Carrageenan linked to tumors. Almond milk drinkers take note.

theos

The Living Force
Hi forumites,

I recently passed the forty day mark of the Detoxify or Die Diet and have been using almond milk (Almond Breeze manufactured by Blue Diamond) in my smoothies daily. I also recently made a list of "hidden" MSG food additives as mentioned by Dr. Russell Blaylock and carrageenan was named as an additive that may contain MSG. Today I decided to reread the ingredients on my carton of almond milk and lo and behold, carrageenan was listed.
Here's what Dr. Blaylock says about carrageenan (Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life; pg. 196):

Carrageenan is a rather new additive. It is a complex polysaccharide extract made from seaweed, and is used as a binding agent. Experimentally, carrageenan is used as an agent to induce intense inflammation in experimental animals. A recent study found that when carrageenan was injected in animals along with a cancer-causing chemical, tumors appeared more rapidly and in significantly higher numbers than in control animals injected with carcinogen alone. The same was seen when human breast cancers were implanted in animals along with carrageenan: the combination made the tumores grow faster and spread more widely than in control animals. As a result, carrageenan is classified as a tumor promotor.

A web search turned up the following information:

Review of Harmful Gastrointestinal Effects of Carrageenan in Animal Experiments
Joanne K. Tobacman
College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA

Abstract

In this article I review the association between exposure to carrageenan and the occurrence of colonic ulcerations and gastrointestinal neoplasms in animal models. Although the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1982 identified sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of degraded carrageenan in animals to regard it as posing a carcinogenic risk to humans, carrageenan is still used widely as a thickener, stabilizer, and texturizer in a variety of processed foods prevalent in the Western diet. I reviewed experimental data pertaining to carrageenan's effects with particular attention to the occurrence of ulcerations and neoplasms in association with exposure to carrageenan. In addition, I reviewed from established sources mechanisms for production of degraded carrageenan from undegraded or native carrageenan and data with regard to carrageenan intake. Review of these data demonstrated that exposure to undegraded as well as to degraded carrageenan was associated with the occurrence of intestinal ulcerations and neoplasms. This association may be attributed to contamination of undegraded carrageenan by components of low molecular weight, spontaneous metabolism of undegraded carrageenan by acid hydrolysis under conditions of normal digestion, or the interactions with intestinal bacteria. Although in 1972, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considered restricting dietary carrageenan to an average molecular weight > 100,000, this resolution did not prevail, and no subsequent regulation has restricted use. Because of the acknowledged carcinogenic properties of degraded carrageenan in animal models and the cancer-promoting effects of undegraded carrageenan in experimental models, the widespread use of carrageenan in the Western diet should be reconsidered. Key words: carcinogenesis, carrageenan, carrageenase, diet, furcelleran (furcellaran) , hydrolysis, inflammatory bowel disease, nutrition, poligeenan, promoter, sulfated polysaccharide. Environ Health Perspect 109:983-994 (2001) . [Online 24 September 2001]

A bit on degraded and undegraded carrageenan from: http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=82

There are two types of carrageenan, undegraded (food-grade) and degraded (hydrolyzed with acid). Undegraded carrageenan has been used on a huge scale in food production worldwide since the 1930s, and its safety has been assured by the FDA Gras status
Gras = generally recognized as safe.

Now how's this for thickness?..... I haven't noticed any GI distress or migraines but just as I'm writing this now I've made the connection in my mind that I actually have developed a...tumor(?) on my back which I first noticed a couple of weeks ago. (Was it there before I started drinking the almond milk? Who knows?) From what I've researched it seems to be a lipoma, a benign fatty deposit. Wishful thinking, anyone? As I detest going to the MD, I haven't had it checked out yet. I guess maybe I should especially now that I've run across this information.

Needless to say, no more almond milk. Every brand at my local health food store contains it. Read, read, read your ingredients lists and KNOW what the ingredients are.

Anything more to add?

Cha
 
chachachick said:
Anything more to add?

