Fat, Stressed, and Sick: MSG, Processed Food, and America's Health Crisis

Glutamate, often called MSG, is the umami molecule that gives processed food its irresistible flavor. But research shows it does far more than enhance taste. While glutamate is a key player in our experience of pleasure and reward, it also signals inflammation and triggers the body's immune system. Most glutamate in packaged foods is created during manufacturing and thus never appears on labels, yet it plays a hidden role in chronic inflammation.

Biochemist Katherine Reid uncovered this conn...