Posted on 12/01/2014 1:41:18 PM PST by John David Powell
Seaweed. Red algae. The ocean’s harvest also known as carrageenan.
Some folks, however, would rather not see the seaweed come ashore.
We use carrageenan for coughs, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and intestinal problems. It’s also used as a thickening agent, for weight loss, and for pain reduction and inflammation.
It’s in toothpaste and mouthwash. And you’ll find it in dairy products, like milk and ice cream.
Heck, it’s even in the food you feed your furry friends, your pets.
So, what’s all the fuss?
On one side you have the food police saying carrageenan may cause severe stomach and intestinal problem.
On the other side are the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations who say carrageenan is safe for humans, even infant humans who drink it in their baby formula.
And the Food and Drug Administration says there’s no problem with carrageenan when used under certain conditions, and when properly labeled.
But a report from the non-profit Cornucopia Institute says folks who consume carrageenan regularly run the risk for constant inflammation linked to more than 100 diseases, including cancer.
And, in a letter to the F-D-A, Cornucopia pointed out that some of the studies used to support the F-D-A claim that Carregeena is safe “came from industry-associated or industry-funded research.”
The folks at White Wave Foods are removing carrageenan from its Horizon milks and Silk beverages because customer complained after drinking the supposedly healthy products containing carrageenan.
So, what do you do? That’s up to you, but if you have any doubts, you probably should check the label, just to be safe. And that’s also some food for thought.
Not not : )
Not not for everyone!!! Yay!!!
I demand gluten-free carrageenan!
Milk?
J. Russell Finch: Yeah but...
Mrs. Marcus: And not only does nobody like it, but it costs over $4.00 a can.
J. Russell Finch: Yeah but...
Mrs. Marcus: Yeah but WHAT?
J. Russell Finch: Well, most people like it and I like it, and I'm working hard trying to keep the cost down.
Mrs. Marcus: Yeah you were working hard trying to keep the cost down the day that you ran out of your office and stood in the street screaming.
I will be happily surprised if anyone, especially under 30, knows what that is from and the real name of who said it.
I had a SERIOUS crush on the blonde when she was in the TV show The Alaskans.
When I decided to try mixing some cream into my morning omelets, I had the hardest time finding cream that was only cream, without added carrageenan.
It may be perfectly safe. I don’t care. When I buy cream, I want cream, not cream with additives.
>> But a report from the non-profit Cornucopia Institute <<
That’s where I stopped reading.
Picked up a rotisserie chicken last week. When I checked the fairly extensive list of ingredients on the container, there was Carrageenan. Gross.
Not just “not not for everyone”, but “not not be for everyone”. Uh, wait...what? I’m going to guess that was supposed to read “may not be for everyone”.
Best comedy ever.
I am, at the moment, drinking a home brewed clone of Three Floyd’s Zombie Dust (yum!). During the brewing of said beer (and nearly all the beers I have homebrewed), I have added a half of a Whirlfloc tablet, which contains “A blend of Irish Moss and purified Kappa carrageenan.”
It “encourages the precipitation of haze causing materials such as proteins and Beta glucans” which helps produce a clearer beer.
This is also the ingredient that that ignorant moron, the “food babe” went on a misguided mission against.
I liked that skater, Nancy Carageenan.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
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