John Erb, a long time research assistant at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont. Canada, discovered that no strain of rats or mice is naturally obese. In order to do studies on obesity in animals, the scientists had to create obese animals to use in diabetes test studies. In hundreds of studies around the world it was described that obese mice and rats were created. The way to do this is by injecting them with MSG (monosodium glutamate) when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing animals to become obese. These animals are referred to as “MSG-Treated Rats.”

Upon making this discovery, John Erb checked the cupboards in his kitchen and fridge and found that MSG was in everything! A few examples: Campbell’s soups, Lay’s Doritos, Lay’s flavored potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressing. You will not always find MSG described as an additive on the label of the processed foods. Manufacturers know that many people, aware of the danger of MSG, avoid foods labeled as containing it, its presence is often disguised by calling it “Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein”. MSG was also added to Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and particularly Kentucky Fried Chicken–every restaurant uses MSG in abundance.

John Erb explains in his book, an expose of the food additive industry, called The Slow Poisoning of America, that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body! The food manufacturer’s lobby states that the reason why MSG is added to food is to make people eat more! MSG is also a flavoring substance and, according to the manufacturers, addicts people to their product. It was scientifically proven to be an addictive substance as long ago as 1978.

The FDA has set no limits on the amount of MSG that may be added to foods. They claim that it is safe in any amount. Yet, MSG’s side effects have been known for decades. They include diabetes, migraines, autism, ADHD, even Alzheimer’s disease.

Meantime a political lobby is pushing a Bill through Congress called the “Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Bill”, also referred to as “Cheeseburger Bill” which bans anyone from suing food manufacturers, sellers and distributors. It passed the House of Representatives and is expected to pass the Senate and will protect the food and beverage industry from civil lawsuits regarding adding dangerous and additive chemicals to foods.

We revert to our oft-repeated warning: to protect your health, eat only fresh (not processed) organic foods and limit restaurant meals to rare occasions–if indulged in at all.

The amount of MSG used in food processing is increasing. It finds its way into many products on the market shelves. It is served in many of the “best” restaurants. Unsuspecting parents may be shocked to learn that it is used as a flavoring in school lunchrooms.

Older people are particularly susceptible. The reasons are not understood, but many individuals develop a sensitivity to MSG as they grow older. “Sometime around the age of fifty,” a restaurant cook noted, “I began reacting to some of the food we were preparing. I had to stop tasting because many of the prepared foods we bought were loaded with MSG.”

George Schwartz, M.D., has written a powerful polemic against the use of MSG in processed foods sold to an unsuspecting public. His experience with patients who reacted to the substance with various results prompted him to compile a book that may hasten regulation of the chemical.

In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome aims at a wide audience. By calling attention to the proliferation of MSG “tainted” products, he hopes to reach both a professional and non-professional audience.

“I have become increasingly aware,” he writes, “of how many of my patients and associates developed the well-documented headache, facial flush, gastrointestinal symptoms, and depression. In 1978 I published an account in the New England Journal of Medicine which detailed the case histories of two individuals who developed physical and psychiatric symptoms, including severe depression, whenever they ate foods containing MSG. Their emotional symptoms were particularly disturbing,” Dr. Schwartz notes, “because they began as late as 48 hours after exposure to MSG and sometimes continued for several weeks.”

The author recounts the case of a child whose school and home adjustment had been severely affected for years by the MSG present in his ordinary diet. “Completely eliminating MSG,” he explains, improved his behavior to such a degree that within weeks his teacher and psychiatrist were calling his parents to ask what had changed!”

Dr. Schwartz notes that his article in the medical journal elicited instant publicity, favorable and otherwise. Among the critics, he notes, were food processors who did not relish their products being ignored on the supermarket shelves and a critical letter from the Glutamate Association, an organization that represents the interests of those who market the substance. The letter, he says, “imputed the standards of the New England Journal of Medicine for printing it.”

Monosodium glutamate can be considered a “natural substance” just as salt and sugar are categorized. It is derived from a seaweed. It is used in most commercial recipes to enhance flavor. Soy sauce usually contains MSG, as do many prepared soups, salad dressings, flavored roasted nuts, frozen meals, and a wide variety of meats and poultry that have been processed: fried chickens sold in fast-food stores, frankfurters, tuna salads, etc.

Labeling practices have compelled many processors to list MSG among the ingredients. Dr. Schwartz points out, however, that the term hydrolyzed vegetable protein can snare the unsuspecting buyer. It is one of the chemical methods of producing MSG and contains as much as 20% MSG.

Schwartz insists that MSG intolerance is not an allergic reaction. He contends that it has a true drug effect. He cites clinical studies that indicate sensitive individuals may develop long-term effects.

Asthmatics are especially vulnerable, Dr. Schwartz complains. Confirming information recently appearing in Nutrition Health Review, issue #47, Asthma, he says that the presence of MSG can provoke near-fatal reactions. The overall death rate from asthma increased 23% between 1980 and 1985, he notes. He wonders whether there is a coincidence between that alarming statistic and the increased popularity of MSG among food processors.

This book is abundant with warnings. The author lists various products that contain MSG, including spaghetti sauce, noodles (even sold in health-food stores!), canned tuna fish, spaghetti and meat balls, bacon-onion seasoning, garlic salt, chicken with rice soup, chicken cacciatore, canned beef consomme, chicken noodle soup mixes, pepper pot soup, kosher beef frankfurters, beef-flavored mushrooms, potato crunchies, tuna salad, packaged chicken, beef stew, chow mein, cookies, cured meats, frozen vegetables (in sauces), potato chips, gravies, spices. The brands read like a list of the nation’s outstanding food sources!

Dr. Schwartz is especially critical of fast-food restaurants where MSG is used in breaded and fried products. The public has no way of knowing that foods include MSG. The identification that can warn a purchaser in the supermarket is not provided in a restaurant.

Although the author absolves Amtrak food purveyors saying the chief dietician avoids products containing MSG, he is not as tolerant of the corporations serving food to the airlines. He suggests avoiding seafood, salad dressings, and sauces in flight.

25 years ago, four of us went to dinner at Dr. Hoagley Woagley’s Texas Barbecue in California.  We all ordered different meals in order to test them.  I ordered roast beef, and everyone raved about how tender it was.  Within an hour, I became deathly ill.  I felt as though my heart was totally dry and very painful.

We rushed home and I drank my old-fashioned remedy against food poisoning — apple cider vinegar, honey, and water — and I slowly returned to normal.  My roast beef must have been loaded with MSG, but I thankfully, I was aware.

It is almost impossible to avoid all MSG, and this kept us out of the hospital twice on cross-country trips when we got bad food — and kept us out of the hospital!

See my website at www.ascendingenterprises.com for more Old-Fashioned Remedies.

MSG in Coffee

The food additive MSG (MonoSodium Glutamate) is a slow poison.  MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as “Natural Flavoring.”

MSG is even in your favorite coffee from Tim Horton’s and other brand-name coffee shops!

I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erb.  He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and spent years working for the government.  He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The Slow Poisoning of America.

In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies.  No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so scientists have to create them.  They make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born.  The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese.  They even have a name for the fat rodents they create:  “MSG-Treated Rats.”

When I heard this, I was shocked.  I went into my kitchen and checked the cupboards and the refrigerator.  MSG was in everything — the Campbell’s soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressings, especially the “healthy low-fat” ones.

The items that didn’t have MSG marked on the product label had something called “Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein,” which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate.

It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff.  MSG is hidden under many different names in order to fool those who read the ingredient list, so that they don’t catch on.  (Other names for MSG are “Accent, “Aginomoto,” “Natural Meat Tenderizer,” etc.)

But it didn’t stop there.

When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items contained MSG.  Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn’t use MSG.

But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough, MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere.

Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, every restaurant — even the sit-down eateries like TGIF, Chili’s, Applebee’s, and Denny’s — use MSG in abundance.  Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender:  MSG was in every chicken dish, salad dressing. and gravy.  No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin — their secret spice was MSG!

So why is MSG in so may of the foods we eat?  Is it a preservative, or a vitamin?

Not according to my friend John Erb.  In his book The Slow Poisoning of America, he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body.

Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more (See that propaganda website here).

A study of the elderly showed that older people eat more of the foods that it is added to.  The Glutamate Association lobbying group says eating more is a benefit to the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us?

“Betcha can’t eat [just] one,” takes on a whole new meaning where MSG is concerned!  And we wonder why the nation is overweight!

The MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products.  It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn’t added.

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance.  Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks, and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday.

The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food.  They claim it’s safe to eat in any amount.  But how can they claim it’s safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these:

“The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in obesity.”  Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002.

“Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats.”  Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro.  Brain Res Bull. 2002 Aug.

“Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: An animal model of multiple risk factors.”  Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima.  Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar.

“Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity.”  Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K Kusunoki.  Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct.

No, the date of that last study was not a typo; it was published in 1978.  Both the “medical research community” and “food manufacturers” have known about the side effects of MSG for decades.

Many more of the studies mentioned in John Erb’s book link MSG to diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer’s.

So what can we do to stop the food manufactures from dumping this fattening and addictive MSG into our food supply and causing the obesity epidemic we now see?

Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada.  While he was sitting in the government office, the official told him, “Sure, I know how bad MSG is.  I wouldn’t touch the stuff.”  But this top-level government official refuses to tell the public what he knows.

The big media doesn’t want to tell the public either, fearing issues with their advertisers.  It seems that the fallout on the fast food industry may hurt their profit margin.  The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price for it.  Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food additive.

But what can I do about it?  I’m just one voice!  What can I do to stop the poisoning of our children, while our governments are insuring financial protection for the industry that is poisoning us?

This message is going out to everyone I know in an attempt to tell you the truth that the corporate-owned politicians and media won’t tell you.

The best way you can help to save yourself and your children from this drug-induced epidemic is to forward this article to everyone.  With any luck, it will circle the globe before politicians can pass the legislation protecting those who are poisoning us.

The food industry learned a lot from the tobacco industry.  Imagine if big tobacco had a bill like this in place before someone blew the whistle on nicotine?

If you are one of the few who can still believe that MSG is good for us and you don’t believe what John Erb has to say, see for yourself.  Go to the National Library of Medicine at www.pubmed.com.

Type in the words “MSG Obese” and read a few of the 115 medical studies that appear.

We the public do not want to be rats in one giant experiment, and we do not approve of food that makes us into a nation of obese, lethargic, addicted sheep, feeding the food industry’s bottom line while waiting for the heart transplant, the diabetic-induced amputation, blindness, or other obesity-induced, life-threatening disorders.

With your help we can put an end to this poison.

Do your part in sending this message out by word of mouth, e-mail, or by distribution of this printout to your friends all over the world and stop this “Slow Poisoning of Mankind” by the packaged food industry.

Blowing the whistle on MSG is our responsibility, so get the word out.

Typical Noodle Meal Containing Lots of MSG

Originally published on the Internet on trustedhands.com at this website.

It’s everywhere!  Food manufacturers have found the golden key to keep their food tasty to you – and keep you coming back for more.  But by eating foods containing MSG, could you be poisoning your brain?  Let’s look at how MSG works in the body.

MSG or Monosodium Glutamate is not a spice, salt or flavor.  It has no nutritional value.  It adds nothing to your chicken, chips, soup or salad dressing.  MSG is a drug – a sophisticated marketing science designed to change YOU rather than the food.  MSG stimulates your taste buds by exciting your brain cells. The problem is that over-exciting your brain neurons will damage cells and brain development.

You may know someone who is “MSG-Sensitive.”  They may experience Migraine headaches, skin rash, bloating, fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, gastric distress, diarrhea, asthma symptoms, irregular heart beat, nausea, vomiting, anxiety attacks, depression, hyperactivity, mood swings, mouth lesions, tremors, etc.  Perhaps you didn’t know that MSG can cause those health problems.  Actually, these are less like an allergic reaction, and more like a powerful drug reaction.

At Life Empowerment, many of our patients will keep a diet diary of the foods that they eat on a daily basis.  Many times, we will find a common denominator for migrane headaches and other symptoms: MSG.  It’s not written down in the diary that way.  We see “Chick-Fil-A,” soups, packaged foods, chips, etc. that contain MSG.  Most often, when the offending foods are removed from the diet, symptoms disappear.

But what about the long-term effects of MSG on the body?

Glutamic Acid

Glutamic Acid is an excitotoxic amino acid.  Consuming MSG can destroy brain cells that are not protected by the blood brain barrier, and affect brain development of a baby in the womb.  Apsartic acid, found in Aspartame (Nutrasweet), has a similar affect on the body.  Since the effects of aspartic and gluatmic acid are cumulative, having both MSG and Aspartame in your diet can be detrimental.

Excitotoxins like Gluatmic Acid and Aspartic Acid have been linked to many neurological disorders and irreversible health problems such as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Diabetes, and more.

You Can’t Trust Food Labels

MSG is manufactured through a process of protein hydrolysis.  When a product is 99% pure MSG, the FDA requires the label indicate that the product contains MSG. When it contains less than 99%, the manufacturer is not required to label the package as containing MSG.  Some  “hydrolyzed proteins” (same effects as MSG) can be found in ingredients such as: “autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed soy protein and sodium caseinate.”

But it gets trickier . . . manufacturers don’t even have to list those ingredients when they comprise an ingredient in another product.  For example hydrolyzed soy protein is often used to make the “natural flavoring” you find on the labels of broth, bouillon or natural chicken flavoring.  Its often hard to determine what actually contains MSG.

MSG is used so widely in processed foods, salad dressings, meats, etc.  “Low Fat” foods often contain MSG to make up for the flavor lost when the fat is reduced or removed.

Why is MSG Still on the Market?

Good question.  MSG production and consumption is big business.  Lack of regulation and loose restrictions on labeling are largely a result of food-industry sponsored lobby groups who work hard to keep MSG on the market.  Current levels added to food are fifty times higher than amounts used forty years ago, and the quantity continues to grow each year.

What Can You Do?

This is a tough question, but there is a lot that you can do to reduce your consumption of MSG.

1. Ask questions at restaurants – Many restaurants will indicate whether or not they use MSG on their menus.  Most will keep it out if you ask.
2. Reduce packaged food consumption.  Because labeling requirements are so ambiguous, it is best to stay away from packaged foods when you are able.  If not, read the labels.  We have provided a list of MSG sources for you.
3. Buy non-packaged, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, bakery-fresh whole grain breads and prepare them yourself.  If you need convenience, partially prepare several meals ahead of time and freeze them for later consumption.  Check out our “Recipes for Life” Cookbooks for great ideas about preparing tasty, fresh, nutritious meals!

The glutamate industry and companies, including pharmaceutical firms, that wish to use processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in their products, improperly claim that the term “MSG” only applies to the food ingredient “monosodium glutamate.”

They pretend not to realize that “monosodium glutamate” is nothing more than glutamic acid that has been freed from protein through a manufacturing process (processed free glutamic acid), salt (sodium), and moisture. It is the processed free glutamic acid that MSG-sensitive people react to, providing that they ingest amounts that exceed their tolerances for the substance.

Consumers may react to processed free glutamic acid that is contained in any food ingredient or product, including AuxiGro, regardless of the name of the ingredient or product.

Because MSG-sensitive people may react to all ingredients and products that contain processed free glutamic acid, they refer to such ingredients and products as containing “MSG.”

In August, 1995, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted in a document entitled the “FDA Backgrounder” that consumers frequently refer to all [free] glutamic acid as “MSG.” The “FDA Backgrounder” is still in use by the FDA and can likely be found on their Web site.

Based on peer reviewed studies, there is no question that glutamic acid is neurotoxic. This can be easily confirmed by accessing MEDLINE retrieval service for studies dating from 1966 to the present, using the words “glutamic acid” in combination with the words “brain lesions” and then “neurotoxicity.” I would also suggest that you look up the words besity,” ” and “seizures” combination with the words “glutamic acid.”

There is also no question that the young are most at risk from MSG. To confirm this, you might start by reviewing the work of John W. Olney, MD and look up the words “glutamic acid” in combination with the words “blood brain barrier” and “placental barrier.”

You will learn that the blood brain barrier is not fully developed in the young to protect against toxins that enter the blood, and that glutamic acid can also penetrate the placental barrier.

Disregarding the blood brain barrier and the placental barrier issues, the literature clearly indicates that, based on the amount of MSG used in the 1970s, over 25% of the population react to MSG.

Although we have not reviewed all vaccines used on infants, we have found one or two sources of processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in those that we have information on. In discussion with a retired executive of a company that produces vaccines, he suggested to me that all viral vaccines would have free glutamic acid, used to feed the live virus.

The glutamic acid in vaccines are often described as “stabilizers,” i.e., ingredients to keep the virus alive. We describe them as a hidden source of processed free glutamic acid (MSG).

An example for you would be the Chickenpox Vaccine by VariVax — Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck). This vaccine includes “L-monosodium glutamate” and “hydrolyzed gelatin.”

