Many MSG sufferers complain about an uncontrollable urge to eat, and symptoms of
hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. This is no surprise to scientists. There are
glutamate receptors in the pancreas. The pancreas is the organ of the body that
releases insulin when the blood sugar is too high. Unfortunately, MSG, because it
stimulates the pancreas, (and the hypothalamus) results in low blood sugar, and feelings
of hunger. In fact, scientists inject MSG
into laboratory animals to make them obese.
The problem is, if you did not eat all that much, and the blood sugar is not
particularly high when you ingest MSG, what little blood sugar was around, gets turned
into stored energy by the insulin release. In other words, your blood sugar drops,
and your body craves more, but is storing it at the same time. Result:
You overeat
You store calories - and gain weight
You are still hungry
You get hypoglycemic symptoms - irritability, headache
It becomes a cycle, especially if you eat more food containing MSG.