years on our lives. I feel it has already done so for me. Thank you, Dr. Blaylock.
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Summary: Food For Thought
Review: Let's assume for a moment that Dr. Blaylock is completely wrong. The worst that could happen is that we cut flavor enhancers and artificial sweeteners out of our diets. But what if he is right? This book is exceptionally well written and extensively researched. As a layperson, I had a few problems following the chemical trail leading to death of the neurons, but only because I wanted to know more. I cleared up most of my questions by a second or third pass through the material. Because he did his own illustrations, he is able to show us in pictures exactly what he is saying in words. We operate a health and massage business and recommend this book to our clients.
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Summary: In memory of Katrina
Review: Outstanding book, well written, informative, one that I got my hands on too late. You see, on March 9th of 1999, my 15-year-old daughter had a heart attack. On March 11th, they told she had zero chance of recovery. She passed away at 5:00PM on the 11th. If I had read the book earlier we would have eliminated aspartic acid and glutamic acid from our diets like this book recommends. One of the symptoms of ingestion of those excototoxins is arrhythmia (the type of heart attack my daughter had) which is listed in the book. On the day my daughter had her heart attack she had pizza and diet soda laced with the excitotoxins listed in this book. Had I gotten the book earlier my daughter might still be alive. If you haven't read the book you should, expecially if there's someone on Earth that you love.
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Summary: Sensationalism but useful propaganda
Review: Preaching to the choir. Everything causes cancer. Cognitive dissonance rationalizing.
Consider this:
1) Water injected under the skin of lab rats will cause tumors
2) C-8, shorthand for ammonium perfluorooctanoate, a known animal carcinogen, is found in 98% of children's blood, and comes from stain and water repellent products, including Teflon. Perfluoro-octanyl sulfonate, or PFOS, another stain repellant made by 3M is found literally everywhere on earth, and in everybody's bloodstream, in minute concentrations.
3) INTL FLAVORS FRAG (NYSE) (symbol: IFF), a secretive food additives company, is a fairly profitable company with over 2 billion in revenue.
4) Cognitive dissonance rationalizing is a phenomena where people try to selectively fit facts to make them feel better. Essentially people will filter information so that they "believe what they want to believe". This applies to both you and me.
5) Cancer has recently overtaken heart disease as the #1 killer in America.
6) "Capitalism on steroids" means disregarding the environment for short term growth, such as in some developing countries. In some Chinese villages the water is so polluted that animals cannot drink it and nearly every living thing there develops a tumor.
7) As argued in "The Case for Mars", by Robert Zubrin, for a 2 year trip to Mars, the person least likely to be invited aboard is a physician, since they will be hypercritical about every health hazard, no matter how remote.
8) Children, according to one theory, while they are growing, are more likely to acquire BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalography), which has now spread to goats, and is believed to be a non-virus vector that makes the body misfold certain proteins in the brain.
9) BSE, Parkinson's disease, scrappie, and even 'senility' are believed by some to stem from the same family of causes.
10) In trace amounts radiation and pesticides have been found to promote health by 'stressing' the system. With zero radiation and zero contaminants, organisms die prematurely.
Thank you for reading this far. Now my spiel. I did not read this book but certain red flags arise. First, a book written for a popular audience has to be alarmist to sell. And I note the author argues on Amazon with those posting negative reviews, which is a no-no (why draw attention to them?). Further, the author appears to be trying to convince us that there is a nexus between MSG and certain diseases of the brain, which is fine as a postulate, but not as a theory grounded in fact unless peer-reviewed in a scientific journal. Like point #1 above--do you dare claim that water will cause cancer? Of course not. But if you are simple minded you might be tempted to jump to that conclusion.
All in all, I would say further research is needed--and don't expect the big food companies to pay for it. The government or a institution like a university has to provide this public good.
A final tip: buy IFF. They make the food additives that give 'flavor' to mass produced food. Even a piece of cardboard soaked in IFF produced chemicals can be made to taste nearly like any food. This is the trend for the foreseeable future as more and more people inhabit the planet. Just today in the supermarket I saw real apples injected with artificial grape flavor, marketed as a "new" fruit. Amazing. And why is it that organic food just tastes better? If you can afford organic, you might want to try some just for the taste, though there is no evidence yet it will make you live longer.
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Summary: Excitotoxins can cause Alzheimer's, ALS, and Parkinson's
Review: Russell L. Blaylock, MD, has written "Excitoxins: The Taste that Kills," in which he explains that certain amino acids when overly abundant in the brain can cause neurons to die. Many biochemicals can act as neurotransmitters in the brain -- some excite our neurons; others calm them. In particular, glutamate (in MSG), aspartate (in NutraSweet), and cysteine are three amino acids that can overexcite our neurons and cause them to die. These amino acids are called EXCITOTOXINS. They are now added in large amounts to our food supply. From NOHA NEWS, Vol. XX, No. 1, Winter 199
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Summary: What a Crock!
Review: Sure, Aspartame kills. Tell me another one! This is a woefully ignorant and intentionally deceptive collection of pseudo-science and conspiracy theories. Pardon me while I drop this book in the recycling bin and get another diet Coke out of the refrigerator.
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Summary: This book should jar the reasonably sane mind to action.
Review: This book illuminates the dangers of our S.A.D (standard American diet) and the reckless and irresponsable and even murderous additions of additives to our food supply by the food processing and food service industry. Every man woman and child beware and act on your own behalf. As a child neurodevelopment specialist I am seeing hundreds of local children who's brains and psyche are injured and who are being labeled with disease names that bring no remediation of symptoms or treatment of causes. This book is only a start!
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