Decreased Levels of dopamine have been recently linked
to ADHD:
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2007/08/06/hscout607086.html
The link between MSG and ADHD now becomes even clearer
- since glutamate in animal studies decreased dopamine.
In the December 2003 issue the Journal of
Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, it was
reported that researchers found increased
levels of glutamate in the brains of children who suffered
from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In those same
children, levels of Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA),
were decreased.
It is interesting to note that the body converts
glutamate into GABA using an enzyme called Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD).
This imbalance of the two neurotransmitters would suggest that the body is not
converting glutamate properly.
GAD is mentioned elsewhere on this site. Children
suffering from Type I diabetes often have an immune system which attacks GAD.
It would seem that Type I diabetics may also be at higher risk from
ADHD then, due to the body's difficulty converting
Glutamate to GABA.
Here is what the Center for Science in the Public Interest has to say about ADD:
http://cspinet.org/diet.html
(Note that MSG is on the list of foods to avoid)
In addition there is new research that points
specifically to MSG as the cause of both ADHD and autism - both unheard of
before 1950.