Carrageenan and IBD

Thanks for sharing this!

I ALWAYS react badly to something with Carrageenan in it.

Thanks, Old Mike, great reminder!

For those of us who drink almond milk, the Silk brand does not list carrageenan as an ingredient, so this is the one that I use.

Best to all,
RT

Old Mike, I do confess I've not read any of the links.  Most of us have been told we should drink almond milk instead of cow milk, and i've been imbibing said nutty nectar for about a year now.   After reading your post I decided to take a boo at the carton, and of course it contains the dreaded poisonous carrageenan.   I'm now wondering why they think that the public would be averse to their almond milk being a tad 'thinner'.  Who the hell likes thick milk anyways?   You would like to believe that the food industry already know about the carcinomic risks with carrageenan. Why then you have to ask, do they insist on using the darn stuff as a thickening agent----are there absolutely no safer alternatives?

Or is this yet another case where the evidence is so scant that it would take about three metric tonnes of carrageenan to give the average lab-rat a headache?

I will eventually get round to reading the articles, but in the meantime, should I stop drinking my delicious almond milk?

I put it on my cereal and drink about six ounces at lunchtime for a total of approx 12 oz per day.

I've read the articles and tbh, I'm not convinced one way or the other.

If the industry insist that they only use the undegraded carrageenan, and there isn't an epidemic of carrageenan-caused IBD, I think we should trust them. (and I'm not one who usually trusts big business) After all, it's been a processed food additive for the past 80 years.    If there was a creditable connection with IBD with hard evidence, I think we'd know it by now.

But, as I am a chicken by nature, I will probably cut down or even discontinue my almond delight.   Starting with my lunchtime glass.

Mackster said...
If the industry insist that they only use the undegraded carrageenan, and there isn't an epidemic of carrageenan-caused IBD, I think we should trust them...

Or is this yet another case where the evidence is so scant that it would take about three metric tonnes of carrageenan to give the average lab-rat a headache?

I don't think so. According to the article the experimenters were using undegraded carrageenan, and they were feeding mice a daily intake of carrageenan that was less than the daily intake of what most humans consume:

In experiments with human colonic cells in my laboratory, we have used small amounts of high molecular weight (undegraded or food grade) carrageenan and have determined the specific molecular mechanisms by which carrageenan causes
inflammation...

Hence, the intake for the mice in these experiments IS LESS than the anticipated daily intake for an adult in the United States... Please recall that 18 days of carrageenan intake in the mice produced profound glucose intolerance and impaired response to insulin, rather than intake over an entire lifetime during which humans are likely to ingest carrageenan.

Post Edited (BabeintheWoods) : 8/1/2012 2:38:40 PM (GMT-6)

Good reminder. Years back when I used to make SCD yogurt using half and half, I was careful to avoid carageenan, but one day, a common brand of h&h that I was using switched to adding carageenan without warning (i e without changing the packaging other than the fine print, which I discovered after the fact) and it sent me into a massive flare.

For those looking for heavy cream without carageenan- go to Wholefoods or Trader Joe's- they carry them. Unfortunately I do better off all dairy, but my wife usesthe grassfed heavy cream from wholefoods and says it tastes the best of all.

Mein gott. It's not so much that I think the food in the UK is wonderful, but not even our lower class (sniffs snootily) supermarkets add carrageenan to double (heavy) cream. Also, I bought an organic almond milk from Waitrose (posh supermarket alert!) without any carrageenan in it, but it was expensive - haven't tried it yet.

It's something I half was trying to avoid anyway; guess I will go from half to three quarters now.

I watch my Carrageenan intake. I found Almond milk without it and occasionally have an Orgain protein drink that has it but it doesn't seem to bother me. According to the studies it takes ALOT to induce IBD. I know it's different for everyone...

I am looking for a toothpaste without carrageenan.

I want the natural toothpastes- those without menthol, fluoride ets.

Spitefully, these natural toothpastes  have more carrageenan than the  regular toothpastes.

Can you tell me of a brand of toothpastes without:menthol, fluoride and carrageenan   ?

Thanks

(forgive my english. I'm not an english speaker)

 

Squigle toothpaste they sell it on amazon,or directly from the company.

or in the UK from mouth ulcers shop

http://www.squigle.com/tbingredients.html

Old Mike

thanks for both of you for your reply.
Mackster- I brush my teeth an half an hour, so some of it being
absorbed, so I prefer without carrageenan.

Old Mike- I tried Squigle, but it didn't create foam at all and I find it hard to move the brush back and forth .

Do you know of more brands without:menthol, fluoride, carrageenan ?

noga, a half hour brushing teeth?  That seems like it's 26 minutes too long.    Considering twice a day means one hour a day with a toothbrush in your mouth.  

Over the average (toothbrushing lifetime) that would amount to over three years spent brushing your teeth