by Barbara Minton
The Best Years in Life) Have you developed gas, bloating and an intestinal tract that feels like it’s filled with concrete and sounds like a thunder storm? If you are wondering what’s behind all this, here is information on a group of food additives that may be causing your distress.
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These food additives are relatively new in the food chain, and are used to make food products thick, creamy and stable. They are also used to replace real healthy fat found in products such as ice cream, sauces and salad dressing, because real fat costs more than these food additives do.
Why do these food additives create such havoc in the intestinal tract? Each is an indigestible polysaccharide that is extracted from a plant not normally eaten by humans. When you eat foods containing these additives, the affect is as though you have taken a heavy dose of a laxative at the same time you have eaten dinner. The result is intestinal chaos! The only way to stop this is by completely eliminating these food additives from your diet.
Food additives to avoid if you want to feel like your old self again
Carrageenan is extracted from red algae, and is probably the worst of the lot. It is commonly found in “healthy” processed milks such as almond or soy, but it can be found in dairy products such as ice cream, whipping cream and sour cream too. It’s also used abundantly in baked goods.
Animal studies have shown that carrageenan induces intestinal damage. Effects observed in rats include epithelial cell loss, increased intestinal permeability, and diarrhea. In guinea pigs it caused colon ulcers. Degraded forms of carrageenan have been repeatedly identified as potential carcinogens. New research has demonstrated the role these forms play in inducing an inflammatory reaction and aggravating the effect of lipopolysaccharides on macrophages.
Human studies of carrageenan are scarce. However two studies using undegraded carrageean also found that it upregulated inflammation. Another study found that undegraded carageenan reduced activity of many sulfatease enzymes, resulting in a potentially negative outcome for the function and vitality of human epithelial cells.
Xanthan gum is derived from bacteria. It is found in many processed food items because of its unique binding properties which make it a good replacement for gluten in bread and other baked goods. But it doesn’t stop there. Xanthan can is now used in milk shakes, yogurt, pudding, whipped cream, ice cream, soups, sauces, gravies, mayonnaise and other condiments that have a creamy texture, and even in processed meats. In fact, you have to really look to find any processed or prepared food in a grocery store or restaurant that does not contain Xanthan gum. It is also widely used in pharmaceuticals.
Been having migraine headaches or skin rashes? The culprit is likely to be xanthan gum, and it gets worse the more you consume.
The FDA has issued a warning telling parents and other caregivers to void feeding infants products containing xanthan gum because it has been linked to illness and death in infants. Over-the-counter medicines containing xanthan gum or other water soluble gums must carry warnings about choking. In 2011, the FDA issued a press release saying xanthan gum may cause necrotizing enterocolitis, the death of intestinal tissue.
Xanthan gum can trigger an allergic response in people sensitive to the growth medium used to create it, which is usually corn, soy or wheat.
A study in which healthy participants took, 15g/day of xanthan gum for 10 days found it to be an efficient laxative. Some people experienced intestinal bloating and diarrhea with even smaller amounts.
Guar gum is the ground endosperm of guar beans. In the digestive systems of humans, guar gum can function as a laxative by forming a bulky gel that shoves the intestinal tract contents along, and in the process creates gas, bloating and discomfort. Too much guar gum consumed with too little water can cause esophogeal blockage.