Re: Carrageenan >>> Arthritis

[Guest guest]

Makes you wonder what the tipping point is for such

additives to longer be allowed in our foods! Sad.

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[ ] Carrageenan >>> Arthritis

Hi folks:

I was about to make an experimental recipe, which might become a staple item

in my diet. I wanted to add carrageenan as a thickener to boost the

viscosity of it, but couldn't find it anywhere. It is a well known

thickener, made from seaweed, quite frequently found in the ingredient list

of processed foods/recipes.

Now I have discovered that carrageenen is associated arthritis. Oooops!

Indeed, in experiments with animals it is often used to cause arthritis when

the investigators need arthritic animals to experiment on.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/r59xn4m352q13152/

(And other rather similar papers can be found with simple searches.)

I have no idea how much of the substance is needed to cause arthritis, but I

do not plan to find out! I will not be using it as a thickening agent in

this recipe!

Heads up.

Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Dear Rodney,

Please be aware that the arthritis was induced in this study when the

researchers injected carageenan directly into the rats' joints, not by

feeding it to them.

Actually, carageenan is often used in experimental models of pain in

rats and mice. Usually it is injected subcutaneously into the animal's

paw, where it causes an inflammatory response and pain.

I don't know of any direct studies of carageenan consumption in humans,

but I doubt it would cause arthritis in the same manner as direct

intra-articular injection would.

Best wishes,

Rodney wrote:

[snip]

Now I have discovered that carrageenen is

associated arthritis. Oooops! Indeed, in experiments with animals it

is often used to cause arthritis when the investigators need arthritic

animals to experiment on.

..

[snip]

--

MD/PhD Candidate

Dartmouth Medical School

4@...

[Guest guest]

Carageenan has a structural backbone composed of D-galactose and

3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, whereas Chondroitin Sulfate which is a

lubricating compound found in joints consists of beta-D-glucuronate

and N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfate

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/carbohydrates2.html

It is possible that the arthritis which develops by the injection of

carageenan is caused by interfering with the lubricating functions of

the joint fluids and by immunological reactions to the foreign

carbohydrate. Carrageenan arthritis induced by injection is

associated with high-turnover bone loss (PMID: 11192246).

There is concern that dietary carrageenan may degrade into poligeenan,

an acknowledged carcinogen (http://tinyurl.com/5eohex)

Tony

> > [snip]

>

> > Now I have discovered that carrageenen is associated arthritis.

> > Oooops! Indeed, in experiments with animals it is often used to

cause

> > arthritis when the investigators need arthritic animals to experiment

> > on.

> >

> > .

> [snip]

> --

>

> MD/PhD Candidate

> Dartmouth Medical School

>

> 4@...

>