A randomized trial of the effects of the no-carrageenan diet on ulcerative colitis disease activity.

Well,well,well. Really small study, but adds additional info,they finally did something
in humans with UC. Surprised they were able to pull off this kind of trial.
Old Mike

/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28447072

A randomized trial of the effects of the no-carrageenan diet on ulcerative colitis disease activity.

Bhattacharyya S1,2, Shumard T3, Xie H4, Dodda A1, Varady KA5, Feferman L1,2, Halline AG1, Goldstein JL1, Hanauer SB3, Tobacman JK1,2.
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Carrageenan is a very common food additive in Western diets, but predictably causes inflammation in thousands of cell-based and animal experiments. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of carrageenan exposure on the interval to relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis in remission. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, clinical trial was conducted to assess if patients with ulcerative colitis in remission would have a longer interval to relapse if they followed a diet with no carrageenan. All participants were instructed in the no-carrageenan diet and were randomized to either placebo capsules or carrageenan-containing capsules. The carrageenan in the capsules was less than the average daily carrageenan intake from the diet. Relapse was defined as an increase of two or more points on the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI) and intensification of treatment for ulcerative colitis. Participants were followed by telephone calls every two weeks until relapse or one year of participation. The occurrence of relapse and inflammatory biomarkers were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Twelve patients completed study questionnaires. Three patients who received carrageenan-containing capsules relapsed, and none of the patients who received placebo-containing capsules relapsed (p = 0.046, log-rank test). Laboratory tests showed increases in Interleukin-6 (p = 0.02, paired t-test, two-tailed) and fecal calprotectin (p = 0.06; paired t-test, two-tailed) between the beginning and the end of study participation in the carrageenan-exposed group, but not in the placebo-group. CONCLUSION: Carrageenan intake contributed to earlier relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis in remission. Restriction of dietary carrageenan may benefit patients with ulcerative colitis.

I always read ingredients, especially dairy, to make sure carageenan's not in there but wonder if it's hidden as a "natural" ingredient in some processed food. And try to eat whole foods that I know what's in them.

This is why I cringe when people are so adamant that there is no correlation between the food that they eat and their UC symptoms. Unless you really do a disciplined elimination diet with only non processed food, it is really hard to tell what is or isn't effecting your UC.

I can hope, but this is probably not enough evidence to have carrageenan removed
from the food supply. Additional human testing is probably not ethical. That is why
I was suprised that they were able to do this trial.
Old Mike

Got to say a big thank you to those participants in remission who risked this!

Recently I was prescribed some high dose vitamin D tablets, the list of non active-ingredients sounded like a cocktail for colitis, included in there was carageenan, awful to think our hospital is prescribing these routinely to IBD patients (I did not take them).

thanks for posting this. When I was first diagnosed last year I was reading about how bad the stuff was in lab animals and was one of the first ingredients in food I looked for and cut out of my diet. Unfortunately I have not been able to stay in remission this whole time but I definitely tell my friends to try and avoid the stuff too. I dont think its good for anyone obviously... I am also skeptical about the other emulsifiers (Guar Gum, Acacia Gum, etc)