SUNDAY AUG. 24, 2008 (foodconsumer.orgZ) -- A 17-year-old high school student spent six weeks in the summer in a University of Calgary laboratory, proving that monosodium glutamate (MSG) slows growth of neurons and inhibits communication between the cells.

MSG is widely used in processed food.   It can be added or naturally occurring in savory food of both animal and plant origin.

Early studies have linked exposure of rat's fetuses to this chemical with increased obesity and learning disabilities after birth as well as neurogenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, according to Calgary Herald.

The current study led by Michelle Ah-Seng under the supervision of Naweed Syed, a neuroscientist with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary's faculty of medicine showed MSG at levels found in the human blood inhibited growth of brain cells culled from snails and limited communication between them.

"It's very important, especially for pregnant women or people getting into their elder ages, to be aware of how much MSG (you're) consuming," Ah-Seng was quoted by Calgary Herald as saying.