Most MSG sensitive folks can handle dairy if it is not ultra-pasteurized, and if it is also not less than whole milk. Commercial dairies add dried glutamate-containing skim milk proteins back to 1% and 2% milk to get the
proper protein content for the standard of identity. MSG sensitive folks only use whole milk from a trusted source for this reason. If you don’t use processed milk – you probably needn’t worry about MSG, just contamination. Be aware when you use whey that it does contain glutamate ready to be liberated. Some amino acids are more heat sensitive than others. Moist heat – even slow, long cooking will liberate glutamic acid, not destroy it. Taurine and tryptophan are easily destroyed by heat. If you are MSG sensitive, you may want to ferment foods without the dairy.

Fermentation does affect some amino acids. Fermentation creates tyramine. I know the thrust of the book is fermentation, but just as some people can be allergic to what is harmless to other people, persons taking some medications and those who get frequent headaches or have high blood pressure should actually avoid fermented products because of tyramine – it can give them headaches, or worse – a deadly high blood pressure episode.

I would not recommend glutamine intake. I would recommend finding out why the body is not making it from glutamic acid. I would see if there was a Vitamin B6 deficiency, or some other reason the body is not transaminating glutamic acid to glutamine. Chemical equations are funny things – they go both ways. If you can get glutamine from glutamic acid, you can get glutamate from glutamine. To me a glutamine deficiency, means a glutamic acid excess. Glutamine may just make more glutamic acid. Glutamine supplementation is putting a band-aid on a problem, but perhaps not solving it.

One other thing about dairy. I understand it is a big focus of the book. However, I have one caveat. I don’t think the growth enhancing properties of dairy are in the protein, or even the calcium. This is my theory – it is in the butterfat. Butterfat is high in butyric acid, and GABA – Gamma Amino Butyric Acid. This is a neurotransmitter in the brain that stimulates the pituitary to produce growth hormone. I think this is why milk supports the growth of infants of many spieces. The fat helps them to grow – literally. Because of that I can understand why in India – ghee has almost magical properties and is used to promote healing. Ghee is butterfat without the proteins. However, there may be situations where growth may not be needed – in cases where cancer is present, or in my case – I have a pituitary tumor. Growth and stimulation of the pituitary in my case is a problem. Although I absolutely love butter and do not feel that it contributes to heart disease, I do try to avoid it myself due to my condition. If I had cancer, I probably would avoid butterfat also.

Think about this – animals in the wild – ones that eat meat and milk too – don’t get heart disease. When animals started eating our foods they started to develop it. I don’t think it is the meat and dairy contributing to cardiovascular disease and blockages. It is the trans fats. So, its not the burgers – its the fries. This is my theory on this: The body uses fats as a structural component with protein to allow passage of both lipophilic substances, and hydrophilic substances. Fats are part of the structures of the artery walls. I don’t consider the cholesterol buildup a separate horrible consequence of eating meat and dairy. I think it is the bodies way of trying to shore up a weak artery wall made of sunstandard structural materials – trans fats. Think about this: The gradual thickening of the artery wall is a better alternative to the catastrophic scenario of the failure of the artery wall – an aneurysm. I learned this the hard way.

After college I avoided trans fats, but had terrible high blood pressure. In 1999, my doctor discovered the reason for the blood pressure. There was a blockage of the renal artery. This blockage was due to a kink in the artery, the blood shot past it in a jet, ballooning out the artery wall and creating a huge aneurysm just past it. When the doctors performed an angiogram, they said my arteries were “pristine”. I had no cholesterol buildup. I was also at risk of dying instantly if the aneurysm burst. They replaced that part of the artery wall, and I no longer have high blood pressure. I also think that my avoidance of trans fats is what kept my arteries “pristine”.

So, like the authors of NT, on the subject of the health consequences of eating meat, and eggs, I think they are safe – it is the trans fats that are the danger. For persons with cancer or tumors, they may wish to limit dairy fats due to growth/pituitary issues. When it comes to glutamic acid and tyramine issues – preparation is key. I guess that is my summation.