January
22, 2013
By:
Stephanie McCoy, Owner of A Whole Green Life
•What
it is.
•Why
you don’t want to consume it.•What other products you can buy.
This
is what I was asking myself as I read the label on the coconut milk that I
really have enjoyed having on my cereal, in my smoothies and baking with. I was
buying the organic, non-GMO, vegan coconut milk and yet it still contained
something that I wasn’t sure about. The side of me that has a passion for this
nutrition arena and overall good health decided that I had to do some research
and learn more about this Carrageenan.
Here
are the interesting things that I have learned while doing this research:
Carrageenan
is a thickening agent and is the plant based equivalent to casein found in milk
products. It is used in dairy and non-dairy products as a thickening agent,
emulsifier and/or stabilizer.
Carrageenan
is derived from red seaweed by using alkali solvents. The solvents that are
used would remove skin and tissues from your face and hands as any acid would.
The
Cornucopia Institute’s study results yield that Carrageenan is recognized as a
carcinogen in lab animals and is therefore classified as a “possible human
carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is also
known to cause inflammatory bowel disease in rats. People with Irritable Bowel
Syndrome (IBS) or other gastrointestinal disorders are cautioned to avoid using
Carrageenan. If you want to get the scientific side of it, you can read the
study at www.cornucopia.org/carrageenan.
Carrageenan
is “natural” but just about everything is “natural”, inlcuding plutonium,
mercury, arsenic, etc., so don’t be fooled by that label.
Carrageenan
is a gel like substance and resembles petroleum jelly and coats the inside of
the stomach, leading to tummy upsets. Because this is an ingredient found in
soymilks, people often confuse their upset and blame the soy. Although soy,
unless organic, should not be ingested anyway.
My
last visit to the market had me reading the refrigerator and shelf versions and
I chose WestSoy Unsweetened Almond Soymilk (organic of course) and Pacific’s
Organic Oat milk and Trader Joe’s, Unsweetened Organic Rice Drink. I also found
others that were safe, but only in the shelf varieties. My next trip to Whole
Foods will certainly include some additional product label reading!
Here
is a link to a shopping guide that will help you to avoid this Carrageenan
ingredient www.cornucopia.org/shopping-guide-to-avoiding-organic-foods-with-carrageenan.
Thank
you for reading!
Remember,
if you can’t pronounce it, your body won’t know what to do with it!
If you
like what you see here, please like our Facebook page for continuous information
on living A Whole Green Life!
If you
have any questions, please contact info@awholegreenlife.com!
No comments:
Post a Comment