Another example would be Merck’s M-M-R vaccine. The product insert states that the growth medium for measles and mumps includes “amino acids” and “glutamate.” It is also stated that the medium for rubella included “amino acids” and “hydrolyzed gelatin.” Finally, it states that the “reconstituted vaccine” for subcutaneous administration includes hydrolyzed gelatin.

We have no way of knowing which amino acids are used in Merck’s vaccines, but we do know that the amino acids “glutamic acid,” “aspartic acid,” and “L-cysteine” are neurotoxic.

We also know that any hydrolyzed protein, such as the hydrolyzed gelatin will contain some processed free glutamic acid (MSG), some aspartic acid, and some L-cysteine, all considered to be neurotoxic by neuroscientists. Even without hydrolyzing gelatin, gelatin contains over 11% processed free glutamic acid (MSG) and some aspartic acid and L-cysteine. It is present as a result of the manufacturing process that results in gelatin.

The product insert for M-M-R vaccine by Merck provides a contraindication that states, in part: “Hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine, including gelatin.” It is footnoted to the following reference.

I cannot help but wonder if at least some of the subjects in the study above reacted to gelatin. Most reactions to processed free glutamic acid (MSG), as contained in gelatin, are not IgE mediated. They are best described as a sensitivity to a toxic substance.

If you wish to determine more about Merck vaccines, I would suggest you call their National Service Center at (800) NSC-MERCK. Do not ask about the presence of “MSG” in vaccines. Rather, ask about the presence of “free glutamic acid.” You will have a better chance of getting a reliable answer.

Not long ago, a vaccine for Rotavirus came to market. The product, which contained some processed free glutamic acid (MSG), carried a warning in the product insert that it not be used for individuals who had a hypersensitivity to MSG. Shortly after the Rotavirus came to market, it was found that the vaccine resulted in digestive blockages, and the product was withdrawn from the market.

One last comment regarding the exposure of infants to processed free glutamic acid (MSG): the presence of processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in infant formulas.

We have found that major brands of infant formula, if not all infant formulas, contain some processed free glutamic acid (MSG). The hypoallergenic soy formulas contain very high levels of MSG. See www.truthinlabeling.org/formulacopy.html for further detail.

It might be worthwhile for someone to do a study of people who were raised on hypoallergenic formulas to determine if they have experienced a higher incidence of obesity, learning disabilities, and/or ADHD, in childhood and/or endocrine disorders later in life, as compared with people who were breast fed, and then as compared with people who were raised on milk based infant formulas.

If I can be of any further help to anyone on this important subject, they should not hesitate to write or call. If anyone receives a list of ingredients from vaccine producers, I would be pleased to go over the ingredients and advise them of the ingredients that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG).

Jack Samuels
Phone: (858) 481-9333
E-mail: adandjack@aol.com

Here are some quotes from the Campbell’s website;

“Condensed soup means a smaller can – and that’s better for the environment”
“Looking for something wholesome that will make you and your kids happy?”
“The rich, savory goodness of Chicken Noodle”
“When you’re in the mood for a nourishing, delicious soup that’s just right”

Each and every sentence is designed to make you believe that the food is somehow conveyed with magical powers. It isn’t. Campbell’s products contain MSG – the drug that has no function in food other than to fool your brain into believing it tastes good.

There is nothing wholesome, rich, savory, nourishing or environmentally friendly about MSG.

KFC® state on their website:

“Mix together daily activity, a sensible diet, and a little fun. What do you get? A recipe for keeping your body balanced.”

By “fun” do they mean their own brand of fast food? Surely it can’t be a “sensible diet” to eat copius amounts of MSG amongst almost all their menu items. Even their green beans include MSG. Is the Colonel’s secret recipe the fact that he realized more people will eat food laced with MSG?

The dictionary definitions for “Wholesome”:

1. conducive to moral or general well-being; salutary; beneficial: wholesome recreation; wholesome environment.
2. conducive to bodily health; healthful; salubrious: wholesome food; wholesome air; wholesome exercise.
3. suggestive of physical or moral health, esp. in appearance.
4. healthy or sound.

At Ban MSG Now, we fail to see how any food is “wholesome” if it contains MSG. How can it be conducive to bodily health or sound?

OTTAWA, Wednesday, December 6, 2006

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met this day at 4:13 p.m. to consider the inquiry on the issue of funding for the treatment of autism.

Senator Art Eggleton (Chairman) in the chair.

[English]

The Chairman: Today we are continuing our examination of issues with respect to autism and, in particular, the federal role and the federal funding role.

We will hear from two groups this afternoon. In the first hour we will hear from parents of autistic children and in the second hour we will hear from people who have autism.

Before we start with our first panel, I want to bring a couple of pieces of news to your attention. First, in the House of Commons yesterday, a motion was passed on this subject and the motion, by Andy Scott, is as follows:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should create a national strategy for autism spectrum disorder that would include: (a) the development, in cooperation with provincial/territorial governments, of evidence based standards for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder; (b) the development, in cooperation with provincial governments, of innovative funding methods for the care of those with autism spectrum disorder; (c) consulting with provincial/territorial governments and other stakeholders on the requirements of implementing a national surveillance program for autism spectrum disorder; and (d) the provision of additional federal funding for health research into autism spectrum disorder.

This passed the House of Commons and I understand that all parties except the Bloc supported this yesterday. The government party did as well as the opposition. Further advances are happening. We here are considering the whole question of a national strategy and how we might want to characterize a motion that we send forward to the government.

Also for your information, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Combatting Autism Act. The bill authorized nearly $1 billion over the next five years to combat autism through research screening, early detection and early intervention.

Those are two pieces of news for you. More and more attention is being paid to this issue by various legislative bodies.

In the first panel we have four individuals. Mr. John Erb attended the psychology program at the University of Waterloo. He began working with people with mental challenges and after 10 years as a frontline residential counsellor began working for a municipal government managing a caseload of 200 individuals diagnosed with various handicaps. Many were children and young adults with autism. In 2000 he became an executive consultant to a residential facility specializing in care for autistic individuals. He continues to create treatment programs that improve the abilities of those with autism. He is currently creating a non-profit treatment centre for discovering better ways to improve the conditions of individuals with autism. Welcome, Mr. Erb.

Ms. Lisa Simmermon was for a number of years, and perhaps still is, the public relations director at the Saskatchewan Families for Effective Autism Treatment, Inc., SASKFEAT, and is also a former president of the Autism Society of Canada. In the mid-1990s her son received a diagnosis of autism at the age of seven. For more than a decade she has been a keen promoter of increasing autism research and treatment in Canada and a strong advocate of a provincial autism effective treatment program in Saskatchewan.

Dr. Sheila Laredo is the parent of three children, two of whom, at ages 10 and 8 years, have autism. She is an MD graduating from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Andrew Kavchak is an Ottawa resident and the parent of two boys, one of whom has autism. Shortly after his son’s diagnosis, and while his son was on the waiting list for social service department programs, Mr. Kavchak began lobbying provincial and federal authorities for increased resources to eliminate waiting lists and age-based cut-offs from treatment along with the inclusion of autism treatments such as ABA, applied behavioural analysis, and IBI, intensive behavioural intervention, under medicare, the use of ABA in schools and the development of a national autism strategy.

Welcome to all of you.

John Erb, as an individual: I do not speak French so I will be speaking in English, unfortunately.

I have been involved in autism on the front line for the past 20 years. I have been working not only in residential group homes but also with city governments, both in residential services and in seeking supported employment for individuals with autism. Currently, I am an executive assisting with programs to improve residential services for the autistic.

I will be drawing on some interesting numbers. These numbers are from current Medicare standards in the United States, where there have been enough individuals with autism that they have actually set payment standards, residential programs and things of that nature.

The difficulty with autism is that very few of these individuals will ever hold a standard job. Even if they do get into the workforce, for many of them it will be in a supported employment situation. Some of these individuals have aggression, especially through the teenage years, and some of them continue this aggression throughout their adulthood. Specialized programs are required for them. Autism is not a standard form of mental retardation; it is one that requires even more hands-on treatment, with a higher ratio of treatment person to individual.

In the United States, Medicare currently pays providers in residential care $12.83 hourly. A program is created for each individual. Autistic individuals tend to need more hours. Generally, their programs run an average of 80 hours a week. At 52 weeks of care, the total comes to $53,000 annually. That is just residential services overnight. The day programs are currently funded at $70 for a four-hour program. That amounts to a weekly program cost of $350, and at 52 weeks, $18,000 per annum. An average autistic person in care in the United States is costing annually $71,489. If that individual is in a treatment program from the age of 20 years to 60 years, that is 40 years, a total cost, not figured for inflation, of $2,859,000.

The CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, has the number of autistics born currently at 1 in 166 births. In Canada, that would represent a child born with autism every four hours. In Canada we could have this year 2,190 children born with autism. At $2,859,000 per person, in their lifetime, these children could represent a cost to the taxpayer of $6,262,000,000. That is just this year’s group of autistic children. The next year’s group will represent another amount.

The CDC argues that between 1994 and 2003, the occurrence of autism has increased sixfold. If that trend continues, by 2012 we should expect the number to go from 1 in 166 births to 1 in 28. That would translate to one autistic birth every 40 minutes in Canada, or 13,000 autistic births annually in 2012. That would represent a tax burden of those individuals of $37 billion.

These numbers do not include the cost of specialized education to the age of 20, the cost of physician and hospital visits, or the cost of medication. These are serious numbers that need to be looked at, and they are factual. This is the actual cost of residential group home standard treatment facilities in the United States, and the cost is comparative here in Canada.

One of the reasons I am here today is because a report that I researched and presented to the United Nations in August was read by Dr. Jorgen Schlundt, Director of Food Safety for the World Health Organization. The report that I sent him, of which some of you have copies, goes specifically into autism on page 19. The report itself talks about the dangers of a food additive called monosodium glutamate, MSG.

The first section of the document talks about MSG being purposely used to trigger epileptic seizures in test subjects, to cause brain damage, to damage eye cells. In over 500 studies, subcutaneously injected monosodium glutamate has been used to purposely create obese and hyperinsulinaemic test subjects. It triggers, and may trigger, diabetes.

I went further to suggest that there is something happening with autism and monosodium glutamate. On the back of the “Cost of Autism” sheet in my brief there are some interesting facts. One is that autistic individuals have larger brains; abnormally accelerated rate of growth may serve as an early warning signal of risk of autism. Many of these children have heavier brain masses. When they are examined, it is found that their neurons are more densely packed and that there is a greater proliferation of cells.

In June 2006, a study published by Schlett actually proved that glutamate accelerates brain growth and causes extra neurons to be developed in the brain.

I am putting forward a theory, and trying to find more support and research for it, that states that monosodium glutamate may be accelerating the growth of the human brain, especially in utero, within the first two months of growth, when the central nervous system, brain and eyes are growing.

The other interesting thing about monosodium glutamate is that it can be found in a number of vaccines. MSG is very common. I do not know how many people have gone without eating or feeding their children any of the products I show here: cream of mushroom soup, flavoured chips, Hamburger Helper, Mr. Noodles, or MSG in its crude form, Accent, which is used in the Philippines. They usually place one to two tablespoons in a bread roll and are able to kill a dog. It causes an epileptic fit, and then they kill the dog. Unfortunately, in some areas of the Phillipines, the dog is then eaten pre-seasoned.

This is why I am presenting today the idea that monosodium glutamate has enough dangers attributed to it that it should be removed from the food supply. I believe — and some of the studies I have discovered validate this — that glutamate accelerates brain growth, and we do not need to add that to our children’s food.

My third fact is that monosodium glutamate is a common additive in the fast-food and processed-food industry and it is added purposely to make us eat more of the product. This admission comes from the Glutamate Association itself, on its website, msgfacts.com.

My proposal to reduce autism is to introduce a bill in the House of Commons asking for a moratorium on the use of the food additive monosodium glutamate and its related glutamate-containing additives; to require products using added glutamate to provide a warning to pregnant and/or nursing mothers; that companies choosing to continue using added glutamate could have a tax levied against them; and to require all vaccines to be free of ingredients that include glutamates. Research should be done specifically targeting the effect of glutamate on the developing child.

Research should also be done on the use of melatonin as a treatment method for individuals with autism. In some studies, it is found that dopamine is exceedingly high in the spinal fluid of individuals with autism. Dopamine’s natural counter-agent is melatonin, dopamine being a very hyperactive-causing chemical, melatonin being a natural counter-agent that is found to reduce those hyperactive tendencies. In the residential treatment facilities that I supervise, I have found that melatonin actually assists people with autism to focus better and reduces their obsessive-compulsive disorder behaviours.

Lisa Simmermon, as an individual: I am the mother of a 17-year-old young man with autism who lives in a province where there is no provincial autism treatment program and where families must locate and most often pay for all the different components of a comprehensive autism treatment program.

My concern with the lack of treatment and required services provision for autism spectrum disorders, or ASD, has led to more than a decade of volunteer work on this subject seeking to have both my provincial and the federal government address this issue in a cohesive and a coordinated manner. To date, that has not been successful.

Treatment is not a single subject issue, however. Effective treatment includes but is not limited to intensive behavioural intervention, which can be delivered by more than one methodology: communication therapy, which involves combining speech therapy as well as augmentive or alternative communication therapy; occupational and/or physical therapy for the muscle imitation and sensory issues inherent in ASD; medical attention, including the many unusual differences that most people with ASD experience with their digestive, endocrine, metabolic and immune systems; and, sometimes, alternative therapies for specific concerns.

We have done our best to obtain aspects of these treatment components to the best of our financial abilities, as a family living below the Statistics Canada low-income cut-off. When he was three years old, we were told our son would never speak, learn or progress. He is now an A student with a number of friends doing grade 12 courses. He is considering options for post-secondary education, work and a career. Each treatment element we pursued had a body of published research supporting its efficacy and importance as a component part of autism treatment. Without treatment, the bleak outcome predicted by the experts that we first consulted would probably have been quite accurate. However, treatment, even though it was less than optimal, has opened a world of opportunity and friendship for our son, creating a much broader palette of life choices. Although he is still seriously challenged by his autism and needs to use many adaptations and accommodations, he is very aware of how much of a different life he has with at least some treatment. We continue to seek avenues to obtain medically necessary treatment. His wonderful skills and strengths, many of which are so much a part of his autism, now have a real chance to be used as our son continues to work to reach his potential.

Treatment for our son has also greatly improved the potential of the lives of his family. When our son was young and attending school, it became essential to have one parent available at all times to assist him, including being present at the school in case it was felt that he should leave, which was frequently. As a result, we became a family with only one primary income earner, as I could work only part-time in this situation.

Our son’s symptoms were so severe that it was necessary to have a second adult with me when leaving the house with our son and especially when travelling in the car. That greatly restricted my ability to take my son out. When my husband and I both had to leave the house, such as attending rehearsals in our work as musicians, we had to hire two caregivers and arrange for those caregivers to have special training to safely be able to stay with our son.

Every day was a huge challenge. Our son’s inability to sleep more than a few hours at a time meant that night certainly was not a time of rest.

Because our son has a typical IQ, until we obtained ministerial intervention through a two-year process, we could not access respite assistance. Since our little boy was not clearly suicidal, we were not allowed any access to a child psychiatrist until his seizures enabled our pediatrician to force the involvement of a psychiatrist by hospitalizing our son.

Although lab tests that are not accessible in our province and that we paid for proved that our son has a multitude of medical issues, we could not then and still cannot obtain any medical assistance with working to improve those issues. We were exhausted and frightened for the future of our son and for our future.

Then we bought our first computer and we began to explore the world of information. We discovered descriptions of our son’s challenges, and we learned about autism and autism treatment. We pursued many different elements of treatment. We read voraciously, we worked with our doctors, and eventually we obtained an official diagnosis when our son was 7. We began to see a clever boy with a sense of humour and an observant eye for detail begin to blossom.

School-based education was not successful, so we turned to home-based education using ABA-based teaching methods. A year ago our son placed in the top 25 per cent of contestants participating in the Canadian mathematics competition for students his age, and testing last year placed him in the 99th percentile for written language expression, which certainly affirms he has experienced success in education.

His friendships have grown, his interests have expanded, his skills multiplied and his ability to enjoy the world around him enables my husband and me also to enjoy the world around us once again.

I have been able to spend time volunteering to seek better services and treatment for people with ASD, and our son has matured to being able to look after himself independently for a few hours at a time. This past year, I have been able to increase the work that I do as a musician. For our family, treatment is not only helping our son work toward reaching his potential, but it is also helping his parents reach their potential.

I know that you have invited me here today to talk about the perspectives of a family with autism, but I would like to share with you the perspective that our son wrote for you as a point of view. This was while I was away from the house, so I had nothing to do with him writing this. He wrote the following:

Before autism treatment, I could not do anything a normal child could do. Then as ABA was used, it gradually improved my skills, until I could actually do schoolwork at home. Schoolwork outside of home was disastrous, however, since schools are a very high stress environment for a child with autism. During the time I was in Grade 2, my academic skills actually decreased because of how stressful it was. This is why I have been taught everything by my Mom; it was necessary to be able to get me to learn anything. Were it not for autism treatment, I would be unable to do anything in today’s world.

