Cancer
Glutamate levels were shown to be high in cancer patients in this study reported in the Oxford Journals. Patients with lung cancer with the lowest glutamate levels had the highest survival rates. They also had the highest cysteine levels. Cysteine - a sulfur containing amino acid - is used to make glutathione as well as taurine - the body's natural water soluble anti-oxidant. This finding suggests that glutamate may interfere with cysteine and glutathione production in the body.
In this paper from the National Academy of Sciences, glutamate antagonists slow tumor growth.
This article discusses the use of glutamate antagonists or blockers in the treatment of cancer. These antagonists apparently also inhibit cancer cell migration and so may be useful in preventing cells from proliferating throughout the body. One has to ask the nagging question, then - If blocking glutamate can cause cancer cells to die and stop migrating, shouldn't cancer patients stop eating MSG and aspartame? Unfortunately, patients suffering from cancer are rarely, if ever told this information.
BREAKING NEWS:
January 5, 2009 - Researchers have just discovered the gene involved in breast cancer metastasis. The gene MTDH (short for metadherin) but also known as 3D3, AEG-1, AEG1, LYRIC affects cells susceptibility to glutamate excitotoxicity. This gene is involved in the mestastasis of breast cancer, malignant gliomas, and melanomas. Currently, excessive glutamate neurotoxicity due to MTDH, is believed to cause HIV dementia due to how HIV infection affects the expression of this gene in astrocytes, (AEG-1 stands for Astrocyte Elevated Gene). This gene is considered an HIV inducible gene. More..
November 6, 2008, in the Journal, Nature, researchers from Washington University in St. Lewis report that they have sequenced the genome of a woman who died of leukemia and found 10 mutations - one of which is for glutamate receptors.
From the study, the mutations were:
1 & 2 ) protocadherin/cadherin family members CDH24 and PCLKC (also known as PCDH24)
3 & 4) G-protein-coupled receptors GPR123 and EBI2 (also known as GPR183)
5) a protein phosphatase PTPRT
6) a potential guanine nucleotide exchange factor KNDC1
7) a peptide/drug transporter SLC15A1 and
8) a glutamate receptor gene GRINL1B.
9& 10) previously described, FLT3 and NPM1 genes.QUOTE: "On the basis of deep readcount data, we determined that all of these mutations (except FLT3) were present in nearly all tumour cells at presentation and again at relapse 11 months later..."
In India, because of a study of 134 people with stomach cancer who were avid consumers of food which contained MSG, The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Owners of Eastern India (as noted in this India Times article) has asked its members to refrain from using MSG.
Word is getting out, but unfortunately, not in the United States. See the
US Congressional testimony of Dr. Max Gerson from July 1, 2, 3 in 1946 detailing the treatment of cancer patients with diet. This information was actively suppressed by the US medical establishment and cancer industry (yes, we mean cancer INDUSTRY) for 6 decades.
For information on where MSG is actually hidden to help those who wish to avoid it - we have added more information to our Foods to Avoid page.
For those looking for more information on cancer treatment and the role of diet - please visit http://www.gerson.org/ It is a non-profit organization committed to using proper nutrition and elimination of foods such as MSG and aspartame in treating chronic, incurable diseases including cancer. Based on the facts laid out here, we believe the Gerson Therapy and its strict avoidance of the food additives MSG and aspartame makes incredible sense for cancer patients. The Gerson Therapy is the oldest, most trusted dietary treatment for cancer developed by a physician, and has been in existence for over 60 years.
If you want to help those with cancer, we advocate donating to the Gerson Institute rather than the myriad cancer charities that spend more on themselves and perpetuating their goliath organizations and expensive debilitating "treatments" than they do on healing folks.