Looks pretty healthy, right? Wrong – this “healthy” meal has at least 5 ingredients either containing MSG (like yeast extract) or that create MSG during processing (like maltodextrin)

One of the most common ingredients used in diet foods such as frozen dinners is the food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG). Whether it’s MSG or other glutamates, you’ll want to avoid these substitutes in anything that you eat. As little as 5 grams of MSG per day makes you 30 percent more likely to become obese than someone else who doesn’t eat it. In fact, medical studies also show that your liver suffers and the threat of visceral fat increases with an uptick of MSG consumption.

If MSG and other glutamates are so negative, why are they added to foods in the first place? Simple: they make the food you’re eating taste better. Similar to the artificial sweeteners added to diet sodas, MSG makes our bodies accustomed to robust flavor.

However, this heartier flavor from MSG and other glutamates has many negative affects including:

• Making us dumber. Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but MSG is medically proven to kill brain cells. The result? Excess MSG consumption can cause eye damage, fatigue, heart problems, nausea, and other neurological side effects.
• Insulin resistance. Insulin is one of the most important chemicals in our metabolic process. Increased resistance can interfere not only with our efforts to lose weight, but other bodily processes.
• Increased leptin production. Leptin is a chemical that is directly linked to causing fat storage. This is why it’s known as the “fat hormone.”  Our Garcinia Cambogia HP is designed to reduce leptin, so avoiding glutamates in addition to taking our Garcinia Cambogia HP is immensely helpful in fighting fat!

To avoid these negative side effects, it’s important to check the labels of all the foods you consume, particularly if they’re frozen “diet” dinners. However, keep in mind that MSG can be labeled in various ways including autolyzed yeast, textured protein, hydrolyzed protein, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, yeast nutrient, glutamic acid, and more.

Our rule of thumb – stick to foods that you’d actually have in your pantry, and especially avoid ingredients you can’t pronounce! Click the photo for more great resources on how to eat better.

Again, the best option for any diet is to focus on the quality of foods being consumed. Healthy, natural foods in moderation are always better for our bodies than processed low or zero calorie foods. While diet foods might be tempting, they’re short cuts that aren’t really short cuts – our bodies will recuperate those lost calories one way or another. Simply moderate your diet and stay healthy!

Here are some great tips for how to incorporate natural, whole foods into your diet - happy eating and good health!

Click here for Part 1 – Why Diet Sodas Aren’t Really Diet

Click here for Part 2 – Why Fat Free and Low Fat Foods Actually Make You Fat

Want to jump start your weight loss plan?  Try our 60% HCA Garcinia Cambogia HP for a super convenient (only 2 capsules per day) way to boost your weight loss!