Carrageenan.....Whats That?
If you are a copious label reader 
you probably are too busy skimming the black and white print for fat content and vitamin profiles to notice the product might contain a common food ingredient that could be linked to colon cancer! That ingredient is carrageenan. What is carrageenan? Simply put, it’s a food additive that helps to thicken and stabilize liquids and semisolids. Chances are if you currently eat processed foods, you are most likely ingesting carrageenan. This ubiquitous additive is found in foods such as. ice cream, half & half, cream, cottage cheese, chocolate milk, some hemp milks, rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, cheesecake, processed meats, hot dogs, frozen desserts, apple cider, jellies, prepared sauces, pies, puddings and baby formula. So what exactly is carrageenan and why is it dangerous?
Carrageenan is derived from red seaweed, and is used as an ingredient in foods such as dairy, dairy alternatives (such as soybased beverages and desserts) and deli meats as a thickening agent, stabilizer and/or emulsifier. Carrageenan can be classified as low molecular weight, “degraded” carrageenan, or high molecular weight, or “undegraded” carrageenan. Degraded, low molecular weight 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. Degraded carrageenan also causes inflammation in the colon in rodents, which resembles ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. This inflammatory property of degraded carrageenan is not in dispute, especially since the medical research community has used degraded carrageenan for decades to induce acute infl
ammation in experimental trials conducted with lab animals, to test anti inflammatory drugs. Carrageenan processors tend to portray the difference between degraded and undegraded carrageenan as a simple, black and white distinction. They claim that food grade carrageenan sold to food processors falls entirely in the undegraded category. This however has been found to be untrue since studies show both forms pose risk to its consumers. Studies have shown that food grade carrageenan is also linked to colon inflammation and colon cancer in animals. Studies have reported that high molecular weight carrageenan can degrade in the gastrointestinal tract to low molecular weight carrageenan.
So if safer alternatives are available, why is there still a consistent usage of the carcinogenic additive? On supermarket shelves, equivalent organic products appear side by side with some containing carrageenan and others without carrageenan. Food processors can use organic gums, including organic guar gum and organic locust bean gum as alternatives to carrageenan. The question is, why aren’t they?
Tired of scanning the ingredients of your favorite milk alternative at your local health food store only to be disappointed? Why not make your own milk at home? It’s easy and cost effective and many substitutes can be used in case almonds don’t tickle your fancy. You can try cashews, pistachios, and yes...even oats!
Raw Almond Milk Recipe
Ingredients:
● 1 cup raw almonds
● water for soaking nuts
● 3 cups water
● 2 dates (optional)
● 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
Preparation:
1. Soak the almonds in water overnight or for at least 6 hours.
2. Drain the water from the almonds and discard.
3. Blend the 3 cups of water, almonds and dates until well blended and almost smooth.
4. Strain the blended almond mixture using a cheesecloth or other strainer.
*Homemade raw almond milk will keep well in the refrigerator for three or four days.
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