Caffeine + flavor enhancers = problems(?)

[Owledge]

Does anybody know anything related to those two things? I couldn't find anything on the WWW, but I did some experimentation now, and whenever I take a caffeine pill and then eat something that contains flavor enhancers, I more or less get a feeling in my head like the one you get if you over-oxygenate your brain, e.g. by hyperventilating.

This is not at all a symptom of China restaurant syndrome, and on its own I never had a problem with that stuff, only now in combination with more than tiny doses of caffeine I notice that symptom.

 

I'm wondering whether what's happening is simply an overstimulation of the brain as a combined effect from two stimulants.

 

Strangely, kinda adverse one would think, I got a little bit of temporary tinnitus now after one of said meals.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Owledge

[Flolfolil]

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Edited March 5, 2015 by Flolfolil

[Owledge]

find out the names of the specific chems and look up their actions individually, id say

I'm not a food chemist or something like that. The information I can access is either too vague, or so specific that I can't make deductions based on it.

[C T]

Link to an article which purports to straighten out some misconceptions regarding flavour enhancers, specifically MSG. (Btw, the Japanese have been using MSG in foods since 1908, and probably before that in China)

 

http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/08/25/msg/

Edited December 22, 2014 by C T

[Owledge]

Link to an article which purports to straighten out some misconceptions regarding flavour enhancers, specifically MSG. (Btw, the Japanese have been using MSG in foods since 1908, and probably before that in China)

 

http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/08/25/msg/

Not sure whethere there are any misconceptions. The information that's in the public sphere seems quite accurate.

Half a sentence of Wikipedia sums it up nicely:

"glutamate is an important neurotransmitter that plays the principal role in neural activation."

 

You put it in food and it automatically tastes better, regardless of the food's nutrient content. It stimulates your brain in a way that makes you crave more. Thus, the possibility of overstimulation is an important question. And scepticism about the discussion is also very advised since it's a very 'economically charged' topic, involving ruthless corporate politics and such. It's a whole chain of unhealthy symptoms following from that. Even if nobody wanted MSG in their food, corporations like Nestlé wouldn't give a damn about that. They'll continue finding new names to hide it in the ingredients list. They don't even try to sincerely educate the public about their standpoint, likely because they have good self-knowledge, hah.

 

And after all, there is empirical evidence. I'm taking cafeine pills often, but not always. When I take one and eat something that contains a significant amount of 'flavor enhancers' (I tried two very different foods), I get a dizzy feeling in my head. Never happened with caffeine pills and any other food or not food or any kind of condition.