Carageenan / Bromine triggers

I have seen many threads about histamine being a problem but don't recall anything about bromine. But there are dozens of threads over the years complaining about carrageenan. It has been in my signature for years.

Below is a little research showing that carrageenan can actually induce IBD in animals, followed by a few samples of threads complaining about carrageenan.

Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno, page 593:
"Researchers investigating ulcerative colitis often use carrageenan (a compound extracted from red seaweeds) to experimentally induce the disease in animals. In the initial experiments reported by Marcus and Watt in 1969, one-percent and five-percent carrageenan solutions were provided as the exclusive source of oral fluids for guinea pigs. Over a period of several days, the animals lost weight, developed anemia, had bloody diarrhea, and developed ulcerative colitis. These results have since been confirmed by numerous investigators and in studies involving diverse animal species, including primates."


https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3864420

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3523591

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Male, born 1951, DX IBD Feb08. No meds, allergic to Mesalamine.
Food diary instead of SCD or Paleo.
When needed probiotics taken with powdered psyllium seed is very helpful.

Probiotics, Lactobacillus Reuteri (NCIMB 30242), Fish oil, curcumin, black cumin, lobelia, vit D3, magnesium, multivitamin, glutamine when gut repair needed.

Resistant Starch and lots of fruit & vegetables (but no cruciferous), No Gluten, no soda, no HFCS, no shellfish. No processed foods with carrageenan, maltodextrin, sorbitol, carboxymethylcellulose, or polysorbate80. No GMO foods saturated with Roundup.
Nature created all of the locks, therefore Nature has all of the keys

Post Edited (IamCurious) : 11/8/2019 7:36:12 PM (GMT-7)

Carageenan a.k.a red algae is used to induce colitis in experimental mice and rats. It's toxic and I can't believe we still add it to food. It's a thickener found in a lot of dairy based products like ice cream. Guar gum and arabic gum are other ones that aren't that great for us either, but carageenan is the worst offender. I have to avoid it at all costs, even when I'm in remission. It gives me instant diarrhea. If I accidentally ingest it while I'm flaring, the cramping and bleeding ramp right up.

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Proctosigmoiditis dx 2015 with 1 major life threatening flare per year since
Waxes and wanes on yearly cycle -- remission vs. deadly flare
Sept 2019 remission ended with major flare, dx upgraded to pancolitis
Failed all meds except prednisone; prev tried Entyvio, Remicade, Humira
Allergic azathioprine, 5-ASAs, rectal meds

Previous post said...
Below is a little research showing that carrageenan can actually induce IBD in animals

Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno, page 593:
"Researchers investigating ulcerative colitis often use carrageenan (a compound extracted from red seaweeds) to experimentally induce the disease in animals. In the initial experiments reported by Marcus and Watt in 1969, one-percent and five-percent carrageenan solutions were provided as the exclusive source of oral fluids for guinea pigs. Over a period of several days, the animals lost weight, developed anemia, had bloody diarrhea, and developed ulcerative colitis.

These results have since been confirmed by numerous investigators and in studies involving diverse animal species, including primates."

We should save and archive this post whenever someone arbitrarily says that food has nothing to do with Ulcerative Colitis.

Not just inducing symptoms. I believe the researchers said ”and developed ulcerative colitis”.

What is the difference? I agree with iPoop. I can eat carageenan and nothing happens. It sounds like some of us have completely opposite diseases if you can drink some soymilk and all of a sudden you're in a flare.

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35 years old; diagnosed UC March 2007 (couldn't get scope all the way thru).
9-29-16: chronic and active proctosigmoiditis (infectious cause). Battled reoccuring campylobacter & c diff. Oct-Dec 2016. Remission since 12/25/16 until I started smoking again in 2018 after 9 yrs quit. Re-quit smoking. Maintenance: Delzicol, 6, 2xday; Rowasa nightly. Started Remicade 7/25/19. 50 mg pred 10/29/19.

Yeah, that makes sense.

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35 years old; diagnosed UC March 2007 (couldn't get scope all the way thru).
9-29-16: chronic and active proctosigmoiditis (infectious cause). Battled reoccuring campylobacter & c diff. Oct-Dec 2016. Remission since 12/25/16 until I started smoking again in 2018 after 9 yrs quit. Re-quit smoking. Maintenance: Delzicol, 6, 2xday; Rowasa nightly. Started Remicade 7/25/19. 50 mg pred 10/29/19.

Not everyone who smokes gets cancer, and not everyone who eats carrageenan will get a U C flare. But there are enough of us who do.

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Generic Balsalazide, 3g/2x day, Rowasa (sometimes)
Smoking cigarettes again is helping too

Right. Smoking is PROVEN to cause cancer, and the study posted above PROVES that carrageenan can cause UC.

(The researchers specifically said ULCERATIVE COLITIS, not any other strain of colitis.)

(Encyclopaedia of natural medicine from 1969 ... good one lol)


That's quite thorough Sara!

Post Edited (ambling) : 11/11/2019 11:57:18 PM (GMT-7)

Lol

Sara14 said...
I took a look at the literature. I found this critical review of the one (very small) study I found about a no-carageenan diet for UC. You may find it interesting.

https://content.iospress.com/articles/nutrition-and-healthy-aging/nha180051

This review was financed by the seaweed industry. :oD

Although degraded carageenan may not be approved as a food additive it could still be in our food due to dishonest business practices because it's cheaper. All I know is if it was the organic form it wouldn't send me to the bathroom.

ambling said...
There really is a lot of “chemophobia” going on....
Food additives may be undesirable, but not for any of the reasons being postulated here.

Bromine in food is not “corrosive”, nor do “antibodies form against it.”

Bromine gas is corrosive. Chlorine is corrosive. But that doesn't mean NaCl, table salt, is corrosive.
Chemistry is a complicated subject, and misinformation can lead to hysteria.

Avoid additives if you believe they bother you, but perhaps also avoid drawing poorly reasoned conclusions.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know chemicals aren't food.
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20130129/brominated-vegetable-oil-qa#1