A few years ago, an ingredient in food (and other products which we’ll get to in a minute) known as carrageenan basically became the new gluten and sugar of modern day life.
Carrageenan is a natural emulsifier made from red seaweed and is used in food products to add thickness and viscosity. Carrageenan has been used since the 1800’s for food production, and authorities around the world including the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and Brazil have found carrageenan safe for use in food.
Where is Carrageenan Found?
The additive shows up in everything from non-dairy milk and regular dairy products to ice cream, frozen desserts, and other shelf-stable products. You’ll even see carrageenan in makeup, dental products like toothpaste, pet food, and a host of other household items.
Here Are Some Details About Carrageenan You Should Know
Back in 2001, studies performed on rats concluded that when the mice were fed large amounts of carrageenan, tumors formed and proliferated.
Companies began removing products from their line that included carrageenan and reformulating many of them to be carrageenan-free as a result. You may have seen your own favorite brand of non-dairy milk state “Carrageenan-Free” due to this widespread phenomenon.
The fact is, however, that the vast majority of sound scientific evidence shows that carrageenan is safe for people to consume.
So, if carrageenan has been approved safe to use through various trials and studies on humans, and it has been used for hundreds of years without a problem until now, and why are so many companies now removing it?
In a word, marketing. People are concerned about carageenan, so companies are removing it from different products to appease consumers, not because it’s been proven to be dangerous.
The Bigger Picture to Consider
Fill up your diet with healthy, whole foods to avoid common health issues and, and a little carageenan in your diet is unlikely to cause problems.
What’s your take on carrageenan? Have anything else you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments below!
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Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
His simple and science-based approach to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy has sold over a million books and helped thousands of people build their best bodies ever, and his work has been featured in many popular outlets including Esquire, Men’s Health, Elle, Women’s Health, Muscle & Strength, and more, as well as on FOX and ABC.
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Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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