Glutamate

I've been doing some research on glutamate.  It looks like in a healthy brain it doesn't cross the blood brain barrier so brain levels of glutamate are unaffected by dietary levels of glutamate.  If the barrier is compromised, then all bets are off and no one knows for sure what gets across.  And, no I haven't figured out if the BBB is compromised in CFSers/PWME.  MSG does affect your body in other nasty ways and I actively avoid it but it isn't a direct contributor to brain levels of glutamate, as far as I can ascertain.  But I'm still reading (when my brain works)...

BTW, glutamate, glutamine, glutamic acid are all different chemicals and are not interchangeable.

Further readings:

Blood-brain barrier and glutamate by Richard Hawkins

Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 September; 90(3): 867S–874S.

Published online 2009 July 1. doi:  10.3945/ajcn.2009.27462BB

Blood Brain Barrier Radswiki and Dr Yuranga Weerakkody et al.