Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a food additive extracted from red seaweed and processed with alkaline substances. It is used in a variety of foods, including dairy products, processed meats, and some beverages, as a thickener and stabilizer.
Here are some benefits of carrageenan:
- Carrageenan contains chemicals that may decrease stomach and intestinal secretions. Large amounts of carrageenan seem to pull water into the intestine, and this may explain why it is tried as a laxative. Carrageenan also might decrease pain and swelling (inflammation).
- Carrageenan might help fight infections.
However, there are also potential side effects of consuming carrageenan. Some scientists believe that carrageenan can cause inflammation, digestive problems such as bloating and irritable bowel disease (IBD), and even colon cancer.
Here are some potential side effects:
- Carrageenan is commonly consumed in foods. A broken-down form called poligeenan is possibly unsafe. It might damage the colon and cause bleeding and cancer. But this risk hasn’t been shown in humans.
- Carrageenan might increase the risk of relapse in people with ulcerative colitis who are in remission and are on a carrageenan-free diet.
- Reports of bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, and other digestive issues are mostly self-reported. People also report relief when they drop carrageenan from their diet.
There are reports of people experiencing relief from digestive problems such as bloating and IBD after eliminating carrageenan from their diet. However, these reports are not the result of scientific research. One study found that carrageenan consumption of up to 5% in the diet has no toxic effects, but it may cause soft stool and possibly diarrhea. Another study found that food-grade carrageenan has no bad effect on human health. However, there is still controversy surrounding the health effects of carrageenan, and some evidence suggests that it triggers inflammation, gastrointestinal ulcerations, and damages the digestive system.
Sources:
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323117
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-710/carrageenan
- https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/carrageenan
- https://www.rxlist.com/carrageenan/supplements.htm
- https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_wrong_with_carrageenan/article.htm
- https://draxe.com/nutrition/what-is-carrageenan/