I had some other points, but I can leave them for now.

The Chairman: You might be able to get them out in questions and answers.

Dr. Sheila Laredo, as an individual: I am honoured to speak to you today. I am speaking as a parent of three children, two of whom have autism, as an advocate in my role as a litigant in a case, and as a researcher. I will focus my comments on funding for effective evidence-based interventions. That is in the purview of both my experience and expertise.

It is an important time to consider this as the provincial governments are starting to review their policies for children with autism, certainly, in Ontario, where I live. I feel that the federal government can play a role by ensuring that evidence-based consistent standards are developed and implemented across Canada.

With respect to my own experience, when my first child was diagnosed, our family was devastated. While my son was very verbal, all he could do was repeat what other people said. He could not respond. At the age of three and a half, he was in diapers, he had tantrums every day, many times a day, spent his time flicking lights on and off and spinning whatever he could get his hands on, breakable or not. Within months of his diagnosis, when his younger brother failed to start to speak, we knew we had a second son with autism as well.

After that diagnosis, I thought that my mother’s hat would be best served using my scientific one so that I could find an effective intervention for him. It did not take long to see that the pop literature on the internet was full of contradictory, confusing and biased information.

Instead I went to the scientific literature. I was fortunate to be able to do that. That is where I found ABA. My bias is evident. I am a physician, and a PhD in clinical epidemiology, which means that my expertise is in research methods. Despite the heat and emotions of some of the witnesses you have heard, I can tell you there is a correct way to assess the quality of literature.

In my brief, under appendix A, I provided you research materials that demonstrate that there is consensus across the medical literature, psychological literature and educational literature and that there is a hierarchy of evidence with randomized control trials being the best evidence when it comes to looking at the effectiveness of interventions.

Expert opinion, like mine, is the lowest form of evidence. That is why I have provided you with all these documents to back up what I say.

Using that knowledge, I then reviewed many of the papers that I provided to you in appendix B, including the randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical trials of the ABA intervention. While no study is perfect, there are no other randomized trials of any research interventions, nor large clinical trials demonstrating effectiveness as ABA does. Although some have suggested that the research is biased, it is consistent across research groups, across continents, across age groups and across settings, whether it is at schools, in centres, or in homes. Other treatments like facilitated communication and auditory integration have not held up to scientific scrutiny, and other interventions have had no research at all.

Despite these comments, I have absolutely no stake in ABA. The moment something else is found to be more effective, you can be that sure we will switch.

One criticism of ABA is that it has not been effective for all people. That is probably true. The fact that not all children will be cured by ABA does not preclude the fact that the majority of children will enjoy a profound and substantive benefit. My children have learned to read, write and speak without tantrums all the time and to participate in a regular class. ABA should not be held to a standard that is not expected for other interventions. When we give chemotherapy for cancer or cholesterol drugs for prevention of heart disease we strive for 100 per cent effectiveness but we do not achieve it. ABA meets and exceeds the standards we set for other treatments.

Another criticism is that ABA or IBI is unethical because it does not respect the autistic individual. I applaud those individuals that have done so well they can speak to you today despite the fact that they have not needed ABA. Unfortunately, the dismal data is that such individuals are in the tiny minority. The fortunate experience of exceptional cases should not set policy for the vast majority of individuals with autism — people like my sons.

It has been difficult for us to implement ABA. There has been little help from medical and social services agencies. We had other family members teach us how to set up and implement an ABA program. We managed, because we had many advantages. We have a highly supportive extended family. My husband and I are professionals and our colleagues have extended us many courtesies. Our children participated in the Ontario Autism Intervention Program.

With all that, we struggled. These advantages are not the case for the majority of families. Governments can help. They have started to help, but more can be done. Too little intervention will result in the majority of autism dollars being spent on providing heavily supported living or institutional living where children could have been taught to try to support themselves. It is analogous to the parable give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach him to fish, feed him forever. However, it has been argued that ABA is too expensive.

Peter Coyte is a nationally respected health economist who has published data demonstrating that the average savings over the lifetime of a child who receives ABA, even taking into account the fact that not all children are cured and not all children even receive some benefit, is over $1,000 per child. Almost no medical interventions save money. Despite that, we undertake them. For example, diabetes costs Canadians $9 billion a year. The issue is not reallocating money from health expenditures but that we look at autism expenditures in the context of important health spending, in particular when we know a striking benefit is possible.

The Chairman: Can I ask you to wrap up?

Dr. Laredo: Certainly. We need more research dollars. We need research to really look at comprehensive programs. Those comprehensive programs must be looked at in comparison to the gold standard.

Progress has been made. I would recommend that the federal government look at ensuring there is consistency across provinces with respect to diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, and wait times. Federal transfer funding can be contingent on the provision of services that meet national standards.

I could speak more, but I will leave it at that.

The Chairman: Thank you very much.

Andrew Kavchak, as an individual: Thank you to all members of the committee for this opportunity to appear before you. When I moved to Ottawa, I had a research contract in 1989 and 1990 with Senator Richard Stanbury. At that time I never thought I would be appearing before the committee. I am so grateful to have this opportunity.

For the record, I would like to say that if anyone criticizes the Senate for not being as helpful perhaps as some other bodies, I profoundly disagree. In late 1990, I was writing a lot of speeches for Senator Stanbury against the GST. I became sufficiently expert in it that I got a job at Revenue Canada. I also especially want to thank Senator Munson for all of his work in getting the issue of autism on this committee’s agenda.

I am here as a parent of an autistic child. In July of this year, after I heard that the motion had passed in the Senate to refer the whole matter to this committee, I compiled and submitted this brief to the committee. It is fairly extensive and summarizes my family’s experience and recommendations based on that experience. As well, the brief includes a number of appendices containing documents that I believe anyone researching the situation in Canada should be aware of. It contains a number of reports and articles that are critical.

In May of this year, this committee issued a report suggesting that there was some lack of agreement about whether or not autism is really an illness or mental illness. Therefore, in the committee’s report on mental illness, it decided not to address the issue at all. Parents like me are profoundly disappointed by that. I would like to state that the American Psychiatric Association considers autism to be a disorder; the World Health Organization considers it a disease. The authorities do not doubt there is a problem.

I respectfully would like to request that this committee issue a report to the government. When it does — and I gather that will be in May of next year — I hope the report includes recommendations for prompt action that would include the incorporation of autism treatment in medicare as part of a national autism strategy.

My wife and I have two little boys. The younger one is a sweet child who is, regrettably, severely affected by autism. From the time that we approached our doctor when our son was 18 months old and asked for some advice and opinion because it seemed to us his development was delayed, it took over a year before we finally were able, in our medicare system, to see a specialist who gave us a diagnosis of autism. The next day we applied to the Autism Intervention Program, which is not run by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, not covered by OHIP or the Ontario public health insurance system but run by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. They told us, “Congratulations. You qualify to be on the waiting list. How long? We do not know.” They suggested to us that it was in our interest to resort to the private sector for ABA-IBI treatment. That was my family’s first experience with two-tier healthcare. We were in the wrong tier.

The cause and cure of autism are not known, but since Dr. Lovaas’ groundbreaking study of 1987, the medical community has known that up to 47 per cent of autistic children can develop to such an extent that they become indistinguishable from other children.

For a parent of a child with autism, who sees their child sitting in the corner, rocking, spinning, not talking or communicating and throwing tantrums, these studies provide us with hope and give us direction as to what needs to be done. To find out that it is not available is not just heart-breaking, it is absolutely devastating.

We proceeded, as I said, in the private sector to immediately try to immerse ourselves in this. In the first 11 months alone, it cost us over $40,000.

About 15 months after we applied for assistance from the Ontario Preschool Intervention Program for Children with Autism, they contacted us and offered us direct funding assistance. We were very appreciative, because we were in the process of rapidly depleting our savings. They also told us at that time, a full two and a half years after we had contacted our doctor and said that we think we have a problem, that at the age of 5 the support would be cut in half, because he would be expected to go to school half days regardless of his condition. At the age of 6, he would be entirely cut off, regardless of his condition.

I consider that to be a form of state terror. If our child does not develop sufficiently by the age of six, where do we go? What do we do? What is our future? The uncertainty is absolutely devastating. Although my son remains challenged and requires further treatment, he has improved significantly. That is due to IBI and we know we will have to pursue it for quite a while.

I would like to address two things. The first is recent developments and the second is a few key arguments that are used to constantly thwart our attempts to get help for our kids.

In early 2004, shortly after my son was diagnosed, we had reason to be hopeful. The premier of this province, Dalton McGuinty, had issued a letter during the last election in which he stated to a mother of an autistic child that the age six cut-off was discriminatory and that if he was elected premier, he would do away with it. Similarly, the Deskin-Wynberg case was then at trial level in the Ontario superior court, and a decision was expected soon precisely on the issue of the age six cut-off. Finally, the Auton case from British Columbia was on its way to the Supreme Court of Canada. We were hopeful that a decision would reaffirm the decisions of the lower courts of B.C. and have national implications.

Regrettably, the hope provided by those developments one by one was crushed. First, Premier McGuinty did not keep his election promise. In this report, in one of the appendices, I have a copy of a 2004 Auditor General’s report. The situation concerning the wait lists is just as devastating today as it was back then. In addition, the Deskin-Wynberg case, as you know, was appealed and is now on the way to the Court of Appeal.

I would like to address some of the issues that are constantly raised to thwart us. The first is jurisdiction. The fact is the provinces have been negligent. In my son’s case, they certainly have been. I know many other parents who feel exactly the same way. The federal government plays a huge role in healthcare in this country. It negotiates health accords, transfers funds, develops national strategies such as the national cancer strategy, even though cancer is already addressed under medicare in every province, and has ownership of the Canada Health Act. The federal government has many levers of power and influence, including the budget surplus.

I believe that where there is a will, there is a way. The problem has not been jurisdiction; it has been the lack of political will. As you heard from Jean Lewis who testified here two weeks ago, many parents across Canada are now becoming organized and will be politically active in the next federal election and will campaign in key ridings to try to elect candidates who will publicly commit to amending the Canada Health Act to include autism treatment in medicare.

Regarding the argument that the Canada Health Act is sacrosanct and cannot be amended, it is only a few decades ago that homosexuality was a criminal offence under the Canadian Criminal Code. Just recently, the Parliament of Canada, in a race to be among the first jurisdictions in the world, changed a definition of marriage that was commonly accepted for thousands of years. I do not see why the Canada Health Act cannot be amended, hopefully within 1,000 years. If that cannot be done, there are other ways to achieve the same objective. Negotiations can certainly be held with the provinces. The chairman made reference to the Combating Autism Act that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today; I do not see why we cannot have a combating autism act in Canada. We certainly need one.

I will conclude with a quote from one article in Appendix D. There is an article from an Ottawa newspaper about a Somali gentleman whose son was removed from the waiting list for treatment because he had the misfortune of celebrating his sixth birthday before he got treatment. The father stated, “We get here the same treatment here as we would in Somalia and they do not have a government.”

We need a national autism strategy, and we need it now.

The Chairman: Thank you very much.

We had Minister Chambers from the Ontario government here. She indicated that the age six limit had been lifted by the premier.

Senator Munson: I recognize that this is very complex. I would like to keep things as simple as we can. If there were a national training centre, who would train the trainers and who would pay the trainers? I am curious. You talk about people giving treatment. There seem to be very few.

The Chairman: Mr. Erb is apparently trying to establish such a centre.

Mr. Erb: Part of the problem is that we are approaching things with a very country-specific focus. There is a great deal of research going on in the United States as well as in other countries of the world, and we should be able to take advantage of that. Any treatment centre should draw on the specialists who are creating themselves right now. The cream of the medical crop is rising to the top. These are the people we should be calling upon and bringing together, and bringing the expertise from the United States and other countries so it is not just Canada putting money towards something while another country is putting it towards something else. We should take advantage of resources of knowledge.

Mr. Kavchak: Thank you for asking that question. I have a two-pronged answer. First, we definitely need training centres for ABA and IBI across the country. In every province, there should be some. My wife, who is a family physician, dropped her career entirely following my son’s diagnosis and registered for a course on-line from Penn State, which is a well-regarded course leading to a certification of behaviour analyst with a board in the United States. We do not have any such professional body in Canada that has professional training and certification similar to that in the United States. This program, for my wife, cost $15,000 U.S. Now she has developed some expertise and can effectively manage our son’s program. Obviously not every family can do that. We need more training.

Regarding Minister Chambers’ suggestion that the age six cut-off has been removed, while the government immediately made that announcement following the Court of Appeal decision, it does not make sense to have adopted that policy after having fought against the family so hard in the Court of Appeal. The government has now used other ways to discharge children from the program. I know some who have been discharged either because they progressed too much or progressed too little. The government, on many occasions, dismissed children prematurely from this program. I am sure Dr. Laredo can address that as well. I have great scepticism about anything the Government of Ontario says.

Dr. Laredo: There are different levels of training. We have to look at it in a multi-pronged way. There is training for the people who will ultimately be at the master’s and Ph.D. levels, psychologists who can supervise ABA programs, senior therapists and instructor therapists. They all need training.

How is that accomplished? A national strategy can be part of it. Certainly we need to have certification for the psychologists. Is there one program in Canada? I am not sure whether there is. For the instructor therapists, it has been train the trainer. There has not been larger infrastructure to do it any other way. Rather, families are building capacity in a grassroots way, because capacity has not been built from the top down.

Senator Munson: There should be one financial stream going into national training centres across this country with a national strategy. We think we still have to have that focus. If we do not, it will still be provincial, provincial, provincial.

Ms. Simmermon: I am not sure you can escape that. That is a reality we work with in this country. The other issue is that we are dealing with training with more than just talking about ABA. We are talking about training speech therapists, occupational therapists and medical doctors to have the knowledge about the medical issues our children with autism have for which they cannot get treatment within the mainstream medical system. Many different areas of treatment need the training. We cannot ignore any of them. It would not be in the best interests of the country to have a national strategy focussed on one aspect of treatment to the detriment of all the other absolutely essential components of a comprehensive treatment program.

Senator Callbeck: The chairman mentioned the motion that was passed yesterday in the House of Commons for a national strategy. It had four elements, including funding national standards, surveillance and research. Are there other components that you feel should be included in the national strategy and, if so, what? Anyone can answer that question.

Dr. Laredo: Clearly, there needs to be funding for intervention. At this point, we have a best available treatment. It might not be the best ever, but currently there is a best available treatment. There is no excuse in our medical system in this day and age for that treatment not to be available to all children. It should not be a matter of who can get there, in what province they are and how much money their parents have.

Mr. Kavchak: I would like to underscore that I fully agree with what Dr. Laredo said. Treatment is key and it is lacking. It should not be lacking. That is discrimination under medicare, as far as I am concerned, and it should stop.

The Chairman: Does everyone agree with that?

Mr. Erb: Another part of the national strategy could be a greater tax benefit for parents with autistic children, a few hundred dollars a month, when the average parent of an autistic child could be spending $10,000 to $30,000 a year. Many parents have had to sacrifice and have one parent at home. That is a huge savings to the system. If those parents up and said, “I cannot handle this 8-year-old child,” we are talking about $5,000 a month for a specialized group home. We should recognize the parents and give them the financial incentive to be able to support their children as much and as long as possible.

Senator Keon: I have a quick question for Mr. Erb and then a question for the whole panel on a pointed raised by Mr. Kavchak.

Mr. Erb, I am not quite sure what your point was. You talked about a $37 billion-plus problem. You then went into biochemistry on monosodium glutamate. I would like to see the list on monosodium glutamate. Tell me what your point is about putting this bottom line in.

Mr. Erb: My point is that by 2012, if we have 14,000 children a year with autism, and this is autism serious enough for children to be in residential treatment facilities, each of those individuals in their lifetime will need $2.6 million to pay for their residential treatment from age 20 to age 60. It is a very expensive process. When I am saying $26 billion, I mean all the children that could be born in 2012 with autism will, in their lifetime, need $26 billion worth of resources to keep them in residential facilities and in treatment programs for the rest of their days. That is why I think the better way to spend money is the treatment programs that improve their chances of staying out of residential facilities.

Senator Keon: Mr. Kavchak, you raised the question again of opening up the Canada Health Act. The whole panel could respond to this, but that is an enormously complex undertaking to begin with and then the line forms to the right; everyone will be there the next day to open it up with their favourite entity that they want funded.

All that is needed, really, is a listing as an essential service. As you campaign, stick to that theme rather than talking about opening up the Canada Health Act. Once it is listed as an essential service, it is over.

Mr. Kavchak: I understand the complexities. We refer to that as a last resort. It has not been necessary for any other disease, disorder, syndrome, condition or illness. We are asking for it because none of the provinces have added it to any of the medicare-covered lists of services for any medical condition. We understand that the objective can be achieved through other means as well.

In September 2004 there was a health care accord being negotiated over four days with $40 billion on the table. The federal government, with the provinces, was itemizing wait times for specific medical items. Parents joined me in demonstrating there with a simple question on our signs: “Why is autism not on the list?” We believe negotiations can happen. If the Americans can pass their Combating Autism Act, why cannot the federal Canadian Parliament pass such an act?

