Episode 439

Fat, Stressed, & Sick: The Role of Glutamate and Hidden MSG in Our Food Supply

With Dr. Katherine Reid

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Glutamate is a neurotransmitter essential for our health and plays a crucial role in activating our nervous system and immune response. It is found naturally in protein and fermented foods.  

However, when foods are ultra-processed, they can create glutamate in excess amounts, which, when overly consumed through the standard American diet, can cause symptoms associated with anxiety, ADHD, and Autism and increase chronic inflammation in our body.

Today on The Dhru Purohit Podcast, Dhru sits down with Dr. Katherine Reid to discuss glutamate, its link to monosodium glutamate, and the alarming amount created in our food supply through processed proteins. Dr. Reid shares the top sources of glutamate and her and her daughter’s personal experience with a low-glutamate diet. She also discusses which group of individuals need to be most concerned about the amount of glutamate in their diet, why some individuals are more susceptible to the harmful effects of excessive glutamate, and the REID Diet protocol. 

Dr. Katherine Reid earned her PhD in biochemistry with a specific focus on protein chemistry. She had a 20-year career in biotechnology, focused on the development of protein pharmaceuticals and cancer diagnostics. She switched her focus soon after her daughter was diagnosed with autism, and she discovered that reducing MSG in the diet managed many of her daughter’s symptoms.

Dr. Reid is the founder of Unblind My Mind, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health through informed food choices and now works closely with the public, including the medical community, to devise food solutions for people suffering from a wide variety of chronic inflammatory conditions. She is also the author of the newly released book Fat, Stressed, and Sick: MSG, Processed Food, and America’s Health Crisis, which makes the case that the levels of MSG in the food supply are causing our nation’s health crisis and proposes a dietary solution.

Also mentioned in this episode:

For more on Dr. Reid, be sure to follow her on Instagram @unblindmymind, Twitter @UnblindMyMind, Facebook @unblindmymind, and YouTube @katiereidSC.

This episode is brought to you by WHOOP, Bioptimizers, and Lifeforce. 

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I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did.
Wishing you health and happiness.
Dhru Purohit

In this Episode, you will learn

  1. What is glutamate and its connection to monosodium glutamate (MSG), and why it is so abundant in foods in the United States
    (2:51)
  2. The top food sources of glutamate and MSG
    (11:00)
  3. Independent testing for glutamate in a product
    (28:15)
  4. The group of individuals that need to pay the most attention to the amount of glutamate in their diet
    (31:35)
  5. Dr. Reid’s personal experience with changing her daughter’s diet after a diagnosis of Autism spectrum disorder
    (35:14)
  6. How a low glutamate diet can impact children with Autism spectrum disorder
    (48:55)
  7. The FDA’s position on glutamate
    (58:40)
  8. Why are some individuals more impacted by glutamate exposure and lifestyle factors that can reduce glutamate release within our body
    (1:02:42)
  9. The impact of a low glutamate diet
    (1:09:22)
  10. The REID Diet protocol and who can benefit from it
    (1:11:25)
  11. The role of protein in the REID Diet, fermentation, and gut health
    (1:17:15)
  12. The correlation between glutamate levels in gluten and dairy in Europe versus America
    (1:31:44)
  13. Is there a safe level of MSG in foods
    (1:35:09)
  14. Raising awareness around the harm that glutamate can cause
    (1:37:38)
  15. Research on glutamate and the work that still needs to be done
    (1:41:26)
  16. Final Thoughts
    (1:50:05)

Guest

 
Dhru Purohit

Dhru is the host of the Dhru Purohit Show, a top 30 health podcast with over 30 million downloads. His interviews focus on the inner workings of the brain and the body and feature the brightest minds in wellness, medicine, and mindset.

Dhru Purohit is also a serial entrepreneur and investor in the health and wellness industry.

 
Dr. Katherine Reid

Dr. Katherine Reid earned her PhD in biochemistry with a specific focus on protein chemistry. She had a 20-year career in biotechnology, focused on the development of protein pharmaceuticals and cancer diagnostics. She switched her focus soon after her daughter was diagnosed with autism, and she discovered that reducing MSG in the diet managed many of her daughter’s symptoms.

Dr. Reid is the founder of Unblind My Mind, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health through informed food choices and now works closely with the public, including the medical community, to devise food solutions for people suffering from a wide variety of chronic inflammatory conditions. She is also the author of the newly released book Fat, Stressed, and Sick: MSG, Processed Food, and America’s Health Crisis, which makes the case that the levels of MSG in the food supply are causing our nation’s health crisis and proposes a dietary solution.

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