Eating too much of the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate
(MSG) may cause blindness, according to a new report issued by researchers in Japan.
MSG binds to receptors on retinal cells, destroying them and causing secondary reactions that reduce the ability of the remaining cells to relay electrical signals. Ohguro acknowledges that large amounts of MSG were used, 20 per cent of the total diet in the highest group. "Lesser amounts should be OK," he says. "But the precise borderline amount is still unknown." (…)
The findings might explain why, in eastern Asia, there is a high rate of normal-tension glaucoma, a form of the eye disease that leads to blindness without the usual increase in pressure inside the eyeball.
