Ambling - I've read both of your and coffeemate's posts on this and I am sorry but I think your logic is the one that is flawed. You keep insisting with 100% certainty that carrageenan does not cause ulcerative colitis. Perhaps you are right, but what makes you so absolutely certain to state this as a fact? I think it is possible that carrageenan, when consumed in large quantities over a long period, could in fact induce ulcerative colitis. Lack of evidence of causation, fair enough, but it is also not enough to rule something out. For me personally, I could be in a perfect remission with no bleeding and eat a food with carrageenan in it and without fail obtain rectal bleeding. Now, this could very well be a simple aggravation of the colitis but I cannot say for sure. Also, different people have different genetics and it is very plausible that all of us with UC have vulnerable genetics when it comes to colitis and something like carageenan could indeed be a catalyst, or a critical mass as they in science, to initiate an ulcerative colitis type response. One thing is 100% certain: food additives like carrageenan, xanthan gum and others additives/emulsifiers/artificial coloring are NOT healthy foods and do not increase one's gut health.
ambling said...
Your misunderstanding of both chemistry and science, makes it difficult to help you understand how deeply flawed both your sources, and your leaps in logic really are.
A naturopathic book from 1969 is NOT a rigorous source!
A few things that may jog even a thoroughly stubborn and unscientific mind:
-Colitis is not ulcerative colitis
- carageenan is not polygeenan, nor is it d-carageenan (degraded carageenan)
- studies that suggest 'harmful effects' do NOT suggest causative pathways
- wild assumptions based on emotive reasoning do not make sound arguments
By all means avoid things that you feel bother you (aggravate symptoms) but leaping to wild conclusions helps no one.