Glutamate Fact: Sudden Cardiac Death
It has been long established that glutamate receptors are found throughout the brain. It has now ben discovered that they are also found throughout the body in all organs and tissues. The entire GI tract, from the esophagus to the colon; The entire electrical conduction system of the heart; The lungs, ovaries, entire reproductive system including sperm; adrenal glands; bones; pancreas, all controlled by glutamate receptors.
When you are consuming MSG (see my post "Glutamates: What are they" for a list of glutamates like MSG) the level of glutamates in the blood can rise 20-fold. Very high glutamate levels in the blood causes the stimulation of all the glutamate receptors throughout the body. That's why some people get explosive diarrhea and dyspepsia because it stimulates the receptors in the esophagus and small bowel. Others develop irritable bowl. Some have increased reflux. The rise in glutamates in the cardiac conduction system may explain the rise in sudden cardiac death.
In the case of sudden cardiac death we also see low levels of magnesium. It is known that when magnesium is low, glutamate receptors become hyper-sensitive. So an athletes electrolight levels are low because they are always sweating them out. This makes magnesium low. Then they eat a meal with glutamates and drink a diet drink before practice produces such a high level of cardiac irritability they become susceptible to sudden cardiac death. Arrhythmias and coronary artery spasms both can be produced by glutamates.
Keith Abell, RPh CIP MI
http://TheRx4Health.com