Growing Pains
Posted by Harri on Thursday, September 9, 2010
While we were in Australia Isaac frequently had what the doctors called “growing pains” in his knees and occasionally his elbows. We saw doctors and specialists about it. He had blood tests, x-rays, etc. Coming to Thailand and the problem, if anything, got more frequent. The problem always seemed only to occur in the evening or night. Most nights he would wake in great pain, and often tears.
We were talking and praying one night, when the thought of it being food related came to mind. But what ingredient can cause joint pains? We wondered if MSG could be the problem. We looked up if MSG can cause joint pains, and sure enough it could. We looked up what foods had MSG, and both in Australia and Thailand nearly all processed food products contain it in some form. It is hard to avoid in Australia and harder in Thailand. Note that MSG is rarely labelled MSG (Mono sodium glutamate), but is hidden in variety of other names. The problem in MSG is that it is a “processed free glutamate”, so many other products which technically are not MSG, but contain “processed free glutamates” are include in our foods. So we did a trial with Isaac and gave him a diet with food which had nothing with MSG and he now seems free of these so called “growing pains”. He seems quite sensitive to it, as adding a slight amount of a product that has MSG (e.g. soy sauce or chicken stock), then the pains return. (We now make our own chicken stock).
So I thought I’d mention it, in case your child has “growing pains”, you may want to look further into what they’re eating.
Heres what you may find on food labels that contain MSG - Processed free glutamate (Check your pantry/fridge and you might be surprised).
The following list contains at least 78% factory created free glutamates:
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 list contains some factory created free glutamates in varying amounts:
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
Sometimes they use a number instead the ingredient name:
620, 625, 621, 627, 622, 631, 623, 635, 624
Comments
We were talking and praying one night, when the thought of it being food related came to mind. But what ingredient can cause joint pains? We wondered if MSG could be the problem. We looked up if MSG can cause joint pains, and sure enough it could. We looked up what foods had MSG, and both in Australia and Thailand nearly all processed food products contain it in some form. It is hard to avoid in Australia and harder in Thailand. Note that MSG is rarely labelled MSG (Mono sodium glutamate), but is hidden in variety of other names. The problem in MSG is that it is a “processed free glutamate”, so many other products which technically are not MSG, but contain “processed free glutamates” are include in our foods. So we did a trial with Isaac and gave him a diet with food which had nothing with MSG and he now seems free of these so called “growing pains”. He seems quite sensitive to it, as adding a slight amount of a product that has MSG (e.g. soy sauce or chicken stock), then the pains return. (We now make our own chicken stock).
So I thought I’d mention it, in case your child has “growing pains”, you may want to look further into what they’re eating.
Heres what you may find on food labels that contain MSG - Processed free glutamate (Check your pantry/fridge and you might be surprised).
The following list contains at least 78% factory created free glutamates:
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 list contains some factory created free glutamates in varying amounts:
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
Sometimes they use a number instead the ingredient name:
620, 625, 621, 627, 622, 631, 623, 635, 624
Comments