Thanks for sharing this. You can make your own almond milk rather easily. Take a cup of blanched almonds and put them in a pan and cook at 350 F for 10 minutes. Put in a bowl and add water and let it sit in the fridge overnight (I do this in the evening). Next morning put in blender and fill up the blender about 3/4 full with water and blend. Get some cheese cloth and a big bowl and wrap the cheese cloth around it so you can pour the milk through the cloth and into the bowl. Lift up the cloth and squeeze out any remaining milk from the almonds into the bowl and then pour the milk back into the blender and throw away the leftover almond chunks. Add vanilla and xylitol to the milk and blend on low. I use about a couple teaspoons of each, but you can alter that to your tastes. That's it, you now have your milk, sans carrageenan :)
 
Cheers Pinkerton,

I wasn't all that fond of the almond milk initially. I just needed something to add to my smoothie. After a while it became less gross. After the first 30 days I allowed myself a banana in the smoothie which improved the taste by leaps and bounds.

Perhaps I'll try to make some almond milk myself. Until then, I'll try some 100% organic juice. Thanks for the recipe.
 
Try oat milk instead, if you can get it
 
chachachick said:
Hi forumites,

I recently passed the forty day mark of the Detoxify or Die Diet and have been using almond milk (Almond Breeze manufactured by Blue Diamond) in my smoothies daily. I also recently made a list of "hidden" MSG food additives as mentioned by Dr. Russell Blaylock and carrageenan was named as an additive that may contain MSG. Today I decided to reread the ingredients on my carton of almond milk and lo and behold, carrageenan was listed.
Here's what Dr. Blaylock says about carrageenan (Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life; pg. 196):

Oh Dang, that's what I use, I've got four unopened cartons in the closet. :( Perhaps i'll try rice milk. I've tried hemp milk but it's really expensive. I go through a carton in about 3-4.
 
Carrageenan is a rather new additive. It is a complex polysaccharide extract made from seaweed, and is used as a binding agent. Experimentally, carrageenan is used as an agent to induce intense inflammation in experimental animals. A recent study found that when carrageenan was injected in animals along with a cancer-causing chemical, tumors appeared more rapidly and in significantly higher numbers than in control animals injected with carcinogen alone. The same was seen when human breast cancers were implanted in animals along with carrageenan: the combination made the tumores grow faster and spread more widely than in control animals. As a result, carrageenan is classified as a tumor promotor.

Well, that's fairly interesting. Take something that is healthy and turn it into a tumor manufacturing product. Although, I guess, everything that is packaged is unhealthy in one way or another. But this is actually dastardly.

If I didn't know better, I'd think that somebody's out to get rid of a lot of people by any and every means possible.....oh wait! :rolleyes:
 
This is so syncrinistic for me. In NOv. 2008 I was working at a health food store and a colleague informed me about soy milk and soy products. I was using soy milk daily for smoothies. Something about hormones and cancer. Did some research and decided to stop using soy products and I tried oat, rice and almond milks. Like almond the best. About a month ago, due to funds I started using a berry base for smoothies. Just this morning while drinking my smoothie I though I was going to get some almond milk cause I missed the sweetness. Thanks for the info and the article. And thank you Pinkerton for the almond milk recipe. Will try that as soon as funds allow.

Have only plugged into this forum for a few months and have had a great adventure. Spending a lot of time reading. Just recently adding my voice of gratitude and comments. Thanks again.
 
Oooh.... :( I really prefer the taste of the almond milk to the rice milk. Oh well, I guess I need to switch back. I'll be checking the brand of rice milk I was buying to make sure it doesn't have any of the bad stuff in it either though now.
 
Odyssey said:
Now how's this for thickness?..... I haven't noticed any GI distress or migraines but just as I'm writing this now I've made the connection in my mind that I actually have developed a...tumor(?) on my back which I first noticed a couple of weeks ago. (Was it there before I started drinking the almond milk? Who knows?) From what I've researched it seems to be a lipoma, a benign fatty deposit. Wishful thinking, anyone? As I detest going to the MD, I haven't had it checked out yet. I guess maybe I should especially now that I've run across this information.

Needless to say, no more almond milk. Every brand at my local health food store contains it. Read, read, read your ingredients lists and KNOW what the ingredients are.

Anything more to add?

Cha

Umm, no. :-)

That's not how these things work. You don't simply begin ingesting a certain substance and have a growth--be it benign or malignant--almost immediately after the fact. Perhaps in cartoons. So I wouldn't be looking for a link between your lipoma (very common, actually) and your previous use of almond milk.

As to links to tumors in general, all I can say is that everything in our environment can be linked to tumors. Everything. Unfortunately, even going organic doesn't ensure a tumor-free existence as those organics are growing in heavily polluted earth. In short, we've messed things up quite nicely.

