Not too long after starting the low-glutamate diet, REID, I buried myself in research at the hospital library to further research the role of glutamate produced by the body (intrinsic glutamate) and why one might be more sensitive to dietary free glutamate. This is where I came across the brilliant studies and presentations by the neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock. Dr. Russell Blaylock directed quite a bit of his research toward the role of immune activation triggering excess glutamate in a process called immunoexcitotoxicity. So what is immunoexcitotoxicity and what is the connection between these underlying or active [...]

Bound Glutamate vs. Free Glutamate Proteins contain the amino acid glutamate. When glutamate is "bound" to the protein or in the whole form, it is rarely problematic, even for those highly sensitive to glutamate. However, glutamate often becomes problematic when the proteins are degraded and glutamate is "freed" from the protein chain. MSG is the most common form of free glutamate in our food, and the terms free glutamate and MSG are frequently used interchangeably. Historically, MSG and its various names have been added to our food to provide a competitive edge over other manufacturers by making [...]