Tuesday, February 2, 2010

MSG is in Artificial Infant Milk/Infant Formula

Okay so theres MSG in formula, so what the heck is it, why is it there and what does it do to the human body?

Those are the very questions I asked my self and this is what I found while looking for those answers.

Simply put it is a drug, a very powerful drug that has very real and lasting effects on the human body. A drug used to enhance flavor and alter textures.

Why? On a very basic level it cuts costs of manufacturing the food by using less ingredients and its addictive quality causes the consumer to, well, consume more. MSG tricks the taste buds into believing you are consuming something good, fresh and tasty, when in fact you are not, therefore you eat more and they make more. Not surprisingly it is an industry favorite and is used in more food products than any other drug.
Heck even fields get sprayed with it.
The use of MSG isn’t limited to only foods though, because it is used as a binder and thickener it is used in personal hygiene products and medicines and it shows up there as “amino acids” or "hydrolyzed protein". Back to infant formula or as I prefer artificial infant milk: how does it show up in the artificial milk?

Below is a list of “hidden” names the industry uses to conceal the presence of MSG, it was taken from this web site http://www.curezone.com/foods/msg.asp

These ALWAYS contain MSG

If you have a can of formula grab it and check on the ingredients.

Glutamate Textured proteinMonosodium glutamate Hydrolyzed proteinMonopotassium glutamate (any protein that is hydrolyzed)Glutamic acid Yeast extractCalcium caseinate Yeast foodSodium caseinate Autolyzed yeastGelatin Yeast nutrientThese very OFTEN contain MSG:
Malt extract Flavors(s) & Flavoring(s)Malt flavoring Natural flavor(s) & flavoring(s)Barley malt Natural pork flavoringBouillon Natural beef flavoringStock Natural chicken flavoringBroth Seasonings (the word "seasonings")Carrageenan Soy sauceMaltodextrin Soy sauce extractWhey protein Soy proteinWhey protein isolate Soy protein isolateWhey protein concentrate Soy protein concentratePectin anything Protein fortifiedanything Enzyme modifiedThe following can be used to CREATE MSG:
Protease enzymes Protease Fungal protease Enzymes
Also look out for “flavor enhancers” “hydrolyzed vegetable proteins”, “autolyzed yeast”, “yeast extract”, “soy extract. For more names go here:
http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm

What does MSG do to the body?

MSG is a neurotoxin that causes brain lesions. In other words it causes brain damage which manifests in the body in a myriad of ways.
Here is a list of illness and ailments caused by MSG
Seizures
Neurological disorders
Reproductive disorders
Neuroendicrine disorders
Irregular heart beat
Stunted growth
Skin rashes
Swelling of the body
Obesity
Sleeping disorders
Learning disorders
Swelling of the tongue
Headaches
Behavior disorders
Restlessness
Irritability
Irritable bowel syndrome
Hyper activity
Joint pain
Depression
Diarrhea
Hives
Bloating
Angina

These are very real and very serious effects of MSG exposure or as I prefer to call it poisoning. There are many in-depth articles and studies published on the web and I encourage you to study MSG beyond my blog.

With just MSG alone being present in artificial infant foods/formula it would be enough to steer me clear of it.
I would think any parent considering the use of these “formulas” should think long and hard once they gain this knowledge, so pass it around.

The health of your baby and future generations depend on us, here, now to pave the way so let’s make that path a better place to be.

We all learned to “Just say NO to drugs” in school and we need recognize drugs in our food and the food of our children“Just say NO to infant formula.”

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The Feminist Art of Breastfeeding

When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast-milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless ...women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form." Christine Northrup M.D.


Yes, yes, yes! I am so thrilled to see this strong and beautiful statement by Dr.Northrup.
I have often thought along the same lines.
When I was pregnant I knew I would breastfeed. It just made sense. I was completely amazed by the changes my body was going through and so mystified by the swell of my breasts.
How could there be any other way?
The baby is there, the milk is there, it's so flawless.

Oh, and when that boy came and was set to my breast, life had meaning.

He had a great latch and away we went for twenty seven months there after.
I was following my biology, doing what had been done by mothers millions of years before me, doing what my body was designed for and what my baby was born to do.
I was simply being a mom at a very basic level, yet so much more was brewing beneath this sacred act.

