iron/caraggeenan/oils

[Guest guest]

Dear Lynn,

I am really not an expert on iron and caraggeenan or on your body, but I'll

try to be brief with my own experience regarding my daughter.

Her iron was very low, and guess what, she had inflammatory bowel disease.

We learned a lot very fast and one of the things we learned is that all the

iron supplements we tried - including natural and liquid supplements from

the health food store - damaged her stomach and intestines. This was before

and after two surgeries. After the second surgery we changed her diet to

the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which is naturally high in iron and

calculated to promote intestinal healing. I was on the point of demanding

an iron injection. (I had been asking nicely for years before the surgeries

but doctors said it was too painful. But they didn't think extensive

abdominal surgery was too painful.) I was actually in the examining room

throwing my weight around when the doc said " Let's check her iron level one

more time " - and it was normal!!!!

At any rate, I don't recommend iron supplements.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet also says that caraggeenan and other gums are

tough on intestines - okay for normal folks but not for the ones that need

healing.

Good intestines absorb iron and everything else better. And they don't

contribute to iron loss. Could you be losing your iron somehow through

internal bleeding or inflammation somewhere in your body?

You might ask about the iron and other healing questions on the Healing Crow

list. It's an offshoot of the SCD list with a broader audience and

perspective.

Also, the person with trouble digesting evening primrose oil might ask there

too because I know others with IBD have had the same response. Something to

do with - was it overworked liver, bile ducts? I can't remember.

www.healingcrow.org or maybe www.healingcrow.com.

For what it's worth and best wishes,

> Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 22:27:08 -0700

> From: " Lynn McGaha " <lmcgaha@...>

> Subject: Irish moss vs. carrageenan

>

> A Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner recommended that I take Irish

> moss (chondrus crispus) as a detoxifying agent and a good nutritional

> source. I was directed to add 1 oz. of the dried Irish moss to about a

> quart of boiling water and simmer it until the moss had softened. I

> consume that quantity in one week.

>

> In Ray Peat's article " Food-Junk and Some Mystery Ailments " , a Newsletter

> on Nutrition found at his web site www.efn.org/~raypeat/ , he states that

> carrageenan causes inflammatory bowel damage and should be avoided.

> Carrageenan is an extract of Irish moss and is in the gums family. I don't

> know how refined it is compared to Irish moss.

>

> Does anyone know if the negative effects of carrageenan also pertain to

> Irish moss taken as I described above? How closely does carrageenan

> compare to Irish moss? I find that the Irish moss really helps with the

> constipation I have from iron supplementation I take for very low serum

> ferritin. After 7 months, the iron supplementation (27 g. ferrous sulfate

> daily) hasn't helped any. According to the DWIDP diet planner, I get

> plenty of iron in my diet, from non-fortified and unprocessed food sources.

> Any ideas on how to boost my serum ferritin?

>

> Lynn