Senator Cordy: We always seem to be running out of time because we are all fascinated by this subject. I am hearing more and more people talking about the issue of autism. When I was a teacher and spoke to people outside of the educational system, they did not understand what autism was. Now, however, people seem to understand it. You have been doing tremendous work and have done a great job of indicating to the Canadian public that we have a crisis situation in autism.

I would like to speak about the silos that we have heard mentioned repeatedly, where government departments are not necessarily working together. Ms. Simmermon, you spoke about home schooling your child, because there is so much stimulus within a classroom that it is not necessarily advantageous for an autistic child to be in such a setting, with fluorescent lights or colours or whatever stimulus there would be.

How closely do departments of education and health work together? We have all been talking about working under the Canada Health Act, but how would you see more than just the Department of Health working in terms of doing what is best for children, who become adults, as you said, Mr. Erb? How do we get different levels of governments and different government departments to work together?

Ms. Simmermon: Dr. Wendy Roberts made a suggestion that I thought was extremely wise. She suggested that one mechanism to working toward that issue would be to have a national meeting of all the ministries from every province and territory that are involved in all aspects in treating both children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, to have all the players at the government level around the same table. Every province organizes their ministries differently. What is dealt with in through the Ministry of Community and Social Services in Ontario is dealt with through the Ministry of Health in Saskatchewan. It is not the same across the country. This meeting would be one mechanism to begin putting together work on a national strategy.

The other thing regarding a national strategy and silos is that, because the statistics are of very great concern in the broader mental health community, questions have been raised by other witnesses about whether there should be a national autism strategy or whether there should be a national mental health strategy. I do not see that the two are exclusive of each other. I think that a national autism strategy should be the first part and that it should be a building block in the national mental health strategy, which should contain national strategies for every brain-based condition. We know from the United States’ experience that if you have a larger mental health strategy you wind up not addressing the issues that actually deal with specific conditions. The Americans are now facing the reality of looking at developing strategies specifically for autism. Why do we not learn from our neighbours and build our strategy from the ground up in a way that will actually end up being constructive for everyone, including governments?

The Chairman: Does anyone want to add anything to that?

Dr. Laredo: The point about the silos is very important. If I may be blunt, I think it comes down to money. If it is within the purview of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, then there is a budget associated with it. If it is within the purview of the Ministry of Education, there is a budget. Education says it is a medical treatment and we do not do treatment in schools. Health says no, it is a psychological disorder. Everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else. If we had a coordinated budget for autism and not for a ministry, we might see better coordination and cooperation between ministries.

Senator Cordy: Just get on with it, right?

Dr. Laredo: Absolutely.

Ms. Simmermon: It also depends a great deal on the personalities of the ministers and their staff. That is one thing we have learned over a decade.

The Chairman: I am sorry, but we have run out of time. We could keep going for at least another hour. I had several questions as well, but being the chair, I must allow the members of the committee to ask questions.

It has been very informative having you present. You have contributed much to our discussion and consideration of the matter. We are hearing from a number of other people, so we are obtaining a wide variety of perspectives. Thank you very much for being present this afternoon.

Our second panel of the day is comprised of individuals who have been diagnosed with autism. Mr. Kristian Hooker is from Selkirk, Manitoba. He attended Red River College to become an educational assistant. He is a member of the board of directors of Autism Society Manitoba and Autism Society Canada. He is also the chair of the advisory committee with Autism Society Canada.

Ms. Brigitte Harrisson is a social worker and a PDD consultant who does consultation work with other autistic people, families and professionals in the health and education communities. She is the Canadian vice-president of SAtedI, Spectre Autistique troubles envahissants du développement International, the first international francophone association for autistic people that covers several countries. She was also president for two years.

Mr. Jason Oldford is from Fredericton, New Brunswick. He was born in Chatham, New Brunswick. His diagnosis was received in 1974. He is a data content quality assurance analyst.

Mr. Daniel Hatton is from Hamilton, Ontario. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and a half years. He is considered to be high functioning with a normal IQ and good verbal communication abilities. He has various certificates and diplomas from his education at Sheridan College, and he went back to take horticulture at Mohawk College. He works full time in a candy factory.

We welcome all four of you. I understand Janet Hatton is also here. She is the mother of Mr. Daniel Hatton. She has provided a paper on her perspective on the matter.

Kristian Hooker, as an individual: Thank you for inviting me to this inquiry about funding treatment for autism. My mother, Lynn Hooker, is sitting beside me to assist me in interpreting words when needed.

First, there is no universal guide to autism. There are countless different degrees of autism and different kinds of autism spectrum disorders. To truly get a universal understanding of autism, you would have to talk to thousands of individuals and families.

One of my main messages to this committee is that all Canadians with autism spectrums disorders are unique individuals with different strengths, skills, abilities and needs. At least, that is my understanding. I am only one individual, and here is my story. There are many others.

At first, I seemed like a “normal” child until at about age one and a half, when I not only grew a fear of strangers and new places, which are acceptable fears for any young toddler, but also a fear of grass, telephones ringing, live singing, balloons and eggs, to name a few. I would also soon stop talking, giving eye contact, eating with anyone besides my family, playing with toys and listening. I was then diagnosed at age two and a half with ASD.

For the first few years of my life, before I went to school, I was in child development twice a week and occupational therapy once a week. Also, during my preschool years, I went to the autism program at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where I participated in group activities and one-to-one support activities. They also provided advice and support for me at home. I also participated in speech language programs prior to school. Once I started school, the child development program ended. I began receiving speech and occupational therapy services in school.

In about second grade, I started receiving occupational therapy services from the school, but this was only once per month, which was not enough. My parents arranged to hire the same occupational therapist outside of school privately once a month, so I received it twice a month. That continued for a few years, and for a few weeks in the summer I went to a summer camp that was segregated.

When I was told I had autism in my elementary school years, it answered many questions. I always figured something was different about me, but I could never quite figure out what. I understand that many people with ASD remember feeling isolated and completely alone growing up. However, I do not honestly remember feeling that way. I had a supportive group of friends to socialize with in public school, many of whom I saw away from the school in other social environments.

During my teen years I was able to meet other teens and kids with ASD through the resource department at my high school. I also did some volunteer work at the schools where my mother worked. I had the same issues that other students were dealing with, such as balancing personal time with school work and extra-curricular activities and not giving into peer pressure. I also dealt with extreme anxiety and at times with depression. Fortunately I had many friends and teachers who were very supportive when the going got tough.

Upon graduating from high school I returned for an extra year to take a career and business course, followed by an educational assistant course in college. I was always fascinated with the things I was learning, whether a lesson in a classroom or a new life skill.

One of the most important things I have learned is how to hide my weaknesses and to make the most of my talents and abilities. A good example of using my skills to the best of my abilities would be in music. I always had a good sense of timing so I made the most of that by becoming a percussionist in many high school bands and I made many friends there.

Leaving the school world and joining the adult world was quite a challenge at first. My parents played a big part in the transition, helping me enrol in Red River College and helping me find a job through our local employment centre. They have been very supportive in everything I do. I still live with my parents and do not have immediate plans to move out. There is a good chance that in a couple of years, or possibly sooner, I may move into an apartment but I would like to go back to college first and study computer animation so that I can make enough money to afford a place of my own.

Once I turned 18 years old I received a partial monthly disability allowance of $488, which included medical, dental and prescription costs. This amount was intended to cover all my expenses for food, clothing and rent. This past May I got a part-time job and as soon as I made more than $488 my disability allowance was cancelled, including the health benefits, so my options for improving my situation are quite limited.

I feel I can interact well one to one with people in social situations. I might still have self-stimulation issues like mind wandering and a hand flickering gesture, but I have been able to refrain from doing that in public and try do it in the privacy of my house. That eliminates the biggest challenge I have in the social world.

I often have a challenge understanding spoken language. I am much better at understanding words through reading. For example, when watching television I prefer to have the closed captioning on. If everyone in the world had a little closed captioning under their necks, life would be a lot easier.

A big problem with people facing ASD in society is that others often have a stereotype of how a person with ASD is supposed to look or behave. Many people with ASD could eliminate that stereotype but rarely get that opportunity, especially with a large group of people. The one thing that people should realize about people with ASD is that we are really no different from anyone else. We may have traits or abilities that seem unique or different but so does everyone else.

Lately there have been a lot of self-advocacy groups and organizations on autism coming forward and speaking about what it means to have autism. I think that is a good thing. Nothing creates self-empowerment more than standing up for what you believe in; nothing gives more hope to others than speaking for those who may not yet be able to speak for themselves.

At present I am a board member of Autism Society Canada and I am also the chair of the ASC’s advisory committee on adults with autism spectrum disorders. Although I am speaking as an individual today, I thought you would be interested in knowing about our committee. It is comprised of six members, with Dr. Kevin Stoddart playing an important role providing guidance and advice. Our committee provides advice and perspective on ASD issues to the Autism Society Canada board. One important message our committee wants to send is that the need for appropriate treatment and services for persons with ASD does not end in childhood. We continue to require treatment and supports in our adulthood, such as psychological services, counselling, educational supports, and appropriate and safe housing, just to name a few.

I feel fortunate that I have been able to accomplish what I have accomplished in my life. However, I could not possibly have done this all by myself. If I were to name everyone who has helped me I would be naming over 150 people. Therefore I will just thank my parents and my brother for being the most supportive. They never allowed quitting as an option for me.

In conclusion, let me state that there is no universal guide to autism. There are countless different degrees of autism and different kinds of ASDs. To truly get a universal understanding of autism you would have to talk to thousands of individuals and families.

Thank you for listening and for taking ASD issues seriously in your deliberations.

The Chairman: Thank you very much. Next we have Ms. Harrisson.

[Translation]

Brigitte Harrisson, as an individual: I am going to talk to you in particular about my experience in Quebec, given that you will not have had the opportunity to hear these comments from other autistic individuals.

There is something going on right now in our province: Since April 2004, I have given 232 training sessions, workshops or conferences for over 12,000 people. I get invited everywhere because I had the misfortune of explaining how autism works. I also work with autistic people, especially at the SAtedI, which stands for “Spectre Autistique troubles envahissants du développement International.” The association was given this name because it is called different things, depending on the country, and since it is an international association, we wanted to ensure that the name was all inclusive. I work with autistic people as well with professionals, be they child psychiatrists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, special education teachers, social workers and psychologists or neuropsychologists, and with families. I have done many home calls. I have a lot of experience. I have received invitations from Quebec’s Health and Education Departments for the national network of expertise.

On my way here, I was thinking to myself that the boys would probably talk about their experience, which is very good. I will report on what I have observed over the course of the last two years and I would add to that that on top of everything I teach instrumentation for pervasive developmental disorders at university. Someone was asking earlier who does the training. We have managed with this problem and we have superimposed autistic functioning on already established bases. Finally, we have wound up with a way to intervene, a continuous intervention model. To date, we have obtained very interesting results.

One of the first observations I made is that people are very bad at reading autism. My impression since arriving here is that of being in a dream. I understand the distress of parents; I understand that autistic adults have just as much difficulty as autistic children. I have no difficulty understanding that aspect. Very poor readings are being made, and as soon as you start reading from a non-autism map, you cannot fully grasp the true needs of autistic people and separate them from the needs of the community around them. Autistic people’s siblings and family clearly have needs. I go on tour for the Fédération québécoise de l’autisme. I work a lot with the families. As a matter of fact, we did one complete round on mourning, on post-diagnosis shock, and it is very interesting. I am not excluding these needs.

What I have been saying since the outset is that there is something going on. We can see that things are working very well at the intervention level. Sometimes the needs are not well targeted. This of course leads to situations where the means and methods used are ill-conceived.

In the area of treatment for children aged 0 to 5 years, first and foremost, what is required is an early stimulation model adapted to autism and not to non-autism. Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) is not perfect, sorry to say. It is being used because there is nothing else available at present. Adjustments are constantly being made. There are countless little girls in ABA who call me for advice. There are systems that are not working because they are not based on our way of functioning.

That being said, it would not be complicated to make adjustments to this system if there were a national will to do so. We would probably wind up with an effective program and we are as a matter of fact encouraged in this regard in Quebec.

Things are not going very well in the school environment for those aged 5 to 18 years. It is not in the area of academic results that the situation is difficult for autistic children; that was never the problem. We do not even speak the same language as you, but we understand it very well.

It is at the social level that things are more difficult. There is an adjustment effort to be made, not a readjustment effort. A good many autistic people shift from the continuous mode to the point-to-point mode. Some of us are very deeply affected, and for them it will always be more difficult. But as far as adults are concerned, the most important thing is the standardization of laws.

I am told of situations where adults ask for a grant for a handicapped person and the grant is refused. Clearly, if one is working, one is no longer handicapped, but we also see ourselves refused automobile insurance on the grounds that we are handicapped. There are therefore deficiencies.

Many people wrongly believe that autistic people will require assistance their whole life long. Those suffering from autism need ad hoc assistance. I would say, in passing, that I still require this type of assistance. It has cost me $60,000 to get where I am, and I did not manage this alone.

That is just about all I have to say. It is important to get back to basics, because there is a deviation in the trajectory and the information available at present continues to produce its lot of frustration.

[English]

Jason Oldford, as an individual: I am honoured to address this committee. I was diagnosed with autism in 1974 when not much was known about it. I will tell you a bit about myself. I will not take long. I have quite a few things to say about funding for treatment.

I still have a few weaknesses with my autism. Eye contact is one of them. My social skills are not perfect. They are not up there with a typical person either.

On the plus side, my language developed normally. I was able to read by the age of three. I know trivial matters that other people would not dream of knowing. I tend to interpret things literally sometimes.

I have two university degrees and I attended public school with all the other children. I was not put in a special education class.

The reason I accepted the invitation to appear before this committee was to tell you what I would like to see. I would like to see severely autistic people become more like me, or more like others like me, to become more high-functioning. It can happen. I believe it.

There are about 100,000 people affected by some form of autism across Canada. When their parents received the diagnosis, immediately the research started looking for a treatment. They came across this ABA, applied behavioural analysis. It is the only evidence-based treatment that is available. The only drawback is that it is expensive. They cannot afford it. For that reason, they go to the respective provincial governments and try to get them to do it. It has not worked out the way they planned.

Autism is a life-long disorder. There is no cure. There are several treatments. Only one is evidence-based. There is no cure.

The key is early intervention, early diagnosis, and early detection. If treatment is started immediately upon diagnosis, or soon thereafter, within three or four years a child could enter school and perhaps not need ABA. He could go on, get a high school diploma, get university degrees, and be able to contribute to society.

I was pleased yesterday when I heard that the House of Commons had passed motion M-172, for a national autism strategy. I turned 36 yesterday. That news would rank up there with one of the best birthday presents I could receive.

The provinces worry about resources and having to live within their means. I understand the provinces have to live within their means. That is where the federal government comes in and helps out. If the federal and provincial governments put their heads together and work this thing out, a solution can be reached in the autism treatment situation we have in this country, in every province and territory.

There is a concern about having autism treatment funded under medicare. I am in favour of that. Ultimately, it is up to the provinces and territories. Each one has its respective medicare plan. Should any provinces decide not to fund this treatment under medicare, not only do I think they are making a mistake, I think they should find some place in their respective budgets to fund that treatment.

You also come to the issue of education. We need therapists certified in ABA. We need people in our schools trained to deliver ABA to autistic students. We need enough so that there are no waiting lists.

I have heard stories about people who have tried to get into speech and occupational therapy; some have told me were on a waiting list for months or years. Others are still on waiting lists. That is a problem that needs to be addressed and solved.

ABA is an expensive treatment. You have probably heard the figure $60,000 per year per child. It is derived from 52 weeks a year at 40 hours a week at $30 an hour.

Parents put themselves on the verge of bankruptcy when they have to pay for that treatment out of pocket. I certainly understand the situation they are in. I am amazed they can cover the treatment they need for their child and still pay the bills. How they do it, I do not know. Somehow, they get it done.

Early intervention, detection and diagnosis, can lead the way to a child’s achieving his or her full potential, to become productive in society. If Ottawa and the provinces work together, we could have a solution.

As was mentioned, ABA is not perfect. According to studies, only 47 per cent of those tested were indistinguishable, but 47 per cent is a lot better than zero.

If provinces and the territories and the federal government all work together on this, it will lead to solutions. None of the world’s problems was ever solved by arguing; none of the world’s problems was ever solved by doing nothing; none of the world’s problems was ever solved by worrying.

If Ottawa can get together with the provinces and territories and come away with a solution — and I am confident that they can; I am confident that they can accomplish this — just think of how many children will not be in group homes or institutions. Think of how many children will be able to contribute to society if they get this treatment. With the provinces and Ottawa working together, I know that can happen.

The Chairman: Thank you. If it is not too late, happy birthday.

Daniel Hatton, as an individual: Thank you for inviting me to speak. I will speak on funding and treatment for autism for adolescents and adults.

