September 06th, 2018

Tomatoes are undoubtedly one of those beautiful foods we look forward to planting in our gardens and using in virtually any dish. They are a great source for vitamin C, vitamin B’s, and phytonutrients. However, some individuals may be particularly sensitive to certain properties found in tomatoes. These are called excitotoxins and can cause neurotransmitters to malfunction leading to the death of specific neurons within the brain. 

Glutamate is one of the more commonly known excitotoxins. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamate. And while glutamate is a normal neurotransmitter, it is meant to exist in very small concentrations. When levels rise above normal neurons begin to fire abnormally and undergo cellular death, or excitotoxicity, meaning they are excited to death.

Other natural foods that have been shown to raise glutamate levels are certain mushrooms, soy, cheese and red meat. People with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, seizure disorders, mental disorders, or learning disorders should particularly avoid these natural foods and of course anything that includes the produced form of MSG. I will also add to this list anyone with bloodline family members who suffer from the above mentioned illnesses or disorders, you too may want to avoid foods with higher levels of glutamate. 

Some people may get huffy with this post, I've had it happen before, so I will reiterate that the potentially negative effects associated with tomatoes or other excitotoxic foods may not apply to everyone. This information is more specifically directed to individuals with digestive and/or neurological ailments.