Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG, the Flavour enhancer most commonly used in Oriental style cooking has been linked to retinal damage and blindness.
In a report from Scientists of the Hirosaki University in Japan, it was noted rats fed on diets high in MSG content suffered vision loss and had thinner than normal retinas. Glutamate is an amino acid which acts as a neurotransmitter. It has already been shown in experiments to cause nerve damage when injected directly into the eye, but according to Hiroshi Ohiguro, the principle researcher, this is the first study to show that the eye damage can be caused by eating foods containing high levels of MSG.

From a report Published in “Experimental Eye Research”


     Listing # 13 Jam 2003