I am 36 years old now and was diagnosed with autism at three and a half years of age. It is a long time since Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger submitted their research papers on autism spectrum disorder. Since then, funding has been focused on children rather than adults and adolescents who are high-functioning. There is not much consideration given to funding them, and that concerns me.

Although many autistic people have behavioural problems, I was quite content as a child. Since I was so quiet and seemingly well behaved, the teachers did not pick up on my problem throughout school.

Adults with IQs of 70 or more and good verbal ability receive no funding or school supports in a group situation. Teachers need to be more aware of group work.

I was a resident of Ontario and received Ontario Disability Support Program funding. Their funding must be increased.

The Chairman: Thank you very much. You have all given some interesting perspectives for us to discuss with you.

Senator Keon: I was fascinated by your presentations. It must be a tremendous encouragement to parents who are now living with autistic children to see the way the four of you have handled yourselves here today. I will come straight to the point, as many senators want to ask questions.

Mr. Oldford, you have framed the need for a fairly broad-based social program with federal-provincial sharing, but with federal government leadership. There are precedents for such programs, whether they be in health or in the broader social context. The federal government can design a strategy and fund a program with a sunset understanding with the provinces. They fund it for five or 10 years with a transitional strategy for the provinces to take over. Is that what you were suggesting?

I would invite all the witnesses to address this. We have to start thinking about what we can recommend that will be helpful.

Mr. Oldford: Yes, I was recommending federal leadership with the federal government and the provinces agreeing on something to fund evidence-based treatments. The bill that was passed yesterday talked about evidence-based standards. That is good. It talks about developing innovative funding methods, and that is good too. I read an explanation that said that that means that the provinces, territories and federal government discuss how to fund evidence-based treatment.

The only evidence-based treatment that currently exists is ABA, but there may be more to come. Judging by what I have read, I think that sooner rather than later ABA will have company in the evidence-based treatments category. If any other evidence-based treatments were to come up I would support those, too, especially if they cost less than ABA does.

The governments must agree on how to fund a treatment that is proven to be scientifically validated and evidence-based.

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: I would have something to add. If the federal government truly became the leader, while still intending to transfer the program to the provinces later on, it would be worthwhile for it to set the example and to keep autistic people involved in the treatment protocols.

Allow me to repeat myself: It is really important that those autistic persons who are autonomous, who are capable of helping, do so. The need is an urgent one. This is what we are seeing. Therefore, if you are able to launch something, if you set the tone, then the provinces will obviously be able to jump on board afterwards.

[English]

Senator Munson: Mr. Oldford, you are from the province of New Brunswick. It is a great place. I just have to get that on the record. Even though I am an Ontario senator, my heart is in New Brunswick.

Does anybody know how many adults in the country with autism spectrum disorder are in group homes? If you do not know that is okay. Does anybody know what kind of care, training or intervention exists? You all have gone through the system and we have so much focus on children. It is important that you bring your message here today to tell us what kind of interventions exist across this country for individuals 18 years and beyond. I will take everybody who can answer that.

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: It is as if autistic adults did not even exist. Since the emergence of treatments for children, it has been very difficult to obtain statistics. I must admit that if there were any, we would have seen them. There is nothing. We are not aware of the numbers.

The majority of adults belonging to our generation did not receive any assistance. On the basis of my clinical experience, I do not believe it is true that the majority live in institutions. That is not my impression. My impression is that the majority live outside, and that there are fewer and fewer autistic adults living in institutions.

I have worked in rehabilitation centres with adults who had been released from institutions in Quebec and who were carrying around a lot of baggage from their life experience. We were able to accomplish certain things with them, but that is not the case of the majority. We work a lot more with adolescents and adults; it is during adolescence that one’s autistic identity is acquired, and this is the worst age.

It is however very rare that we get referrals for adults living in institutions. Most of the time, they have left their institution. There are some who are living in residences: these are the most difficult cases, and these are people who were never provided with adequate services and who, at the time, were treated as if they suffered from an intellectual disability.

[English]

Mr. Oldford: I agree with every word that Ms. Harrisson. I do not have any statistics on the number of adults that are autistic, that are in group homes or that are in institutions. I would say that a small number of autistic adults are in group homes or in institutions. I could be wrong, but I do not think there are that many.

When you read about autism, you read about autistic children. Autism is diagnosed during childhood. Some of the higher functioning types of autism can be diagnosed in adolescence or even adulthood.

Adults still need treatment. In the last session one of the things they discussed was age restrictions. I do not think there is any need to have them; they are discriminatory. Once a child turns five or six years old and still needs treatment, they should not be cut off. They should still get the treatment. If someone is diagnosed as an adult and needs treatment, they should get the treatment.

Getting back to housing, as I mentioned earlier, whoever works with autistic people in group homes and institutions has to have the proper training and has to know how to deal with autism. If they do not, it is not a good situation. There is also a need for proper housing for people with autism, not just in my home province of New Brunswick, but in every province across Canada.

The Chairman: Do most people with ASD live at home with parents or do many live on their own?

Mr. Oldford: I would say a good number of them live with their parents. I lived with my parents until this past July when my brother and I bought a house. I would think that most autistic people do live at home.

That brings us to another issue: employment. When they become adults, most people with autism are either unemployed or underemployed, which is the reason they live with their parents or in group homes. They do not make enough money to be self-sufficient. It is a bad situation. That should be discussed, too, when they discuss the treatment issue.

The Chairman: Mr. Hooker, did you want to say something about this?

Mr. Hooker: When I was young I had speech therapy, occupational therapy, an anxiety clinic and I went to an area at the Health Sciences Centre. Now I have enrolled in an advanced English class. That is the only therapy I get.

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: A greater number of adults could probably live in their own apartment with home care services, and the more society takes care of the real problems, the more this will be possible. Today, those that we know live with their parents, or close by.

[English]

Senator Munson: There seem to be more and more diagnoses of autism; one in 166 is the new figure. With these diagnoses, we either pay now or later, and pay big later. We will have the statistics on homes like this if this keeps up this way. Do you agree?

Mr. Oldford: I would have to agree with that. I have heard people fighting for treatment telling the governments that, as you said, Senator Munson, the governments can pay now or pay later. We understand this treatment is expensive, but if you pay for it now, look at the return you will get on your investment. The people with autism will get out in the real world and get jobs, and that will stimulate the economy. Or you can pay later, which means they will go into group homes and it will cost the taxpayers a lot of money in the long run to keep them there.

Senator Cordy: This has been an excellent panel today. I thank you all for coming. Mr. Hooker, you talked about stereotypes and that could be a big problem for people with autistic spectrum disorder. Your appearance here today would change the minds of many people listening. Are there other ways to reduce stereotypes that people might have?

Mr. Hooker: Do you mean other ways for other people with autism to eliminate the stereotype? I guess the only way I could think of would be to just get a chance for public speaking, like going on TV, or radio or the newspapers, and creating awareness. Sending the message out, hey, we are not like Rain Man or like the other children with ASD that they have shown in magazines or newspapers where they are low-functioning and very aggressive and nonverbal. We can also be very social and are friendly, passionate and smart.

Senator Cordy: You have proven all those things today. Is there something we can do to help out?

Mr. Hooker: All I can think of is to spread the word.

Mr. Oldford: We do need more autism awareness. As Mr. Hooker has mentioned, many people look at us as low-functioning people because they view autism that way. They see it on television and read about it in the papers. They think, “Boy, I am glad I do not have a child like that.” Even in the most severe cases, autism is not the end of the world.

One way to promote awareness is through columns in newspapers and television appearances, as Mr. Hooker said. I would add that perhaps more people with autism spectrum disorder could be invited to speak at conferences. One of the measures that the government announced last week in its autism strategy was that there would be a national autism symposium next year. At that national symposium I would like nothing better than to see people with autism being invited to speak.

Senator Fairbairn: You would be a very good choice; in fact, all of you would be good choices as speakers for the symposium.

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: You should try and see over the coming weeks, months and years how many times people will talk about autism without considering the possibility of autistic people talking about it themselves. For years now, everyone has been speaking on behalf of the autistic. For a few years now, various adults have been waiting to explain the way things really are. People are having all kinds of discussions around the issue. As I stated earlier, it is quite incredible: this way of doing things will never deliver effective results.

I was explaining earlier to Senator Keon that if there is one thing you could do it would be to ensure that autistic people have a presence in the coming months and in the coming years for the follow-up. This is essential.

[English]

Mr. Hatton: The main emphasis is on school support, especially when there are difficulties with group work. Funding to educate teachers more, especially for group work, is important. Teachers need to realize that when they put an autistic student with a group, that student might or might not be listening. They need to be integrated more. For example, if the student is better prepared, then perhaps group work would be beneficial, but not all autistic students are suitable for group work, although it is a learning experience.

Senator Cochrane: I wish to follow up on what you were saying, Mr. Hatton, about needing individual help and help with the team in the school system. Can you think of any other services that are needed for people with autism?

Mr. Hatton: The other main point is that what is needed for teachers is also needed for employers — to be educated more. In my work experience, I have an uncanny ability to hide many of my unusual behaviours.

Senator Cochrane: They need to understand more about autism.

Mr. Hatton: Yes.

The Chairman: Does anyone else want to answer that question?

Mr. Oldford: Education is required for teachers and employers. However, as for team work, people with autism prefer to work alone. Sometimes when you put people with autism into a team setting they can become a bit temperamental and a bit hot under the collar. It could be because the other team members do not agree with the suggestions, or for other reasons. On the school front, there have been stories about even the most high-functioning students becoming aggressive. It is not their nature but it happens when they are frustrated at not being able to communicate their feelings appropriately. In many cases, teachers will send those students to the principal’s office, put them on detention, suspend them from school or send them home for the day, which is an inconvenience these days for parents because in most families, both parents work outside the home.

Employer and teacher education is needed when it comes to autism and how to deal with it. They need to know how to deal with situations that arise that could be caused by the autism.

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: I have written two school manuals in French: one for adolescents and one for children. There are needs at the school level. These manuals are being distributed all over the planet. It is not realistic to think that all autistic people are going to get one-on-one assistance. What we have seen is that those interventions used with other children are not suitable for autistic children, but that interventions aimed at autistic children are perfectly appropriate for the other children in the class. Teachers are telling us that with the instructional aids we put at their disposal, some of them have really succeeded in integrating autistic children. There are a lot of things we can show them in this regard.

In the area of education, there has been much development. You need computer programs for the autistic. Unfortunately, people do not know how to use the Teach program. People must learn how to use it. They use it as if autistic people had an intellectual disability, whereas that is not at all the case; autistic people simply have a different way of functioning. We have seen that, after three or four months, those teachers who have attempted to use the Teach program as if it were made for children with an intellectual disability start to panic, because nothing seems to be working. This is because autistic children require a computer science academic program much more than a normal academic program. Computers are very important: Just as the deaf communicate through signs, we communicate through visual tools. This is the easiest way for us to learn. As soon as people understand that, things go much better. The remedial instruction services offered in schools are insufficient; there is nothing new about that. There are staff shortages.

[English]

Mr. Hooker: When I am at work, the best way for me to understand the tasks that they want me to do for the day is when they write them on a list of instructions that I can read. I understand the tasks better when they are written down for me.

Senator Callbeck: The testimony of the witnesses has been very beneficial to us today and will help us to develop recommendations for our report.

I want to ask your opinion on the website. The minister announced in November that there will be a new section on the Health Canada website to help the public better understand autism. What kind of information do you think should be included on that website so that the public will have a better understanding?

Mr. Oldford: Basically, the things that are included on other websites: causes, symptoms, treatments, what it is.

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: The site should include hyperlinks to sites involving other autistic persons or groups such as SAtedI. My only recommendation would be that this site be kept up to date. Generally speaking, autism-related sites lag way behind what is really happening. They contain a lot of obsolete information, which but adds to the confusion of parents and adults.

Adults come to us, at the association, with all kinds of explanations that simply do not hold water. This is due to the fact that the information posted on sites is not updated. The first requirement of any website on autism should be that a person be in charge of keeping it up to date.

Given the speed with which knowledge is moving forward in this day and age, this is a must. It is essential to take every precaution before disseminating information. Sources must be verified, in order to avoid having statements such as autism is a mental illness or some other qualifier such as that which I heard earlier and which I will attempt to forget.

It is important that all sources be verified. I could never repeat this often enough: It is essential to go through autistic people themselves and not just those surrounding them, observing them and basing their reactions on their fears.

Autistic people are usually much calmer than the people around them. As a matter of fact, we are less unhappy that those around us.

[English]

Senator Fairbairn: I have been listening very carefully. I do believe I have learned more from listening to you this afternoon than I have throughout the hearings that we have had.

When I hear you speaking — first of all, giving us good advice — but also how all of you, in your own way, have had such a great deal of achievement, I wonder whether it is in or out of a school setting? Ms. Harrisson is obviously in a school setting; but do you ever individually help younger children and people who are having difficulties? Obviously, you are doing a first-class job. Do you ever find yourself in a position where you can give advice and help others who are perhaps struggling a bit?

Mr. Oldford: Sometimes I do find myself in a situation of the type you mentioned. More often than not, it is advising parents of autistic children. Basically, all I give them is words of encouragement. I am in no position to tell them how to raise their children.

There is quite a large autistic population, even in a small province like New Brunswick. The only advice I give them is just do not give up the fight.

Mr. Hooker: For a while now I have visited some families that have a child with autism spectrum disorder and I socialize with them. I have been giving them advice on appropriate social behaviour and advice on looking for jobs.

I also have some experience in peer tutoring, and I have done some respite work. I also have done some work at a local community living centre, not only giving advice but just being a friend to them.

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: Could you please repeat your question in one sentence only?

[English]

Senator Fairbairn: Using your skills, do you help others, particularly younger people, to move ahead?

[Translation]

Ms. Harrisson: I have been working with young people for 23 years now. I developed a program. At present, I work with groups of adolescents. These are groups of young people aged 14 to 18 years and 9 to 12 years. I give a lot of help to young people, parents and practitioners. As a matter of fact, everyone is there to give a hand. This work is being done in one region of Quebec. We have seen very encouraging results. This work is done on a regular basis. It has even become my job for the last two and a half years.

[English]

Senator Fairbairn: That is good to hear. What about you, Mr. Hatton?

Mr. Hatton: What was the question?

Senator Fairbairn: The question was, just listening to all of you this evening, you have learned so much and I was wondering whether or not you found yourself helping others from time to time, particularly children or people younger than yourselves, to get along as you have — sort of a teacher thing.

Mr. Hatton: You mean educating other people?

Senator Fairbairn: Yes, from what you have learned yourself — passing it on to other people so that they will have a better opportunity to move ahead.

Mr. Hatton: I have had that experience.

Senator Fairbairn: Good.

Mr. Hatton: I gave a public talk to the Hamilton autism chapter many years ago. That was during the time I was still finishing my college diploma in illustration.

Senator Fairbairn: That is important. Thank you very much.

The Chairman: Thank you to all four of you. You have provided valuable information to us. This is the first time that we have had four panellists who are autistic adults. We have heard from many parents about children, but we also have wanted to talk with adults who have been diagnosed with autism. The input you have provided is extremely valuable.

The committee adjourned.

]]> http://banmsgnow.info/2006/12/proceedings-of-the-standing-senate-committee-on-social-affairs-science-and-technology/feed/ 0 http://banmsgnow.info/2006/08/the-slow-poisoning-of-mankind/ http://banmsgnow.info/2006/08/the-slow-poisoning-of-mankind/#comments Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:10:29 +0000 admin http://banmsgnow.info/?p=38 A Report on the Toxic Effects

of the Food Additive Monosodium Glutamate

Presented by John Erb of Canada

to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee On Food Additives

August 2006

Table of Contents

Explanation

Human Exposure

• Orally:
• Subcutaneously:
• Air Transmission:

Biological Aspects

Short-term toxicity of Monosodium Glutamate

• MSG Used to Trigger Epileptic Seizures
• MSG Used to Trigger CNS and Brain Damage
• MSG Used to Damage Eye Cells in Vivo and in Vitro

Long-term toxicity of Monosodium Glutamate

1. MSG Used to Create Obese Test Subjects
2. The Ways in Which MSG Triggers Obesity In Test Subjects:

• MSG increases the appetite.
• MSG increases the secretion of Insulin.
• MSG reduces the excretion of Ketones.
• MSG reduces the excretion of Growth Hormone (GH) during adolescence.

MSG Triggers Diabetes In Test Subjects

MSG crosses the Placenta endangering the fetus.