Through breastfeeding I allowed my feminine self to rise.
Through breastfeeding I learned to trust my instincts.
Through breastfeeding I reclaimed my body, my breasts.
Through breastfeeding I discovered my power.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Common Mother and Breast Envy

I read this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1178119/The-breast-best-Gestapo-The-natural-childcare-zealots-make-women-feel-like-failures.html today and am dumbfounded by the authors projecting of her mother guilt onto breastfeeding women and supporters and her breast envy.
Here is my response to the article.


I am not some holier than thou Madonna mother goddess simply because I breastfeed.
I don’t have some rare talent; some heavenly gift bestowed upon me.
I am in fact quite common in the grand scheme of things.
Through out the history of humanity women who bore children fed those children with their breasts.
Simply put we are designed to breastfeed.
I am doing what women generations before me have done and doing what I as a mother am designed to do.
I am providing the milk that is produced by my body, for my child who was born to receive it.
What is so hard to grasp about that?
Why is that so damning?
I am tired of women making excuses and blaming me for their maternal guilt simply because I am a common mother.
So what it’s not easy?
It passes.
Pregnancy wasn’t easy.
I puked the whole way though, had aches and pains, and in the end achieved a desired result.
It passes
Same with breastfeeding, I had a baby with this teeny mouth who couldn’t latch on right away like a pro and I suffered blisters and bleeding.
It felt like razor blades where splicing my nipples every time she latched on.
She was latching on around the clock, like human babies are supposed to do.
I was crying, stomping my foot in pain, guess what?
It passes.
Just like pregnancy.
Now 20 months later she is nursing like a champ.
We, my nursling and I, are common in the grand scheme of things even though we are a dinosaur breed of people on the brink of extinction now, at this point in time.
You would not be here if it were not for the thousand of generations of women before us that have nursed humanity at their breasts.
If you chose to formula feed then own it.
Don’t hold me or any other common breastfeeding mom accountable for your guilt.
You should ask yourself why you have this guilt in the first place.
Make peace with your decision and move on.
No one makes the perfect choice every time but every one can choose to learn from mistakes and move forward.
You can arm yourself with knowledge and make a different choice next time, if there is a next time.
A breastfeeding mother is just common.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Online Forum Codes Mostly For Parenting

Here are some popular online codes for common subjects.

BF-breastfeed
NIP-nurse in public
NAK-nursing at keyboard
FF-formula feed
DS-dear son
DD-dear daughter
DH-dear husband or if your mad at him dead husband ;)
LO-little one
SAHM-stay at home mom
WAHM-work at home mom
CS-cesarean section
VB-vaginal birth
OT-off topic
TC's-toxic chemicals (here any way)

There are plenty more and I will add to this list as I remeber them and please leave short codes that you know, I'll add them too.

Suck On This: Internet Reference Links

Infant formula contains

MSG
Free aspartic acid
BPA
Fluorosis
DHA/ARA
Hexane
Mercury
Melamine
Cyanuric acid
Formaldehyde
Antinutrients/soy
Bacteria
Patent info on DHA and its extraction
Martek (IF corporation)
International Infant morality rates charts and formula

Here are some reference links to get you going and keep you informed

*MSG in formula
How many parents realize that MSG lurks in every bottle of formula given to their infants?
Patients have stronger reactions to MSG than arsenic or mercury.
In children, however, the destruction of healthy brain tissue is not the only problem associated with glutamate. A child's brain is growing, and it is suspected that excess glutamate causes connections to be made inappropriately. Certain sensors on the neurons, called growth cones, allow the neurons to detect and grow along chemical trails in the brain, ultimately constructing the necessary pathways.
http://www.curezone.com/foods/msg.asp
A child experiencing "innumerable seizures" at 6 months of age showed dramatic improvements after removal of MSG from the child’s diet. Brain Damage in Primates Evident 5 Hours after MSG Ingestion
http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/pregmsg.htm
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/formulacopy.html
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/msgformula.html
http://www.ezhealthydiet.com/msg-side-effects.html
http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/msg-side-effects.html