But pessimism aside, it's always a good idea to limit your intake of toxins as much as is possible, so yes, I agree completely that one should know precisely what one is consuming.
 
Well, the Silk Almond Milk I've been buying does not have the Carrageenan in it, but it does have evaporated cane juice... I'm guessing this is just as bad as plain old sugar? I guess I might have to give in and make my own almond milk or switch back to rice milk.
 
Joseph said:
Odyssey said:
Now how's this for thickness?..... I haven't noticed any GI distress or migraines but just as I'm writing this now I've made the connection in my mind that I actually have developed a...tumor(?) on my back which I first noticed a couple of weeks ago. (Was it there before I started drinking the almond milk? Who knows?) From what I've researched it seems to be a lipoma, a benign fatty deposit. Wishful thinking, anyone? As I detest going to the MD, I haven't had it checked out yet. I guess maybe I should especially now that I've run across this information.

Needless to say, no more almond milk. Every brand at my local health food store contains it. Read, read, read your ingredients lists and KNOW what the ingredients are.

Anything more to add?

Cha

Umm, no. :-)

That's not how these things work. You don't simply begin ingesting a certain substance and have a growth--be it benign or malignant--almost immediately after the fact. Perhaps in cartoons. So I wouldn't be looking for a link between your lipoma (very common, actually) and your previous use of almond milk.

As to links to tumors in general, all I can say is that everything in our environment can be linked to tumors. Everything. Unfortunately, even going organic doesn't ensure a tumor-free existence as those organics are growing in heavily polluted earth. In short, we've messed things up quite nicely.

But pessimism aside, it's always a good idea to limit your intake of toxins as much as is possible, so yes, I agree completely that one should know precisely what one is consuming.

Welcome to the Forum, Joseph. It is customary here for new members to post an Intro in the Newbies section. Just add a bit about yourself, how you came to the forum, etc. No need for personal information.
 
Brenda86 said:
Well, the Silk Almond Milk I've been buying does not have the Carrageenan in it, but it does have evaporated cane juice... I'm guessing this is just as bad as plain old sugar? I guess I might have to give in and make my own almond milk or switch back to rice milk.

Yes it is not better.

Good idea to make your own almond milk. :thup:
 
Here is an article that describes me:http://www.ehow.com/how_2277013_live-carrageenan-sensitivity.html
If this product is harmless, why are so many people finding out their "lactose intolerant" is now "carrageenan sensitivity"? Why is there no information on this anywhere to be found by the average person? I was told I might have Celiac's or Crohn's diease, which scared me to death. Those are passed on to family and I have three grown children and two grandchildren. IBS was also said to be a problem with my half sister..but, she too, found out its carrageenan. I had switched to Soy milk (Silk) and could not figure out why I still suffered..but Silk Milk, most Nestle's products (Quick Chocolate mix, and it's creamers) are loaded. I now know that I can eat one ice cream, Haanen Daz, WOO HOO!! I eat my first ice cream in over 10 years!! Apparently, when you go out to eat, don't even think about asking about the use of carrageenan..they will look at you like you have 5 heads..LOL! The places like "Panera" who list their ingredients are number 1 in my books! Read labels and education is the best defense aganist this nasty stuff! :evil:
I hope someone will start a website or blog so more can be learned.
 
this I think is a general problem with manufactured "health foods". They are trying too hard to replicate the common consistency and taste of the "bad" foods they are designed to replace. As a result they rely on many fillers and additives that can be at best useless or at worst toxic in their own right. Healthy food doesn't have to look and taste like normal food, that's all.
 
Once you get the knack of making nut and/or grain milks they a really aren't hard at all. You can also make your own rice milk. Nice and fresh and full of enzymes.

Here is a link for a nut milk bag

http://store.therawdiet.com/nutmilk.html

and here is a recipe for rice milk. This stuff is really quite yummy. You don't even need a nut milk bag just a mesh strainer. I grew up drinking this stuff. Of course, with lots of cinnamon and sugar...we call it Horchata(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horchata) muy deliciosa!! Que sabor!
Try it with agave and cinnamon. Yummy on dehydrated sprouted buckwheat granola.

http://www.veganreader.com/2009/05/17/how-to-make-rice-milk-and-stop-supporting-rice-dream/
 
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