MSG’s Ocular Toxicity:

MSG causes Genotoxicity:

Other Human MSG studies:

• MSG connected with adult-onset olivopontocerebellar degeneration:
• MSG connected with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) :

MSG and the Alteration of the brain: a model for ADHD/Autism

The Erb Hypothesis:

• Accelerated and abnormal brain growth in the Autistic:
• Possible vaccine connection with Autism:
• MSG proven to accelerate the growth of neurons and stimulate proliferation:

Conclusions

Appendix A List of Foods Approved for MSG Addition

Appendix B List of Ingredients

Involving MSG

Appendix C List of Vaccines Involving MSG

Explanation

The Codex Alimentarius lists Monosodium Glutamate (ref #621) as a flavor enhancer approved with no daily limit to be added to a broad range of food categories. (17th Report of JECFA, 1974) Monosodium Glutamate is an amino acid that affects on almost every major system and organ in the body. Glutamate receptors trigger many different responses and can be over stimulated to cause cell death and other systemic problems. For thirty years, scientists and researchers have used MSG in their experiments to purposely create obese and pre-diabetic test subjects, trigger epileptic seizures, create ischemic strokes, and destroy cell tissues in vivo and in vitro. The amount of studies that use MSG to cause negative effects in test subjects numbers over one thousand, published in a variety of medical and scientific journals in over a dozen different countries.

Monosodium Glutamate added to the diet has been shown to increase the test subjects desire to eat more food faster and more frequently. There is mounting evidence that not only the rise in human obesity and diabetes is linked to the ingestion of Monosodium Glutamate, but the increase in Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder as well.

In light of the overwhelming evidence showing the detrimental effects of the food additive monosodium Glutamate, it is requested that the Joint Food and Agriculture Committee/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives remove Monosodium Glutamate (and ingredients that contain MSG) from the allowable additives list of the Codex Alimentarius, and have it banned from vaccines as well.

Human Exposure

Orally:
Monosodium Glutamate is found in unlimited amounts in a wide variety of packaged foods. The list of foods it can be found in is listed in Appendix A. MSG is also added in unlimited amounts in restaurant and industrial food such as hospitals, retirement homes and cafeterias. Because food processors and manufacturers do not have to list the amount of MSG on their packaging, we have no way of knowing what a normal person or child would ingest in a days period. According to industry research 0.6% MSG added to food is optimal for making people eat progressively more and faster (Bellisle F, Monneuse MO, 1991). If this is the case, as much as .6% of a person’s daily diet could be made up of MSG. In a daily intake of 2kgs of laced food the adult or child would receive a 12 gram dose of Monosodium Glutamate. A 12 gram dosage of MSG is lethal to a one kg rat. JECFA Toxicology Study, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series,1974, No. 53

Subcutaneously:
Though previous JECFA reports have disallowed MSG in foods for infants or those under one year of age, many infants and children receive doses of MSG in a variety of vaccinations. See Appendix C.

Air Transmission:
MSG is now being sprayed on crops and can become airborne. Though the Codex Alimentarius specifically disallows MSG’s addition to fresh fruits and vegetables (GFSA Annex to Table 3) Auxigro, with 30% MSG content, has been approved by some countries to be sprayed on crops of fresh fruits and vegetables. Airborne effects of MSG sprays have not been studied by the JECFA.

Biological Aspects

Monosodium Glutamate is an amino acid readily utilized by glutamate receptors throughout the mammalian body. These glutamate receptors are present in the central nervous system as the major mediators of excitatory neurotransmission and excitotoxicity. Neural injury associated with trauma, stroke, epilepsy, and many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be mediated by excessive activation of the glutamate receptors. Neurotoxicity associated with excitatory amino acids encountered in food, such as monosodium glutamate, has also been linked to glutamate receptors. Glutamate receptors are found in the rat and monkey heart, the conducting system, nerve terminals and cardiac ganglia. They are also present in the kidney, liver, lung, spleen and testis. Therefore, food safety assessment should consider these tissues as potential target sites.

Short-term toxicity of Monosodium Glutamate

MSG Used to Trigger Epileptic Seizures

Epileptic convulsions were triggered in rats using small single doses of Monosodium
Glutamate.

“Convulsive activity in 3, 10, 60 and 180-day old Sprague-Dawley rats was studied following the i.p. administration of 4 mg g-1 of commercial MSG. The latency period increased with the age of the animals while the duration of the convulsive period was longer in younger animals and shorter in 60-day old rats. Convulsions were predominantly tonic in 3 and 10-day old rats, tonic-clonic in 60-day old rats, and predominantly clonic in 180-day old animals. The severity of the convulsions and death incidence increased progressively with age.

“Adult rats (60 days old) were injected intraperitoneally with 5 mg/g monosodium L-glutamate (MSG). During the convulsive period (1 h after injection), uptake and release of [3H]norepinephrine (3H-NE) and [14C]dopamine (14C-DA) were measured. Data suggest that catecholaminergic neurotransmission may play an important role in the etiopathology of convulsions in the experimental model using MSG.”

MSG Used to Trigger CNS and Brain Damage

Single doses of MSG have been used to cause CNS and brain damage in rodents and
chicks.

“Monosodium glutamate (MSG) was used to create a lesion in the CNS of the infant rat. Subcutaneous injections of MSG in four day old rat pups caused a high degree of cell necrosis in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus”

“Administration of doses of glutamate (Glu) leads to selective neurodegeneration in discrete brain regions near circumventriclular organs of the early postnatal mouse. The arcuate nucleus-median eminence complex (ARC-ME) appears to be the most Glu-sensitive of these brain regions, perhaps because of the intimate relationships between its neurons and specialized astroglial tanycytes. A dose of 0.2 mg MSG/g BW s.c. causes clear but discrete injury to specific subependymal neurons of undetermined phenotype near the base of the third ventricle. Slightly higher doses of MSG evoke damage of additional neurons confined to the ventral region of the ARC traversed by tanycytes.”

“Various dosages of monosodium glutamate (M.S.G.) were injected to 5 day old male chicks. Body weights, food intake, rate of obesity, semen production, some endocrine criteria and brain pathology were studied til 235 days post injection. All M.S.G. treated birds showed brain damage in the rotundus nuclei, and in the area located dorsolaterally to the ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei (V.M.H.). In some of the M.S.G. treated birds, additional brain regions were damaged, i.e. V.M.H., mammillary nuclei, dorsomedial anterior nuclei, ovoid nuclei, subrotundus nuclei, archistriatum and lateral forebrain bundles.”

MSG Used to Damage Eye Cells in Vivo and in Vitro

Single doses of MSG have been used to trigger damage to various structures of the eye.

“Monosodium L-glutamate is known to cause intracellular swelling, necrosis, and disappearance of most inner retinal neurons, with concomitant thinning of inner retinal layers within hours after subcutaneous injection into neonatal rodents. A similar process can be observed in adult rat retina after intravitreal glutamate injection. To better describe and compare this process with that reported after systemic application, adult Sprague-Dawley rat eyes were intravitreally injected with 1 mumol monosodium L-glutamate and the retinas studied by LM and EM over a 2-month period. Results demonstrated that adult rat retina experienced severe degenerative changes which progressed in two stages: an initial stage of massive intracellular swelling and a second stage of necrosis and cell loss.”

“Monosodium glutamate added to 12-day chick embryo retinas in culture causes severe morphologic damage to the retina as judged by light microscopic examination. Damage is evident after a few hours with concentrations as low as 0.3 mM. Glutamyltransferase induction is also appreciably inhibited by the amino acid. General protein synthesis and RNA synthesis appear to be less affected.”

Long-term toxicity of Monosodium Glutamate

MSG Used to Create Obese Test Subjects

In studies of new diet and diabetes drugs and treatments, a test subject must be used
that will exhibit the characteristics of obesity and hyperinsulinemea. For scientists to
create replicable results the factor that triggers obesity in the experimental test group
must be 100% replicable. For guaranteed results researchers regularly use injections of
MSG subcutaneously on test subjects on the day of birth or shortly thereafter.

“Monosodium glutamate (MSG) was administered by various methods to mice and rats of various ages and the incidence of obesity was later measured. Newborn mice were injected subcutaneously with 3 mg MSG/g body-weight at 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 d of age; 16% died before weaning. Of the survivors, 90% or more became markedly obese. The proposed schedule of injections in the newborn was almost 100% reliable in inducing a high extent of adiposity. “

This replicable finding has been given the names ‘monosodium glutamate obese rat’ or
‘MSG treated rat’.

Here are a few of the hundreds of studies that have used the rodent scientifically
categorized as the MSG Treated Rat, a term synonymous with obesity, lethargy and
hyperinsulinaemia:

The Ways in Which MSG Triggers Obesity In Test Subjects:

MSG increases the appetite.

MSG added to food of sheep has resulted in an increase in appetite:

Sheep with oesophageal fistulas were used in sham-feeding experiments to assess how sham intakes were affected by additions of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to the various straw diets. MSG at 5-40 g/kg fine and coarse ground straw increased sham intakes by 146% (P = 0.04) and 164% (P = 0.01) respectively. These findings indicated that the intakes of poor-quality diets can be increased by improving their palatability with MSG.

Factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by sheep. The effect of monosodium glutamate on the palatability of straw diets by sham-fed and normal animals.

Colucci PE, Grovum WL.
Br J Nutr. 1993 Jan;69(1):37-47.

MSG alters rat’s ability to regulate food intake:

Caloric regulation and the development of obesity were examined in rats which had received parenteral injections of monosodium glutamate (MSG) as neonates. Rats were injected with either 2 mg/g or 4 mg/g MSG on alternate days for the first 20 days of life. In adulthood, the ability to regulate caloric intake was tested by allowing animals access to diets of varying caloric densities. While control animals maintained relatively constant caloric intakes across dietary conditions, MSG-treated animals demonstrated an inability to respond to caloric challenges. Treated animals decreased caloric intake on a diluted diet and consumed more calories than controls when presented with a calorically dense diet.”

Juvenile-onset obesity and deficits in caloric regulation in MSG-treated rats.

Kanarek RB, Meyers J, Meade RG, Mayer J.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1979 May;10(5):717-21

A connection can be found in human test subjects: Two findings with MSG and
human appetite are discovered:
1.When a human subject eats a meal with MSG, they become hungry again, sooner.
2. Humans will eat more food laced with MSG than control food without it.

“Subjects consumed soup preloads of a fixed size containing different concentrations of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG). Effects on appetite following these preloads, and when no soup was consumed, were assessed in 3 studies.The most important finding concerning MSG showed that motivation to eat recovered more rapidly following a lunchtime meal in which MSG-supplemented soup was served.”

Umami and appetite: effects of monosodium glutamate on hunger and food intake in human subjects.

Rogers PJ, Blundell JE.
Physiol Behav. 1990 Dec;48(6):801-4.

“MSG’s effects on the palatability of two experimental foods were investigated in 36 healthy young men and women. MSG improved palatability ratings, with an optimum at 0.6%. Weekly tests of free intake showed that subjects fed the experimental foods with 0.6% MSG added ate progressively more and faster, indicating increasing palatability with repeated exposure. MSG facilitated intake of some but not all target foods, and was associated with positive (increased calcium and magnesium intake) or adverse (increased fat intake) nutritional effects. It is concluded that MSG can act as a palatability enhancer in the context of the French diet. It can facilitate long-term intake in both young and elderly persons but it should be utilized
cautiously so as to improve nutrition.

Monosodium glutamate as a palatability enhancer in the European diet.

Bellisle F, Monneuse MO, Chabert M, Larue-Achagiotis C, Lanteaume MT, Louis-Sylvestre J.
Physiol Behav. 1991 May;49(5):869-73.

MSG increases the secretion of Insulin.

MSG has been shown in rats to over stimulate the pancreas resulting in
hyperinsulinemia. The excess insulin in the blood increases the conversion of
glucose into adipose tissue.

“Early postnatal administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to rats induces obesity, hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in adulthood, thus suggesting the presence of insulin resistance. We therefore investigated the effects of insulin on glucose transport and lipogenesis in adipocytes as well as insulin binding to specific receptors in the liver, skeletal muscle and fat tissues. An increase of plasma insulin was found in 3-month-old rats treated with MSG during the postnatal period”

Late effects of postnatal administration of monosodium glutamate on insulin action in adult rats.

Macho L, Fickova M, Jezova, Zorad S.
Physiol Res. 2000;49 Suppl 1:S79-85.

Even just adding MSG to the mouth of a rat can trigger an increase in insulin
release:

“When the oral cavity was infused by MSG solution, a transient increase in blood insulin level was recognized at 3 min after this oral stimulation. These observations support the conclusion that taste stimulation of MSG induces cephalic-phase insulin secretion.”

Cephalic-phase insulin release induced by taste stimulus of monosodium glutamate (umami taste).

Niijima A, Togiyama T, Adachi A.
Physiol Behav. 1990 Dec;48(6):905-8.

A connection can be found in human test subjects:

“To further study glutamate metabolism, we administered 150 mg/kg body wt of monosodium
glutamate (MSG) and placebo to seven male subjects who then either rested or exercised.
MSG administration resulted in elevated insulin levels.”

Glutamate ingestion and its effects at rest and during exercise in humans.

Mourtzakis M, Graham TE.
J Appl Physiol. 2002 Oct;93(4):1251-9.

“Monosodium (L)-glutamate (10 g) was given orally in a double-blind placebo-controlled
cross-over study to 18 healthy volunteers, aged 19-28 years, with an oral (75 g) glucose load.
CONCLUSIONS: Oral (L)-glutamate enhances glucose-induced insulin secretion in healthy volunteers in a concentration-dependent manner.”

Effects of oral monosodium (L)-glutamate on insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in healthy volunteers.

Chevassus H, Renard E, Bertrand G, Mourand I, Puech R,Molinier N,
Bockaert J, Petit P, Bringer J.
Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Jun;53(6):641-3.

MSG reduces the excretion of Ketones.

MSG has been shown in rats to reduce Ketone secretion, resulting in an obese rat
with a propensity for creating adipose tissue(fat):

“MSG-treated rats showed shorter naso-anal and tail length, and a more marked intraperitoneal
fat deposition than control rats. Plasma levels of total ketone bodies were decreased in the MSG-treated rats as compared to control rats.”

Decreased ketonaemia in the monosodium glutamate-induced obese rats.

Nakai T, Tamai T, Takai H, Hayashi S, Fujiwara R, Miyabo S.
Life Sci. 1986 Jun 2;38(22):2009-13.

A connection can be found in human test subjects:

“Production and use of ketone bodies are lower in obese women than in lean controls.”

Ketone body metabolism in lean and obese women.

Vice E, Privette JD, Hickner RC, Barakat HA.
Metabolism. 2005 Nov;54(11):1542-5.

MSG reduces the excretion of Growth Hormone (GH) during adolescence.

MSG has been shown in rats to reduce Growth Hormone secretion, resulting in an obese rat with stunted stature:

Rats were treated with monosodium glutamate (MSG), 4 mg/g on alternate days for the first 10
days of life, to induce lesions of the arcuate nucleus and destroy the majority of growth
hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) neurones.

Depletion of hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment reveals an inhibitory effect of betamethasone on growth hormone secretion in adult rats.

Corder R, Saudan P, Mazlan M, McLean C, Gaillard RC.
Neuroendocrinology. 1990 Jan;51(1):85-92.

A connection can be found in human test subjects:

In obese individuals, …….GH secretion is impaired without an organic pituitary disease
and the severity of the secretory defect is proportional to the degree of obesity.

Growth hormone status in morbidly obese subjects and correlation with body composition.

Savastano S, Di Somma C, Belfiore A, Guida B, Orio F Jr, Rota F,
Savanelli MC, Cascella T, Mentone A, Angrisani L, Lombardi G, Colao A.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2006 Jun;29(6):536-43.

A recent study compared data from both humans and rats fed MSG prenatally
through the mother‘s diet, and made the following recommendation:

“Oral administration of MSG to pregnant rats affects birth weight of the offspring, and reduces GH serum levels are lowered in animals that received MSG during prenatal life via maternal feeding…..The flavouring agent MSG–at concentrations that only slightly surpass those found in everyday human food, exhibits significant potential for damaging the hypothalamic regulation of appetite, and thereby determines the propensity of world-wide obesity. We suggest to reconsider the recommended daily allowances of amino acids and nutritional protein, and to abstain from the popular protein-rich diets, and particularly from adding the flavouring agents MSG.”

Obesity, voracity, and short stature: the impact of glutamate on the regulation of appetite.

Hermanussen M, Garcia AP, Sunder M, Voigt M, Salazar V, Tresguerres JA.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jan;60(1):25-31.

MSG Triggers Diabetes In Test Subjects:

The food additive Monosodium Glutamate is used to purposely create Diabetic rodents:

“The number of diabetic patients is increasing every year, and new model animals are required to study the diverse aspects of this disease. An experimental obese animal model has reportedly been obtained by injecting monosodium glutamate (MSG) to a mouse. We found that ICR-MSG mice on which the same method was used developed glycosuria. Both female and male mice were observed to be obese but had no polyphagia, and were glycosuric by 29 weeks of age, with males having an especially high rate of incidence (70.0%). Their blood concentrations of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were higher than in the control mice at 29 weeks. These high concentrations appeared in younger males more often than in females, and were severe in adult males. Also, the mice at 54 weeks of age showed obvious obesity and increased concentrations of glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol in the blood. The pathological study of ICR-MSG female and male mice at 29 weeks of age showed hypertrophy of the pancreatic islet. This was also observed in most of these mice at 54 weeks. It was recognized as a continuation of the condition of diabetes mellitus. From the above results, these mice are considered to be useful as new experimental model animals developing a high rate of obese type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus without polyphagia.”

