Associated with Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer—why is E-407 (carrageenan) still in our food?
What is carrageenan?
Have you seen carrageenan or E-407 listed on the ingredients label for processed meats, dairy and dairy alternatives, puddings, supplements, or pet foods?" Made from red algae harvested in the sea, carrageenan is used as a gelling agent, thickener, and stabilizer.
The safety controversy
Food Additives author James Han claims that carrageenan is safe. However, even though it's FDA-approved, many others question its safety. Dr. Axe notes that it’s been removed from the list of allowed substances in organic foods.
The National Organics Standards Board voted in November 2016 to remove it from the list of substances allowed in USDA organic food. However, the FDA still approves this ingredient as a food additive.
The Organics Board was not only concerned about its appropriateness as an organic product but also its safety, which has been increasingly scrutinized in terms of general consumption.
What studies reveal
Master Metabolism (MM) tweeted a warning to avoid carrageenan, claiming it is inflammatory, impairs glucose tolerance, increases insulin resistance, and inhibits insulin signaling—all contributing factors in Type 2 diabetes.
Medical News Today health and medical journalist Amanda Barrell also questioned the safety of carrageenan, stating that the only supporting evidence for scientists' concerns that it may “cause inflammation, digestive problems, such as bloating and irritable bowel disease (IBD), and even colon cancer” are studies in cells and animals.
Food-grade carrageenan is processed with alkaline substances. Non-food grade carrageenan, called degraded poligeenan, is processed with acid, is inflammatory, and carries significant health warnings; the International Agency for Research in Cancer identified it as a possible human carcinogen. In fact, Barrell writes, “[r]esearchers often use it to test new anti-inflammatory drugs in the laboratory.”
May trigger colon cancer, but okay in food
Ironically, Barrell notes that researchers hesitate to test carrageenan in humans due to findings that it 'causes gut tumors and ulcers, and may even trigger colon cancer,' yet it remains approved as a food additive consumed by millions—far exceeding the small number of people recruited for Phase 1 clinical trials.
Safety concerns are decades old
Remarkably, scientists have questioned the safety of food-grade carrageenan since the 1960s, when studies suggested it may become toxic when mixed with stomach acid.
In 2017, Barrell continued, study reviews showed that carrageenan doesn’t need to have degraded to cause “inflammation and bowel disorders, suggesting that this substance may contribute to ulcers and IBD.”
The study’s authors, John Vincent Martino, et al., raised concerns about carrageenan and CMG (carboxymethylcellulose, E-466) as causing increasing rates of IBD (intestinal bowel disease) among pediatric patients, because of their ubiquitousness in the Western diet.
Intestinal permeability
Martino, et al., explain that carrageenan and CMG cause gut inflammation by triggering the immune system, damaging the gut lining, and disrupting the balance of gut bacteria. A healthy gut lining acts as a barrier, allowing nutrients through while keeping harmful substances out. When this barrier is weakened, it can lead to immune system problems and inflammation, especially in more sensitive people. They provided the following graphic showing that unprocessed foods (on the left side) do not damage the protective mucosal layer as do foods containing carrageenan and carboxymethylcellulose (on the right side). [“Leaky gut syndrome” is a term coined to describe the effects of a damaged mucosal layer.]
Question of increasing exposure?
Barrell also referenced a 2018 study, stating that the authors concluded that there was not enough information to draw conclusions about the “exact health effects of carrageenan. However,the study’s authors, Shlomit David, et al., further wrote, as per the abstract, that more research is indicated to ascertain whether increasing levels of carrageenan compromise people’s health and well-being.
Altogether, revisiting the scientific evidence indicates that more research is needed to elucidate the possibility that continued exposure to increasing levels of CGN in the human diet may compromise human health and well-being.
Just how increasing levels of Carrageenan (CGN) in the human diet may compromise health and well-being was elucidated in the body of their report (behind a paywall) —chronic low-grade inflammation in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Over time, CGN may have accumulating effects, which may resemble the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in obesity, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Further studies should help resolve much of the controversy over carrageenan safety and its possible short and long-term role in the health and well-being of different humans.
No carrageenan for your pets
The pet food industry is already offering carrageenan-free dog food, acting proactively rather than waiting for further testing to confirm the need for removal. Anaxilaus tweeted a photo of Pure Balance Pro dog food for “senior dogs,” which is advertised on the packaging as being free of carrageenan, artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors.
Latest research confirms diabetes link
Fortunately, we may be closer to resolving the carrageenan controversy. A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 20 healthy male participants has shown that carrageenan consumed by overweight individuals increases inflammation, lowers insulin sensitivity, and is associated with an increase in intestinal permeability leading to digestive problems. The study, published in BMC Medicine, was reviewed by George Citroner for Epoch Times.
In overweight people, carrageenan led to lower insulin sensitivity, increased brain inflammation, and higher levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6).
Additionally, carrageenan was linked to increased intestinal permeability, suggesting the participants’ digestive systems might allow substances to enter the bloodstream more easily. The study also showed immune cell activation and increased pro-inflammatory proteins released from white blood cells after carrageenan exposure. This supports the theory that the additive may influence insulin sensitivity by fostering inflammation.
The researchers called for further research into the long-term health effects of carrageenan and similar food additives, particularly in populations at higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
Fitness School summarized and provided a video of the BMC Medicine study's key findings in its tweet below.
How to avoid carrageenan
While further research is needed, the evidence already suggests it’s worth reconsidering products containing carrageenan, prioritizing natural and unprocessed alternatives for better health.
Citroner quoted Stephanie Schiff, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist at Huntingdon Hospital, who told Epoch Times that carrageenan is easily avoided by eating natural, unprocessed foods.
Carrageenan is fairly common in highly processed foods, dairy products such as chocolate milk and ice cream, and plant milks . . .
The additive can be easily avoided if you’re eating a diet based on whole foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.
If a food is made in a factory and has ingredients that are not familiar or are difficult to pronounce, it is likely highly processed and may contain carrageenan, If you’re eating a packaged good that is creamy or thick, check the label; it may contain carrageenan.
Schiff also warned that organic [despite the Organic Board's removal of the additive from its approved list] does not mean that it won't contain carrageenan. She suggested carrageenan alternatives such as gellan, locust bean, guar, and xanthan gums, instead.
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