Some other names for MSG
The following substances contain the highest percentage of factory created free glutamate, with MSG containing 78%:
*msg myths.com/hidename.htm*
MSG Gelatin Calcium Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) Yeast Extract
Glutamate Autolyzed Plant Protein Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid Sodium Caseinate Autolyzed Yeast
Vegetable Protein Extract Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)
The following substances contain some factory created free glutamate in varying amounts. Please note that some food labels list several of these items, which can add up to a considerable and dangerous amount in one product:

Malted Barley (flavor) Natural Flavors, Flavors, Flavoring Modified food starch
Barley malt Reaction Flavors Rice syrup or brown rice syrup
Malt Extract or Flavoring Natural Chicken, Beef, or Pork, Flavoring "Seasonings" (Most assume this means salt, pepper, or spices and herbs, which sometimes it is.) Lipolyzed butter fat
Maltodextrin, dextrose, dextrates Soy Sauce or Extract "Low" or "No Fat" items
Caramel Flavoring (coloring) Soy Protein Corn syrup and corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup
Stock Soy Protein Isolate or Concentrate Citric Acid (when processed from corn)
Broth Cornstarch fructose (made from corn) Milk Powder
Bouillon Flowing Agents Dry Milk Solids
Carrageenan Wheat, rice, corn, or oat protein Protein Fortified Milk
Whey Protein or Whey Anything enriched or vitamin enriched Annatto
Whey Protein Isolate or Concentrate Protein fortified "anything" Spice
Pectin Enzyme modified proteins Gums (guar and vegetable)
Protease Ultra-pasteurized dairy products Dough Conditioners
Protease enzymes Fermented proteins Yeast Nutrients
Lecithin Gluten and gluten flour Protein powders: whey, soy, oat, rice (as in protein bars shakes and body building drinks)
Amino acids (as in Bragg's liquid amino acids and chelated to vitamins) Algae, phytoplankton, sea vegetable, wheat/ barley grass powders

*Fluoride/Fluorosis
Infant Formula and the Risk for Enamel Fluorosis
http://www.cdc.gov/FLUORIDATION/safety/infant_formula.htm
What is Fluoride?
What are some effects of Fluoride on the body?
Why is fluoride in infant formula?

*BPA
The chemical is bisphenol A, or BPA, a component of the plastic epoxy resins used to line metal food cans. Dozens of laboratory studies show that BPA affects the developing brain and reproductive systems of animals exposed to low doses during pregnancy and early life.
1 of every 16 infants fed the formula would be exposed to the chemical at doses **exceeding** those that caused harm in laboratory studies.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/infantformula
Based on its analysis of existing research on BPA, even a very small amount of the compound may cause a host of problems, from brain and behavioral disorders to cancer, a claim the formula makers and federal regulators adamantly deny.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/04/bpa.formula/
Bisphenol A (BPA), known as the 'gender bender' chemical, leaches into liquid baby formula from the linings of cans at levels dangerous to infant health
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Bisphenol-A-in-infant-formula-at-dangerous-levels-says-group
BPA what is it?
What effects does BPA have on the human body?
Why do the formula companies use BPA?


*DHA
omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, produced in laboratories and extracted from algae and fungus, into infant formulas. The report presents disturbing research indicating that the new additives placed in infant formula are seriously endangering the health of some formula-fed newborns and toddlers. algal-and fungal-based DHA/ARA have been linked to serious side effects such as virulent diarrhoea and vomiting in infants consuming infant formula.
http://www.cornucopia.org/replacing-mother-infant-formula-report/
http://cornucopia.org/DHA/DHA_FullReport.pdf
April 15, 2008–The Cornucopia Institute filed a legal complaint with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) today, demanding that the agency enforce the organic regulations prohibiting toxic solvents from being used in the production of organic food.

http://www.circleoffood.com/blog/2008/04/15/organic-infant-formula-process-with-toxins/
*DHA/ARA that has been extracted from laboratory-grown fermented algae and fungus and processed utilizing a toxic chemical, hexane. Here's a link to the full report: http://cornucopia.org/DHA/DHA_FullReport.pdf

*Hexane
In some cases the oils are extracted from non-toxic algae and soil fungus using chemicals such as hexane, acid and bleach.
Hexane is a volatile liquid found in glue and gasoline. When inhaled in high volumes it can cause nausea, euphoria, headaches and nerve damage. You can read more about the hexane process and formula supplementation by downloading a report at the Cornucopia Institute.
http://www.organic-baby-resource.com/organic-infant-formula.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexane

*Mercury
Mercury is simply one of the most toxic substances you can put into the human body, aside from radioactive substances. As human beings, we're the only species stupid enough to actually poison ourselves.
http://www.naturalnews.com/008511.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leslie-hatfield/our-melamine-theres-mercu_b_161334.html

*Melamine
Humans and animals that consume toxic doses of melamine develop kidney stones. These hard crystals can block urinary flow and make urination painful. They can also cause kidney failure and death, pediatric kidney specialist Marc B. Lande, MD, MPH, of the University of Rochester, N.Y., tells WebMD.
http://children.webmd.com/news/20081126/melamine-in-us-baby-formula
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/26/world/main4633848.shtml
Hiding the truth about melamine formula The FDA exists for only one purpose: To protect the profits of powerful food and drug companies. Babies be damned.
http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000554_melamine_infant_formula_FDA.html

*Cyanuric acid
This white, odorless solid finds use as a precursor or a component of bleaches, disinfectants, and herbicides.
When cyanuric acid is administered together with melamine (which by itself is another low-toxicity substance), they may form extremely insoluble crystals,[10] leading to formation of kidney stones and potentially causing kidney failure and death -- as evidenced in dogs and cats during the 2007 pet food contamination and in children during the 2008 Chinese milk scandal cases.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanuric_acid
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/124130.php

*Formaldehyde
It is lethal at very high doses by ingestion and considered a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer
Formaldehyde damages DNA, kills cells and causes cell proliferation
http://stats.org/stories/2009/baby_bath_cancer_mar13_09.html
Melamine resin is manufactured by mixing urea with formaldehyde under heat and pressure. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-melamine.htm
Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children. Many products tested for this study contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, including the top-selling Johnson's Baby Shampoo and Sesame Street Bubble Bath.
http://yubanet.com/life/Children-s-Bath-Products-Contaminated-With-Formaldehyde-1-4-Dioxane.php

*Bacteria
Powdered infant formula is not sterile which means it may contain bacteria
Enterobacter sakazakii is a gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium within the family Enterobacteriaceae. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on a fatal case of meningitis in an intensive care nursery in Tennessee. The infecting organism was Enterobacter sakazakii, an unusual but often fatal, invasive pathogen. In the fatal Tennessee case, the infection was traced to contaminated powdered infant formula
http://www.foodpoisonblog.com/2007/06/articles/food-poisoning-watch/enterobacter-sakazakii-infections-associated-with-powdered-infant-formula/
http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/food-safety-topics/recalls-and-product-advice/infant-formula-sakazakii/

The recent expert meeting recommended that caregivers to infants, particularly those at high risk (see
Q 4.), should be regularly alerted to the fact that powdered infant formula is not a sterile product.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/en/qa2.pdf
Charts on bacteria growth and temperatures (not sure if this is a play it safe one by formula company scientists)
http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5502e/y5502e0a.htm

*Soy formula
…soybeans act as potent enzyme inhibitors. These "antinutrients" block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors depress growth and cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. Soybeans also contain high levels of phytic acid or phytates. This is an organic acid, present in the outer portion of all seeds, which blocks the uptake of essential minerals-calcium, magnesium, iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract. A reduced rate of growth is especially serious in the infant as it causes a delay in the accumulation of lipids in the myelin, and hence jeopardizes the development of the brain and nervous system.
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/infant.html

*Patent info on DHA and its extraction *(assigned by Martek Bioscience corp)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
it is an object of the present invention to provide a single-cell edible oil containing DHA. In general, it is an object of the present invention to produce single-cell oil in commercially viable yields (one that doesn’t smell offensive because of the source of the ingredients fish eyes etc). The oil, characterized herein as a "designer" oil, after extraction can be used in infant formulas, baby foods, dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals.
http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/5397591.html

*Martek and a look at their finances and ratings in early 2009
Product sales were up 7% versus last years first quarter.
The strength of our core infant formula business, growing consumer awareness of the health benefits of DHA
http://seekingalpha.com/article/124181-martek-biosciences-corporation-f1q09-earnings-call-transcript

*International Infant morality rates charts and formula
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/articles/312-formula-report-2.htm