Type 2 diabetes mellitus in obese mouse model induced by monosodium glutamate.

Nagata M, Suzuki W, Iizuka S, Tabuchi M, Maruyama H, Takeda SAburada M, Miyamoto K.
Exp Anim. 2006 Apr;55(2):109-15.

“Administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to KK mice during the neonatal period resulted in a syndrome of obesity, stunting and hypogonadism. In some animals the genetic predisposition to diabetes was unmasked with the development of marked hyperglycaemia and or hyperinsulinaemia. Food intake was not increased compared to controls. The elevated plasma glucose and insulin in fed MSG treated mice fell rapidly with food deprivation. Glucose disposal was comparable in MSG treated and control mice after IP glucose, but after oral glucose MSG treated mice showed impaired glucose tolerance. Insulin secretion was defective in MSG treated mice.”

Effects of monosodium glutamate administration in the neonatal period on the diabetic syndrome in KK mice.

Cameron DP, Poon TK, Smith GC.
Diabetologia. 1976 Dec;12(6):621-6.

Not all rodent species become obese with MSG ingestion, some just get Diabetes:

Neuronal necrosis in the arcuate and ventromedial hypothalamus regions is easily induced in 1-day-old Chinese hamsters by the administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG). New-born Chinese hamsters injected with MSG showed no sign of obesity, even when grown up, but apparently developed a diabetic syndrome.

Diabetic syndrome in the Chinese hamster induced with monosodium glutamate.

Komeda K, Yokote M, Oki Y.
Experientia. 1980 Feb 15;36(2):232-4.

MSG crosses the Placenta endangering the fetus.

MSG has been shown to cross the placental barrier in rats, and new studies suggest that
in cases where human mothers who suffer from intrauterine infection are at risk to
Glutamate causing excitotoxic perinatal brain injury to the fetus:

“Monosodium-L-glutamate given subcutaneously to pregnant rats caused acute necrosis of the acetylcholinesterase-positive neurons in the area postrema. The same effect has been observed in the area postrema of fetal rats. The process of neuronal cell death and the elimination of debris by microglia cells proved to be similar in pregnant animals and in their fetuses. However, embryonal neurons were more sensitive to glutamate as judged by the rapidity of the process and the dose-response relationship. These observations raise the possibility of transplacental poisoning in human fetuses after the consumption of glutamate-rich food by the mother.”

Neurotoxicity of monosodium-L-glutamate in pregnant and fetal rats.

Toth L, Karcsu S, Feledi J, Kreutzberg GW.
Acta Neuropathol (Berl). 1987;75(1):16-22.

“Monosodium glutamate (MSG) was shown to penetrate placental barrier and distribute almost evenly among embryonic tissues using 3H-Glu as a tracer. When a lower (1.0 mg/g) and a higher (2.5 mg/g) doses of MSG were alternatively injected to Kunming maternal mice in every other days from mating to deliveries, obvious injury occurred in the ability of memory retention and Y-maze discrimination learning of adult filial mice pregnantly treated with higher doses (2.5 mg/g) of MSG. Meanwhile, the neuronal damages were observed in not only arcuate nucleus but also ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus. Characteristic cytopathological changes induced by MSG showed swollen cytoplasm, dark pyknotic nuclei and loss of neurons.These experimental findings indicated that MSG performed its transplacental neurotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. The excessive activation of Glu receptors and the overloading of intracellular Ca2+ induced by MSG ultimately leading to neuronal death may result in the reduction of the
capability of learning and memory in adult filial mice pregnantly treated with MSG.”

Transplacental neurotoxic effects of monosodium glutamate on structures and functions of specific brain areas of filial mice

Gao J, Wu J, Zhao XN, Zhang WN, Zhang YY, Zhang ZX.
Sheng Li Xue Bao. 1994 Feb;46(1):44-51.

“Administering GLU to newborn rodents completely destructs arcuate nucleus neurons, and results
in permanently elevated plasma leptin levels that fail to adequately counter-regulate food intake.
Chronic fetal exposure to elevated levels of GLU may be caused by chronic maternal over-nutrition
or by reduced umbilical plasma flow. We strongly suggest abandoning the flavoring agent
monosodium glutamate and reconsidering the recommended daily allowances of protein and
amino acids during pregnancy.”

Does the thrifty phenotype result from chronic glutamate intoxication? A hypothesis.
Hermanussen M, Tresguerres JA.
J Perinat Med. 2003;31(6):489-95

Oral administration of MSG in the pregnant mother’s diet has been shown to
accumulate at twice the maternal level in the brains of fetal mice:

“Monosodium glutamate (MSG) was shown to penetrate placental barrier and to distribute to
embryonic tissues using [3H]glutamic acid ([3H]Glu) as a tracer. However, the distribution is not
even; the uptake of MSG in the fetal brain was twice as great as that in the maternal brain in
Kunming mice. Other maternal mice were given per os MSG (2.5 mg/g or 4.0 mg/g body weight)
at 17-21 days of pregnancy, and their offspring behaviors studied. The results showed that maternal
oral administration of MSG at a late stage of pregnancy decreased the threshold of convulsion in
the litters at 10 days of age. Y-maze discrimination learning was significantly impaired in the
60-day-old filial mice.”

Effects of maternal oral administration of monosodium glutamate at a
late stage of pregnancy on developing mouse fetal brain.
Yu T, Zhao Y, Shi W, Ma R, Yu L.
Brain Res. 1997 Feb 7;747(2):195-206.

In human fetal development, Glutamate is a major contributor to growth of the CNS
and brain:

“Glutamate receptors have multiple roles in the central nervous system. Recent evidence suggests
that the iontropic glutamate receptors are critical during brain development, particularly for
corticogenesis, neuronal migration, and synaptogenesis. In this study, we examined subunit mRNA
expression and binding sites of the NMDA, AMPA, and kainate receptors from gestational weeks
8-20 in human fetal brain. Expression of glutamate receptors was high during several periods in
these brains. These results demonstrate that glutamate receptors are expressed early in human
brain development.”

Ontogeny of ionotropic glutamate receptor expression in human fetal brain.
Ritter LM, Unis AS, Meador-Woodruff JH.
Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 2001 Apr 30;127(2):123-33.

Human fetal development has been shown to be jeopardized by high amounts of
Glutamate:

“Children undergoing perinatal brain injury often suffer from the dramatic consequences of this
misfortune for the rest of their lives. Despite the severe clinical and socio-economic significance,
no effective clinical strategies have yet been developed to counteract this condition. This review
describes the pathophysiological mechanisms that are implicated in perinatal brain injury. These
include the acute breakdown of neuronal membrane potential followed by the release of
excitatory amino acids such as glutamate and aspartate. Glutamate binds to postsynaptically
located glutamate receptors that regulate calcium channels. The resulting calcium influx activates
proteases, lipases and endonucleases which in turn destroy the cellular skeleton. Clinical studies
have shown that intrauterine infection increases the risk of periventricular white matter damage
especially in the immature fetus. This damage may be mediated by cardiovascular effects of
endotoxins.”

Perinatal brain damage–from pathophysiology to prevention.
Jensen A, Garnier Y, Middelanis J, Berger R.
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol.2003 Sep 22;110 Suppl 1:S70-9.

“We found evidence that the thrifty phenotype may be the consequence of fetal
hyperglutamatemia. Maternal glutamate (GLU) reaches the fetal circulation, as part of the materno-
fetal glutamine-glutamate exchange. Glutamine is absorbed from the maternal circulation, and
deaminated for nitrogen utilization, resulting in a fetal production of GLU. GLU is extracted as it
returns to the placenta. When the umbilical plasma flow is low, GLU may be trapped in the
fetal circulation, and reaches neurotoxic levels.”

Does the thrifty phenotype result from chronic glutamate intoxication? A hypothesis.
Hermanussen M, Tresguerres JA.
J Perinat Med. 2003;31(6):489-95.

MSG’s Ocular Toxicity:

MSG given both subcutaneously and orally in diet causes long term destruction of
various ocular structures:

“In rodents, daily injection of neurotoxic monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) during the
postnatal period induces retinal lesions, optic nerve degeneration with an alteration of visual

pathway and an absence of the b-wave in the electroretinogram. Animals received daily doses of
glutamate during the first ten days after birth according to two protocols. The two treatments
similarly destroyed 56% of the overall population of the ganglion cell layer: 30% of displaced
amacrine and 89% of ganglion cells.”

Neurotoxic effects of neonatal injections of monosodium L-glutamate (L-MSG) on the retinal ganglion cell layer of
the golden hamster: anatomical and functional
consequences on the circadian system.
Chambille I, Serviere J.
J Comp Neurol. 1993 Dec 1;338(1):67-82.

“Changes in the transparency and size of lenses in rats were investigated following administration
of monosodium-L-glutamate (MSG), MSG (5 mg/g b.w.) was injected subcutaneously on the 9th
and 10th days after birth.. The incidence of cataract increased with age, reaching more than 75% at
4 months of age. Morgagni’s globules were histologically detected in the opacity of the posterior
lens cortex. Degenerative changes of the lens epithelium were observed in the mature cataract. The
size and weight of the lens were smaller than those of controls. These findings indicate that
administration of MSG could be an etiologic factor in cataract formation in the developing
rat.”

Morphological studies on cataract and small lens formation in
neonatal rats treated with monosodium-L-glutamate
Kawamura M, Azuma N, Kohsaka S.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi. 1989 May;93(5):562-8.

“The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of glutamate accumulation in vitreous on
retinal structure and function, due to a diet high in sodium glutamate. Three different diet groups
were created, consisting of rats fed on a regular diet (diet A), a moderate excess of sodium
glutamate diet (diet B) and a large excess of sodium glutamate diet (diet C). After 1, 3 and 6
months of the administration of these diets, amino acids concentrations in vitreous were analyzed.
Significant accumulation of glutamate in vitreous was observed in rats following addition of
sodium glutamate to the diet as compared to levels with a regular diet. In the retinal morphology,
thickness of retinal neuronal layers was remarkably thinner in rats fed on sodium glutamate diets
than in those on a regular diet. Functionally, ERG responses were reduced in rats fed on a sodium
glutamate diets as compared with those on a regular diet. The present study suggests that a diet
with excess sodium glutamate over a period of several years may increase glutamate
concentrations in vitreous and may cause retinal cell destruction.”

A high dietary intake of sodium glutamate as flavoring (ajinomoto) causes
gross changes in retinal morphology and function.
Ohguro H, Katsushima H, Maruyama I, Maeda T, Yanagihashi S, Metoki T, Nakazawa M.
Exp Eye Res. 2002 Sep;75(3):307-15.

MSG causes Genotoxicity:

MSG has been shown to be Genotoxic to a variety of organs and tissues in the
mammalian body:

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) continues to function as a flavor enhancer in West African
and Asian diets. The present study examines the modulatory effects of dietary antioxidant vitamin
C (VIT C), vitamin E (VIT E) and quercetin on MSG-induced oxidative damage in the liver,
kidney and brain of rats. In addition, the effect of these antioxidants on the possible genotoxicity
of MSG was investigated in a rat bone marrow micronuclei model. MSG administered
intraperitoneally at a dose of 4 mg/g body wt markedly increase malondialdehyde (MDA)
formation in the liver, the kidney and brain of rats. The antioxidants tested protected against MSG-
induced liver toxicity significantly. VIT E failed to protect against MSG-induced genotoxicity. The
results indicate that dietary antioxidants have protective potential against oxidative stress
induced by MSG and, in addition, suggest that active oxygen species may play an important
role in its genotoxicity.

Monosodium glutamate-induced oxidative damage and genotoxicity
in the rat: modulatory role of vitamin C, vitamin E and quercetin.
Farombi EO, Onyema OO.
Hum Exp Toxicol. 2006 May;25(5):251-9.

Other Human MSG studies:

MSG connected with adult-onset olivopontocerebellar degeneration:

In patients with recessive, adult-onset olivopontocerebellar degeneration associated with a partial
deficiency of glutamate dehydrogenase, the concentration of glutamate in plasma was significantly
higher than that in controls. Plasma alpha-ketoglutarate was significantly lower. Oral
administration of monosodium glutamate resulted in excessive accumulation of this amino acid in
plasma and lack of increase in the ratio of plasma lactate to pyruvate in the glutamate
dehydrogenase-deficient patients. Decreased glutamate catabolism may result in an excess of
glutamate in the nervous system and cause neuronal degeneration.

Abnormal glutamate metabolism in an adult-onset degenerative neurological disorder.
Plaitakis A, Berl S, Yahr MD.
Science. 1982 Apr 9;216(4542):193-6.

MSG connected with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) :

Glutamate levels were determined in the fasting plasma of 22 patients with early-stage primary
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and compared to those of healthy and diseased controls. There
was a significant increase (by approximately 100%, p less than 0.0005) in the plasma glutamate of the
ALS patients as compared with the controls. Oral glutamate loading (60 mg of monosodium glutamate
per kilogram of body weight, taken orally after overnight fasting) resulted in significantly greater
elevations in the plasma glutamate and aspartate levels in the ALS patients than in the controls.
Glutamate, a potentially neuroexcitotoxic compound, is thought to be the transmitter of the
corticospinal tracts and certain spinal cord interneurons. A systemic defect in the metabolism of this
amino acid may underlie primary ALS.

Abnormal glutamate metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Plaitakis A, Caroscio JT.
Ann Neurol. 1987 Nov;22(5):575-9.

MSG and the Alteration of the brain: a model for
ADHD/Autism

The Erb Hypothesis:

Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyper Active Disorder, Asperger’s
Syndrome and Autism are linked. They strike the same percentage of males vs females
and have similar characteristic traits. The Erb hypothesis published in 2003 states that
Monsodium Glutamate as a food and vaccine additive triggers unchecked brain cell
growth. This results in an overgrowth of certain areas of the brain rendering them
damaged or destroyed, while accelerating the development of other areas (hence
Savants). The genetics and level of MSG exposure determines what level a child will
be: ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s or Autism.

Autism (or autistic like behaviors) was only known in a handful cases world wide in
1940. ADHD and Autism did not even exist as a diagnosis. In 1950 MSG was
introduced to the food supply and the growth of these syndromes has matched the
increase in MSG intake in the western diet. As of 2006 there is reported to be one in
every hundred children now being born with Autism in the United States.

One of the main characteristics of Autism is a heavier brain. The theory of Mercury
causing Autism does not explain the brain overgrowth. Mercury does not enhance cell
tissue growth.

In the first 8 weeks of fetal growth the placental barrier is not yet fully formed. This
period is when the brain stem, brain, and eyes begin to form.

12 grams a day of MSG in a mother’s blood stream could have an enormous affect on
the fetal development. Even after the placental barrier has been formed there is not a
single human study to show that MSG does not easily transport into the fetus.

Children not born with these ADHD and Autism may have them triggered when an
MSG bearing vaccine is injected subcutaneously into them during their formative years.

Accelerated and abnormal brain growth in the Autistic:

Autism most commonly appears by 2 to 3 years of life, at which time the brain is already
abnormally large. This raises the possibility that brain overgrowth begins much earlier, perhaps
before the first clinically noticeable behavioral symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether
pathological brain overgrowth precedes the first clinical signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
and whether the rate of overgrowth during the first year is related to neuroanatomical and clinical
outcome in early childhood. Within the ASD group, every child with autistic disorder had a greater
increase in HC between birth and 6 to 14 months (mean [SD], 2.19 [0.98]) than infants with
pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (0.58 [0.35]). Only 6% of the individual
healthy infants in the longitudinal data showed accelerated HC growth trajectories (>2.0 SDs) from
birth to 6 to 14 months; 59% of infants with autistic disorder showed these accelerated growth
trajectories. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical onset of autism appears to be preceded by 2 phases
of brain growth abnormality: a reduced head size at birth and a sudden and excessive
increase in head size between 1 to 2 months and 6 to 14 months. Abnormally accelerated rate
of growth may serve as an early warning signal of risk for autism.

Evidence of brain overgrowth in the first year of life in autism.
Courchesne E, Carper R, Akshoomoff N.
JAMA. 2003 Jul 16;290(3):393-4.

To establish whether high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have
enlarged brains in later childhood, and if so, whether this enlargement is confined to the gray
and/or to the white matter and whether it is global or more prominent in specific brain regions.
RESULTS: Patients showed a significant increase of 6% in intracranium, total brain, cerebral gray
matter, cerebellum, and of more than 40% in lateral and third ventricles compared to controls. The
cortical gray-matter volume was evenly affected in all lobes. After correction for brain volume,
ventricular volumes remained significantly larger in patients. CONCLUSIONS: High-functioning
children with ASD showed a global increase in gray-matter, but not white-matter and cerebellar
volume, proportional to the increase in brain volume, and a disproportional increase in ventricular
volumes, still present after correction for brain volume.

Increased gray-matter volume in medication-naive high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder.
Palmen SJ, Hulshoff Pol HE, Kemner C, Schnack HG, Durston S, Lahuis BE, Kahn RS, Van Engeland H.
Psychol Med. 2005 Apr;35(4):561-70.

