Watch out for carrageenan

Apparently ALL preservatives and additives are suppose to be avoided by IBDers, that's why it's said that fast-foods and processed foods/beverages (both of which have additives and preservatives) can exacerbate IBD symptoms...and as far as artificial sweeteners go, all sugar alcohols (anything ending in "tol", sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, malitotol, ect) should all be avoided as well, it's known that as little as 1/2 stick of Extra gum can cause gas, D and bloating.

:)

I've also noticed issues with food that contained carrageenan.  Many soy products, ice cream, and so many other things have it in.  It is also mentioned in the book Digestive Wellness, by Elizabeth Lipski, as a way to produce an inflammatory response in animals that have something similar to UC, so it may be wise to avoid it (I believe it is also found in brown and red seaweed).  Sounds like good advice.  Thanks for posting.  Many are likely not aware of this.

Page 271 in fact, is where this is found: http://books.google.com/books?id=ae68YXyAmpYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=digestive+wellness&ei=u6rRR-OQDaeGtgO2iPikBQ&sig=zsZyCTY9WddVuhIkKEZ57--xPKw#PPA271,M1

Sara, that is an interesting point. But I wonder if that study was conducted on "normal" people and UCers would have a problem with it--you think? I remember eating some soy and rice cheese for an alternative and it not only had a funny almost hot aftertaste, but it seemed to either upset my stomach or create greater urgency. Whatever the case, it made sense at the time to just avoid that stuff, especially after I noticed similar affects in many other foods I buy. The correlation seemed to be the case after these considerations when viewed in light of what someone mentioned on this forum a while back and then reading it in Digestive Wellness (of course, she was only citing it as a precautionary). But who knows, may it is just the poligeenan that makes the difference and what has been used in the animal studies.

I was using liquid coffee creamer (with carrageenan) and it was causing me problems, but when I told my doctor, he looked at me like I had three heads!  I've switched to powdered creamer and maybe it's all in my head, but I am feeling much better (with help of meds).

 

Probably won't find a list of foods containing it, but it's listed in the ingredients list on the container or label.

After reading this post, I had a look at what's in my fridge to see if anything contains carrageenan.

One item that came up with it as an ingredient was 'Ensure'.  I normally water down a couple of them and drink them over the course of the day when things aren't looking too good.  Obviously, I'm now having second thoughts about drinking Ensure.