Carrageenan is a common food additive that is extracted from a red seaweed, Chondrus crispus. It is a polysaccharide derived from red seaweed and it has molecular qualities similar to plastic. Carrageenan, which has no nutritional value, is used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk and other processed foods.  It is also used in toothpaste, beer, and gummy/jelly based products.

What are the Risks of Carrageenan?

All forms of carrageenan are capable of causing inflammation, specifically gastrointestinal inflammation… chronic inflammation is a root cause of many serious diseases including heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and cancer.

Carrageenan is used in animal experiments to predictably cause inflammation, which allows pharmaceutical scientists to test the effectiveness of new anti-inflammatory drugs. In a report Cornucopia released, there is indication that scientists have raised concern about carrageenan’s safety for decades.  These concerns are based on their research linking the common food additive to gastrointestinal disease in laboratory animals, including colon tumors.

One physician-scientist, Joanne Tobacman, has published 18 peer-reviewed papers on the biological effects of carrageenan. Her conclusions are that carrageenan causes inflammation and that it can do so at the levels consumed in the human diet.

Inflammation is not complicated — it is simply your body’s natural defense to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process, a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.  (Source)

How to Avoid Carrageenan

Read labels. It is important to remember that  just because a product is organic, does not mean it is good for you. When you read the labels of organic milk boxes, for example, you will find many of them contain carrageenan. One product I was surprised to find carrageenan in, was the Zico brand of chocolate coconut water. You are better off drinking non-flavored coconut water, the only ingredient is 100% natural coconut water. One great way to protect yourself and your family is by looking at Cornucopia’s Carrageenan Shopping Guide.

The Cornucopia Institute, one of the organic industry’s most important watchdogs, has put together a petition demanding that the FDA remove carrageenan from the food supply. Click HERE to sign the petition, and please share this with your friends. For more information, Cornucopia’s comprehensive report on carrageenan is a good source. Please read your labels. “Even the American Cancer Society admits that more than two thirds of cancers can be prevented with lifestyle modification, and this includes diet.” ~Natural Society

“By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet.” – Dr. Dwight Lundell

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

~ “When you know better, you do better.” – Maya Angelou

I went to have lunch with my kids at school last week and noticed a bunch of kids with the organic milk boxes. These used to be my favorite and I would give them to my kids every single day. I came to realize that these milk boxes contain carrageenan, which you want to avoid.

Carrageenan is a common food additive that is extracted from a red seaweed, Chondrus crispus. Carrageenan, which has no nutritional value, is used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk and other processed foods.  All forms of carrageenan are capable of causing inflammation… chronic inflammation is a root cause of many serious diseases including heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and cancer.

Carrageenan is used in animal experiments to predictably cause inflammation, which allows pharmaceutical scientists to test the effectiveness of new anti-inflammatory drugs. In a report Cornucopia released, there is indication that scientists have raised concern about carrageenan’s safety for decades.  These concerns are based on their research linking the common food additive to gastrointestinal disease in laboratory animals, including colon tumors.

I recently discovered that the Zico brand of chocolate coconut water contains carrageenan. You are better off drinking non-flavored coconut water, the only ingredient is 100% natural coconut water. One great way to protect yourself and your family is by looking at Cornucopia’s Carrageenan Shopping Guide. For more information you can read Cornucopia’s comprehensive report on carrageenan.

Alas, we needed to find an alternative to what had become a staple in our school lunches. We purchased each of our kids a funtainer which keeps drinks cold up to 12 hours. They are made with an unbreakable stainless-steel interior and exterior and BPA-free materials. If you have an older child, or want one for yourself, the Klean Kanteen Insulated Bottle is another good choice. They keep contents hot for up to six hours and cold for up to 24 hours. These bottles are made from stainless steel with no BPA, phthalates, lead, or other harmful substances. To read more about these bottles and the importance of drinking water, read here.

So what about Silk Soy Chocolate milk? Unfortunately, Silk brand of soy milk contains carrageenan if you purchase it in the 1/2 gallon size and contains 17 grams of sugar per 1 cup. Silk single-serve and Soy Dream Chocolate are ones that do not contain carrageenan. There may be other brands of soy milk out there that do not contain carrageenan, however it is important to make sure your soy milk is GMO free… 91% of soy crops are genetically modified. I am not an expert on soy, but The Whole Soy Story is a great book to learn more about it. The book explains how soy is not a health food, does not prevent disease and has not even been proven safe. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, even heart disease and cancer.

Regarding fruit juices, here is some advice from William Davis, M.D., author of Wheat Belly:

“Even if they are “natural,” fruit juices are not that good for you.  While they contain healthy components such as flavanoids and vitamin C, the sugar load is simply too great for the benefit. Small servings of two to four ounces are generally fine, but more will trigger blood sugar consequences. Soft drinks, especially carbonated, are incredibly unhealthy mostly due to added sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, colorings, and the extreme acid challenge from the carbonic acid carbonation.”

I know this doesn’t sound like ingenious advice, but water is really the best option for all of us. To make it exciting for your kids (or yourself) try squeezing some fresh lemon, lime or orange juice into the water. Alternatively, you can peel and freeze orange, lemon, lime, pineapple or grapefruit slices and add them to the water instead of ice cubes. I keep a bowl of frozen fruit in my freezer for this purpose.

If you have a juicer, you can make frozen juice sticks and pop them in the water bottle. I would recommend purchasing a flexible water bottle stick ice cube tray. The one I purchased in the picture below does not release the sticks easily. The flavors pictured are lemon, orange and cucumber. My kids love the lemon and orange and I love the cucumber. These little sticks provide three purposes: they keep the water cold, add some flavor and add a boost of real, natural vitamins!

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”