Possible vaccine connection with Autism:

Virus-induced autoimmunity may play a causal role in autism. To examine the etiologic link of
viruses in this brain disorder, we conducted a serologic study of measles virus, mumps virus, and
rubella virus. Viral antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the serum
of autistic children, normal children, and siblings of autistic children. The level of measles
antibody, but not mumps or rubella antibodies, was significantly higher in autistic children as
compared with normal children (P = 0.003) or siblings of autistic children (P <or= 0.0001).
Furthermore, immunoblotting of measles vaccine virus revealed that the antibody was directed
against a protein of approximately 74 kd molecular weight. The antibody to this antigen was found
in 83% of autistic children but not in normal children or siblings of autistic children. Thus autistic
children have a hyperimmune response to measles virus, which in the absence of a wild type
of measles infection might be a sign of an abnormal immune reaction to the vaccine strain or
virus reactivation.

Elevated levels of measles antibodies in children with autism.
Singh VK, Jensen RL.
Pediatr Neurol. 2003 Apr;28(4):292-4

MSG proven to accelerate the growth of neurons and stimulate
proliferation:

“It has been widely accepted that neurogenesis continues throughout life. Neural stem cells can be
found in the ventricular zone of the embryonic and in restricted regions of the adult central nervous
system, including subventricular and subgranular zones of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. The
network of signaling mechanisms determining whether neural stem cells remain in a proliferative
state or differentiate is only partly discovered. Recent advances indicate that glutamate (Glu),
the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter in mature neurons, can influence immature
neural cell proliferation and differentiation, as well., Glu can influence proliferation and
neuronal commitment as well, and acts as a positive regulator of neurogenesis. Brain injuries like
ischemia, epilepsy or stress lead to severe neuronal death and additionally, influence neurogenesis,
as well. Glu homeostasis is altered under these pathological circumstances, implying that
therapeutic treatments mediating Glu signaling might be useful to increase neuronal replacement
after cell loss in the brain.”

Glutamate as a modulator of embryonic and adult neurogenesis.
Schlett K.
Curr Top Med Chem. 2006;6(10):949-60.
Conclusions

There are few chemicals that we as a people are exposed to that have as many far
reaching physiological affects on living beings as Monosodium Glutamate does. MSG
directly causes obesity, diabetes, triggers epilepsy, destroys eye tissues, is genotoxic in
many organs and is the probable cause of ADHD and Autism. Considering that MSG’s
only reported role in food is that of ‘flavour enhancer’ is that use worth the risk of the
myriad of physical ailments associated with it? Does the public really want to be
tricked into eating more food and faster by a food additive?

MSG is entering our bodies in record amounts with absolutely no limits. The studies
outlined in this report often use a smaller proportional dosage than the average child
may ingest daily.

A handful of studies prompted an immediate task force on Acrylamide. This report
contains dozens of published studies showing proven damage to the mammalian body
across a plethora of physiological systems.

Consider the children of the world who eat MSG in their school cafeterias, hospitals,
restaurants and homes. They deserve foods free of added MSG, a substance so toxic
that scientists use it purposely to trigger diabetes, obesity and epileptic convulsions.

Consider the swift deletion of MSG from the GFSA list of the Codex Alimentarius.
Perhaps we will see a reduction in obesity, diabetes, ADHD and Autism once the excess
Glutamate threat to our health has been removed.

We can stop the slow poisoning of mankind.

Appendix A List of Foods Approved for MSG Addition

01.1.2 Dairy-based drinks, flavoured and/or fermented (e.g., chocolate milk, cocoa, eggnog,
drinking yoghurt, whey-based drinks) 01.3 Condensed milk and analogues (plain) 01.4.3 Clotted
cream (plain) 01.4.4 Cream analogues 01.5 Milk powder and cream powder and powder
analogues (plain) 01.6 Cheese and analogues 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g., pudding, fruit or
flavoured yoghurt) 01.8 Whey and whey products, excluding whey cheeses 02.2.1.2 Margarine
and similar products 02.2.1.3 Blends of butter and margarine 02.2.2 Emulsions containing less
than 80% fat 02.3 Fat emulsions maily of type oil-in-water, including mixed and/or flavoured
products based on fat emulsions 02.4 Fat-based desserts excluding dairy-based dessert products of
food category 01.7 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet 04.1.2 Processed fruit
04.2.2.2 Dried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes,
and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds 04.2.2.3 Vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi,
roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera) and seaweeds in vinegar, oil, brine, or soy sauce
04.2.2.4 Canned or bottled (pasteurized) or retort pouch vegetables (including mushrooms and
fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds 04.2.2.5 Vegetable
(including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and
nut and seed purees and spreads (e.g., peanut butter) 04.2.2.6 Vegetable (including mushrooms and
fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed pulps and
preparations (e.g., vegetable desserts and sauces, candied vegetables) other than food category
04.2.2.5 04.2.2.8 Cooked or fried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers,
pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds 05.0 Confectionery 06.3 Breakfast cereals,
including rolled oats 06.4.3 Pre-cooked pastas and noodles and like products 06.5 Cereal and
starch based desserts (e.g., rice pudding, tapioca pudding) 06.6 Batters (e.g., for breading or batters
for fish or poultry) 06.7 Pre-cooked or processed rice products, including rice cakes (Oriental type
only) 06.8 Soybean products (excluding soybean products of food category 12.9 and fermented
soybean products of food category 12.10) 07.0 Bakery wares 08.2 Processed meat, poultry, and
game products in whole pieces or cuts 08.3 Processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game
products 08.4 Edible casings (e.g., sausage casings) 09.3 Semi-preserved fish and fish products,
including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms 09.4 Fully preserved, including canned or
fermented fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms 10.2.3 Dried
and/or heat coagulated egg products 10.3 Preserved eggs, including alkaline, salted, and canned
eggs 10.4 Egg-based desserts (e.g., custard) 11.6 Table-top sweeteners, including those
containing high-intensity sweeteners 12.2.2 Seasonings and condiments 12.3 Vinegars 12.4
Mustards 12.5 Soups and broths 12.6 Sauces and like products 12.7 Salads (e.g., macaroni
salad, potato salad) and sandwich spreads excluding cocoa- and nut-based spreads of food categories
04.2.2.5 and 05.1.3 12.8 Yeast and like products 12.9 Protein products 12.10 Fermented
soybean products 13.3 Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes (excluding products of
food category 13.1) 13.4 Dietetic formulae for slimming purposes and weight reduction 13.5
Dietetic foods (e.g., supplementary foods for dietary use) excluding products of food categories 13.1 -
13.4 and 13.6 13.6 Food supplements 14.1.1.2 Table waters and soda waters 14.1.4 Water-
based flavoured drinks, including “sport,” “energy,” or “electrolyte” drinks and particulated drinks
14.2.1 Beer and malt beverages 14.2.2 Cider and perry 14.2.4 Wines (other than grape)
14.2.5 Mead 14.2.6 Distilled spirituous beverages containing more than 15% alcohol 14.2.7
Aromatized alcoholic beverages (e.g., beer, wine and spirituous cooler-type beverages, low alcoholic
refreshers) 15.0 Ready-to-eat savouries 16.0 Composite foods – foods that could not be placed in
categories 01 – 15

Appendix B List of Ingredients

Involving MSG

These contain Monosodium Glutamate
Glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Monopotassium
glutamate
Yeast extract
Hydrolyzed protein
(any protein that is
hydrolyzed)
Glutamic acid
Calcium caseinate
Sodium caseinate

Yeast food
Hydrolyzed corn gluten
Gelatin
Textured protein
Yeast nutrient

Autolyzed yeast
Natrium glutamate
(natrium is Latin/German
for sodium)

These OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing

Carrageenan
Natural pork flavoring
Bouillon and Broth

Natural beef flavoring
Stock
Whey protein
concentrate
Whey protein
Whey protein isolate

Maltodextrin
Citric acid
Natural chicken
flavoring
Ultra-pasteurized
Barley malt
Pectin

Protease
Protease enzymes

Malt extract
Malt flavoring
Soy protein isolate

Soy sauce
Soy sauce extract
Soy protein

Soy protein concentrate
Anything protein fortified
Flavors(s) & Flavoring(s) Anything enzyme
modified
Anything fermented
Natural flavor(s)
& flavoring(s)

In ADDITION…
Enzymes anything
Seasonings
(the word “seasonings”)
The new practice is to label hydrolyzed proteins as pea protein, whey protein, corn protein, etc.
If a pea, for example, were whole, it would be identified as a pea. Calling an ingredient pea
protein indicates that the pea has been hydrolyzed, at least in part, and that processed free
glutamic acid (MSG) is present. Relatively new to the list are wheat protein and soy protein.

List from www.truthinlabeling.org

Appendix C List of Vaccines Involving MSG

Note: Gelatin and ingredients that use the word Hydrolyzed contain Glutamate.

MMR – Measles-Mumps-Rubella Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
measles, mumps, rubella live virus, neomycin sorbitol, hydrolyzed gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and
human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

M-R-Vax – Measles-Rubella Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
measles, rubella live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolyzed gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and human
diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

Attenuvax – Measles Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372
measles live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolyzed gelatin, chick embryo

Biavax – Rubella Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372
rubella live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolyzed gelatin, human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

JE-VAX – Japanese Ancephalitis Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
Nakayama-NIH strain of Japanese encephalitis virus, inactivated formaldehyde, polysorbate 80
(Tween-80), and thimerosal mouse serum proteins, and gelatin

Prevnar Pneumococcal – 7-Valent Conjugate Vaccine Wyeth Lederle 800.934.5556
saccharides from capsular Streptococcus pneumoniae antigens (7 serotypes) individually conjugated
to diphtheria CRM 197 protein aluminum phosphate, ammonium sulfate, soy protein, yeast

RabAvert – Rabies Chiron Behring GmbH & Company 510.655.8729
fixed-virus strain, Flury LEP neomycin, chlortetracycline, and amphotericin B, potassium glutamate,
and sucrose human albumin, bovine gelatin and serum “from source countries known to be free of
bovine spongioform encephalopathy,” and chicken protein

RotaShield – Oral Tetravalent Rotavirus (recalled) Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556
1 rhesus monkey rotavirus, 3 rhesus-human reassortant live viruses neomycin sulfate, amphotericin B
potassium monophosphate, potassium diphosphate, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate (MSG)
rhesus monkey fetal diploid cells, and bovine fetal serum smallpox (not licensed due to expiration)

TheraCys BCG (intravesicle -not licensed in US for tuberculosis) Aventis Pasteur USA
800.VACCINE
live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis monosodium glutamate (MSG), and polysorbate 80
(Tween-80)

Varivax – Chickenpox Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
varicella live virus neomycin phosphate, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) processed
gelatin, fetal bovine serum, guinea pig embryo cells, albumin from human blood, and human diploid
cells from aborted fetal tissue

YF-VAX – Yellow Fever Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
* 17D strain of yellow fever virus sorbitol chick embryo, and gelatin

The International Glutamate Information Service in particular has issued a lengthy response, extracts of which we have selected for publication.

In a statement the IGIS writes: “It is absurd to suggest that eating glutamate can have an adverse effect.”

“Glutamate is a safe food ingredient and a natural component of many foods we eat as part of a normal diet. The body treats glutamate in exactly the same way whether it comes from these sources or from seasoning added to food.”

“In addition, the body actually produces glutamate.”

With reference to the doses of MSG given to the rats during the Japanese study IGIS made the following response.

“The doses of glutamate fed to the rats were extremely high (neither of the experimental diets supplemented with glutamate could be considered simply ‘high’ let alone ‘moderate’). The amount of the diet represented by added glutamate could not be replicated in a meal for human consumption.

Each day the average person consumes between 10g and 20g of glutamate as part of their normal diet, most of which is consumed as glutamate in the protein in foods. The amount of glutamate used as seasoning is in the range of 0.1 per cent to 0.8 per cent of the food consumed (0.1 to 0.8 g/100g of food).

Lead researcher Hiroshi Ohguro acknowledged in Experimental Biology, that large amounts of MSG were used, 20 per cent of the total diet in the highest group. “Lesser amounts should be OK,” he said, “but the precise borderline amount is still unknown.”

The IGIS responded: ‘The amount of glutamate fed to the rats represented between 9 per cent and 16.6 per cent of the total diet (either 10g or 20g of monosodium glutamate added to 100g of feed). These amounts could only be considered abuse doses and are completely irrelevant to human nutrition or glutamate consumption.

The amount of glutamate used to season food is a fraction of the levels cited in this experiment (0.1 per cent to 0.8 per cent of food consumed).

Monosodium glutamate is a self-limiting ingredient – once an appropriate amount has been added, using more contributes little, if any, additional flavour. Indeed, the addition of too much monosodium glutamate, as seasoning, can result in a decline in palatability of the food to which it is added. At the levels indicated by the experimental diets the food is likely to be inedible.’

According to IGIS, Ohguro’s hypothesis, that suggests the findings might explain why in eastern Asia there is a high rate of normal-tension glaucoma, totally ignore ‘ the wealth of scientific data which supports the safety of glutamate. Hundreds of scientific studies have been conducted on glutamate with the focus on its use as a food ingredient.

This extensive body of research, reviewed by scientists and regulatory authorities around the world, together with its long history of use, demonstrates that glutamate is safe.’

Finally suggestions from Peng Tee Khaw, a glaucoma specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London that “if you’re a sodium glutamate junky, then you could potentially run into problems with your retina,” and that lower dietary intakes could produce the same effects over several decades were totally refuted by IGIS.

“The allegation that “lower dietary intakes could produce the same effects over several decades” has no basis in science. This statement ignores what we know about glutamate’s role in the body and its metabolism.

The body contains about 1,800 g of glutamate (in a 70 kg adult) of which about 10g is free glutamate. Between 10g and 20g of glutamate is consumed everyday and absorbed for use by the body in normal metabolism.

The body itself produces glutamate during normal metabolism – approximately 48g of glutamate is turned over in the body everyday. In addition, the average person excretes about 16g of glutamate everyday.

Glutamate, from whatever source, consumed as part of a normal diet would be metabolised and would not build up in the manner described,”

concluded the industry association.

Researchers at Hirosaki University in Japan have found that rats fed on diets high in MSG suffer vision loss and have thinner retinas. Glutamate is an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter. It has already been shown to cause nerve damage in experiments where it is injected directly into the eye.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid and a form of glutamate, is used as a flavour enhancer in a variety of foods prepared in restaurants and by food processors. While technically MSG is only one of several forms of free glutamate used in foods, consumers frequently use the term MSG to mean all free glutamate.

Its use has become controversial in the past 30 years because of reports of adverse reactions in people who have eaten foods that contain MSG. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), research on the role of glutamate – a group of chemicals that includes MSG – in the nervous system has also raised questions about the chemical’s safety.

According to lead researcher Hiroshi Ohguro, his is the first study to show that eye damage can be caused by eating food containing MSG. A report in the New Scientist this week explains that in the study, rats were fed three different diets for six months, containing either high or moderate amounts of MSG, or none. In rats on the high-MSG diet, some retinal nerve layers thinned by as much as 75 per cent. And tests that measured retinal response to light showed they could not see as well. Rats on the moderate diet also had damage, to a lesser extent.

The researchers found high concentrations of MSG in the vitreous fluid, which bathes the retina. MSG binds to receptors on retinal cells, destroying them and causing secondary reactions that reduce the ability of the remaining cells to relay electrical signals.

Ohguro acknowledged that large amounts of MSG were used, 20 per cent of the total diet in the highest group. “Lesser amounts should be OK,” he said. “But the precise borderline amount is still unknown.”

He said the findings might explain why, in eastern Asia, there is a high rate of normal-tension glaucoma, a form of the eye disease that leads to blindness without the usual increase in pressure inside the eyeball. The higher rate, however, could also be due to genetics.

The New Scientist report continues that Peng Tee Khaw, a glaucoma specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, said the amounts of MSG in the highest diet are “a lot, lot higher than you’d eat. But if you’re a sodium glutamate junky, then you could potentially run into problems with your retina”.

And while the amount of glutamate in the rats’ diets was extremely high, lower dietary intakes could produce the same effects over several decades.

With such persuasive evidence it is clear that food processors must brace themselves for another wave of anti-MSG activity from global consumer associations. In a bid to reassure these same campaigners, food scientists must continue to investigate the impact of MSG, and free glutamates, on human health as well as looking into alternatives.

On such alternative was reported by FoodNavigator.com in April this year. We reported on new research into the use of human taste and smell receptors in functional assays to screen for novel receptor activators and blockers. Senomyx, the US company that carried out the research, are hoping that their research will lead them to discover alternatives to MSG, as well as enhancers of sweet and umami tastes.

Full findings of the Japanese study are published in the latest issue of Experimental Eye Research (vol 75, p 307). The International Glutamate Information Service meanwhile said that the allegations about glutamate ignore the wealth of scientific evidence which demonstrates the safety of glutamate.