Carragee.......what????

Over the course of the last year, I have become a consistent label reader.  Early on,  a trip to the store could take me several hours just because I was reading, and reading, and reading!!!  I started seeing the ingredient Carrageenan listed in a lot of things.  Upon initial research, I learned that Carrageenan is derived from red seaweed.  I thought it benign enough, because seaweed is supposed to be healthy for us, right???  Well, thankfully, smarter, more informed people set me on a course of further investigation.  Bottom line, just say no.  Let me explain.

Carrageenan is a polysaccharide (a complex carbohydrate, as starch, inulin, or cellulose, formed by the combination of nine or more monosaccharides and capable of hydrolyzing to these simpler sugars - that was for the benefit of my "need to know all the scientific information" friends) indeed from red seaweed.  On a molecular level it is similar to plastic, able to bend easily.  This makes it a useful additive.  Since it is inexpensive and easy to produce, it is used as a thickening agent in a lot of things, such as, but not limited to:

*  almond, soy, rice, coconut milks
*  whipping cream
*  toothpaste
*  pet food
*  beer
*  shaving cream
*  shoe polish
*  gummy products
*  chocolate milk
*  cottage cheese
*  ice cream
*  milk boxes
*  sour cream
*  cheese
*  dips
*  baby formula
*  lunch meat

Sadly, there are many more products that contain carrageenan, even organic products.

Many doctors, scientists, researchers, and health enthusiasts are seriously concerned about the risks of carrageenan being linked to cancer and inflammation.  Even Wikipedia stated, "Starting in the late 1960's, research has linked food grade carrageenan to gastrointestinal disease in laboratory animals, including ulcerative colitis-like disease, intestinal lesions, ulcerations, and colon cancer."    It goes on to state, "A 2012 study showed that mice given food grade carrageenan in the diet exhibited impaired glucose tolerance and increased insulin resistance."

Do you want to hear something crazy???  When scientists want to create an inflammatory response in laboratory rats (to induce tumors, etc.) , what do they use????  Carrageenan.  Seriously.  They have been doing it in labs for more than 40 years.  Ingesting carrageenan has been found to cause inflammation by depressing the activity of macrophages (a type of white blood cell that are part of your body's defense mechanism and also part of the immune response, basically immune cells that act like garbage collectors against harmful bacteria.)

To summarize, The Environmental Working Group (Skin Deep database) indicates that animal studies have shown kidney, respiratory, gastrointestinal, brain and nervous system, and blood effects with very low doses of carrageenan.  Researcher Dr.  Joanne Tobacman, University of Iowa, states, "There seems to be enough evidence associating carrageenan with significant gastrointestinal lesions, including malignancies, to avoid ingesting it." 

Well, I am sure you agree, with scientific evidence to prove, at the very least, reason to be wary - it is just not worth it.  We are on a path to create optimum health for ourselves and for our families.  Carrageenan is not part of the plan!

Here is a link I hope will be helpful.  http://www.cornucopia.org/shopping-guide-to-avoiding-organic-foods-with-carrageenan/

Additionally, my health food store Natural Grocers and my HEB have both been extremely gracious to speak to me regarding adding products to their inventory that do not contain carrageenan, insuring that informed shoppers will continue to shop in their stores.  I encourage you to have those dialogues as well.

I warn you, as you begin reading labels, the stuff is everywhere!!  But I am here to tell you that you can eat healthy, organic, delicious carrageenan-free food!!  We just have to beCOREageous enough to make it happen!!

Here are the people who inspire, motivate, and drive me to learn something new every day!  I'll be back soon.  Until then, Be Healthy!