Carageenan Update

Updated again! October 15, 2008

I have a meter that monitors visitors to my site. It is often a search done on Carageenan. So, I thought that I would add a few additions to this list. I hope that anyone reading this blog can leave with some information that helps them. I know that learning about carageenan has helped me! I had unexplained stomach issues for more than 11 years!

*Carageenan is actually spelled carrageenan---I have left it because I have at least 2-4 people a day do a search with this spelling.

*I have discovered that Haagen Das ice cream does NOT have carrageenan in it! Yeah!

*Ben and Jerry's ice cream DOES have it in it!

* I have discovered another sugar alchohol that makes me sick. Ethanol---as in corn alchohol! I found it in some(not all) of Fiber One granola bars. If you have a problem with carageenan you may also be sensitive to sorbitol, maltitol, ethanol.

-Another installment in my stomach issues!

I wrote earlier about Carageenan, here is the latest!

Carageenan is found in many, many products. I have been doing a little research about carageenan and it is quite disheartening. It has links to ulcerative colitus, colon cancer and many stomach issues.

I have found a few other products that have carageenan in them. Sour cream---not all sour cream--I found this out because the tub I bought didn't have it so I thought sour cream was safe. I went to a Mexican place and had the sour cream. The next day I was sick. Still didn't connect it. I was looking in my Mom's fridge and she said that the sour cream probably has it in it. I said no--but looked. It DID have it in it. So, I looked at the local store. All the brands that store carried except DAISY had carageenan in it.

Why am I writing all this down? Because I hope that if someone does a search about Carageenan that they might find my site and it might help them.

Other products that I have found Carageenan in:

whipping cream -read labels, one local company doesn't use it.

sour cream -Daisy brand does not have it.

ice cream -Bryer's all-natural does not have it ---Costco brand vanilla does NOT have it in it!

frozen yogurt -ice cream type

almost all soft serve ice cream or frozen yogurt has it

cottage cheese -I have only have Knudsen's that doesn't have it, but have only found it in individual containers.

soy milk products(read labels)

granola bars -not all but some

condensed milk(if it has this on a label it still may contain carrageenan even if it isn't listed) -I have found that regular evaporated milk has carageenan but skim/fat free does not.Think about pumpkin pie before you just go ahead and eat it!

powdered chocolate milk--Nestle does have it (Western Family powdered milk does NOT)

premade chocolate and strawberry milks, this includes many of the canned meal replacement drinks.

Turkey sandwich meats (not all, but many) it is in the brown jelly like coating.

Many store bought or restaurant cheescakes have it. Went to the Cheesecake factory--yes theirs does have it.

I know that this seems a bit wacky but I have had strange stomach problems for 11 years. No real explanation. Since I have discovered the problems with sorbitol and carageenan I have had very few unexplained stomach problems. I hope that this can help someone.

If you have discovered Caragennan or sorbitol in other foods please leave me a comment on my current blog posting. My little corner of chaos.

Carageenan

For those of you that actually read this blog-skip this if you don't want to read me discussing my stomach problems. My sweet hubby is one of those!



Remember when I wrote about sorbitol? Well, I have also discovered another additive that makes me sick. The reason I am writing this is because it may help someone else.



The product is called CARAGEENAN. It is taken from Irish moss, boiled down and is a gelatin type substance. It is used in dairy products. Many people that think they have lactose intolerance but may actually have an intolerance to Carageenan. It is used to make things thick and creamy.



I had been having a good week, no stomach issues. Then I ate a Fat Boy ice cream sandwich. A few hours later my cramping and bowel problems started. I knew that I hadn't eaten anything except that Fat Boy. I also remembered having problems a week earlier after eating a Fat Boy at a party. I got the label out and it was basically Whole milk, sugar and carageenan. A bell went off in my head. I did some research and sure enough it can cause problems.



Now, move forward another week. Another good week with barely any problems(had a diet coke, a bit of a stomach ache-dang it, I won't be having that anymore). So today after swimming lessons I took the little girls for an ice cream cone. Four hours later the stomach cramping and bowel started. I was at the grocery store tonight. I looked at almost every type of ice cream treat available and all of them had Carageenan in them. The only ice cream that doesn't is Bryer's All Natural. You have to make sure it says All Natural because they have others that do have it.



So, if you have problems with ice cream, chocolate milk etc. perhaps it is the Carageenan.