Is food grade carrageenan safe for dogs
Should You Remove Carrageenan from Your Diet?
Carrageenan is a common food additive but it may cause digestive side effects and has a potential link to colon cancer. While more research is needed, you may want to remove it from your diet.
Carrageenan is an additive used to thicken, emulsify, and preserve foods and drinks. Its a natural ingredient that comes from red seaweed (also called Irish moss). Youll often find this ingredient in nut milks, meat products, and yogurt.
Since the late 1960s, theres been controversy surrounding the health effects of carrageenan. Some evidence suggests that carrageenan triggers inflammation, gastrointestinal ulcerations, and that it damages your digestive system. People have been petitioning for products with carrageenan to be labeled with a warning or removed entirely. Read on to learn more about this common food additive and why you may want to avoid it.
Products with carrageenan may be labeled as natural, but limited studies show that carrageenan may promote or cause:
Increased inflammation can lead to a greater likelihood of other diseases, such as:
One
But many of the studies conducted on the dangers of carrageenan were on animals and cells. Reports of bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, and other digestive issues are mostly self-reported. People also report relief when they drop carrageenan from their diet.
There need to be more human studies to confirm any link between carrageenan and digestive problems. In the meantime, you may want to limit how much carrageenan you consume.
The Food and Drug Administration still approves this ingredient. But in 2016, the National Organic Standards Board voted to remove carrageenan from their approved list. This means foods made with carrageenan can no longer be labeled USDA organic.
Carrageenan tends to be in vegan and vegetarian products. Since its a plant, manufacturers use it to replace gelatin, which is made from animal parts.
Carrageenan has no nutritional value, so you dont have to worry about missing anything when you remove foods containing it. Finding replacements for vegetarian or vegan foods without carrageenan is possible. Just remember that carrageenan-free milks may separate. This is natural. All you have to do is shake well before pouring.
To see which brands are carrageenan-free, take a look at Cornucopias shopping guide. Carrageenan is also found in pet foods, especially canned ones. Choose a brand that does not contain this additive.
If youre worried about the side effects of carrageenan, take it out of your diet and see if theres any improvement in how youre feeling. Its legally required to be listed under a products ingredients, so it should be easy to start to figure out what foods to eliminate.
Talk to a doctor if you continue to experience inflammation or digestive issues after removing carrageenan. This may signal that carrageenan isnt responsible for your symptoms.
Read more: The ultimate guide to every kind of milk
Controversy Over Carrageenan in Dog Food
With so many questionable ingredients in dog and cat food these days, it can be very confusing to know whats okay and whats not. One such food ingredient is very common in many dog food brands. Its called carrageenan, and its typically used as a thickening agent so that foods appear more loaf-like. But is it something that your dog needs, and is it safe for dogs?
Lets dive into what we know about carrageenan in dog food.
What Is Carrageenan?
Carrageenan is a product of Irish moss, which is an edible red seaweed. It is used as a thickener or gelling agent in human food and in pet food. Its also in many other products for humans, like shampoo, gel air fresheners, and even diet soda.
Carrageenan is plant-based, so many people might think its a vegan alternative to other food additives used for the same purpose, like gelatin from animals. Its also something thats found in organic foods, but does that mean its safe?
Carrageenan is typically only found in canned pet foods, which are loaf-like, to help hold the shape. Therefore, its not usually found in dry food; rather, its usually only found in wet dog food. There have, however, been warnings about carrageenan as a food additive.
Is Carrageenan Safe for Your Dogs Food?
There has been a lot of controversy over carrageenan as an ingredient in pet food. Much of the concern isnt about the natural derivative that comes from seaweed; instead, its about how carrageenan is extracted.
Industrially-produced carrageenan is extracted from seaweed using strong alkaline solvents. That means its highly processed. But there are even bigger problems than that.
There are different types of carrageenan, and one type poligeenan carrageenan causes gastrointestinal inflammation. In fact, poligeenan is used to intentionally cause intestinal inflammation in animal experiments.
Its also a known carcinogen. That is to say, it is known to cause cancer. Researchers have found that carrageenan triggers your dogs body to produce a molecule called Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, or TNF-. This molecule causes two opposing reactions: it stimulates inflammation, and it causes apoptosis or cell death.
This helps create balance in the immune system since it defends against certain pathogenic organisms such as bacteria. On the surface that sounds like its a good thing, and that may be part of why many people in the wellness community recommend it.
But, the problem is that TNF- has been implicated in certain chronic inflammatory diseases, like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), asthma, and certain autoimmune diseases as well as cancer. Researchers have found that the digestive process can convert carrageenans to dangerous poligeenan, which then causes problems like IBD for both dogs and cats.
Therefore, even though some carageenan producers, pet food manufacturers, and even veterinary nutritionists say that food-grade carrageenan is safe for dogs, that isnt necessarily true. Even food-grade carrageenan contains small percentages of those very damaging properties.
Additionally, yet another problem with carrageenan is that some seaweed sources, those coming from waters north of the equator, may have been contaminated by radioactivity as a result of the Fukushima nuclear reactor site disaster. While most carrageenan comes from South American countries, any seaweed products harvested from the north are likely contaminated for the foreseeable future.
Other Research into the Effects of Carrageenan in Dogs
There have been a few other studies done that have shown problems that can be caused by carrageenan in pet food. One study demonstrated that carrageenan increases free radicals, which directly cause intestinal inflammation and have been implicated in the disruption of insulin metabolism. The latter can lead to diabetes.
Another study found that carrageenan is a factor in certain cancers. This study found specifically that it causes intestinal ulcers and neoplastic lesions (tumors). The authors of that study recommended that carrageenan should no longer be used as a stabilizer, emulsifier, or thickening agent.
A different study found, however, that carrageenan wasnt broken down in the gut, and therefore didnt enter the body to cause negative effects. Specifically, this study found that carrageenan was not cytotoxic and didnt cause inflammation by increasing the production of inflammatory proteins.
Its easy, therefore, to see how confusing the research can be, and that can cause loving pet parents to fear making the wrong decision about what they should feed their best friends. As it turns out, many people and government agencies are worried about the possible side effects of carrageenan.
Government Warnings About Carrageenan
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes carrageenan as GRAS, meaning that it is generally recognized as safe. The American Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) have also said it is an acceptable emulsifier, stabilizer, and thickener. There are, however, several warnings about this common food additive.
The European Union bans its use in infant formulas, and the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommends its removal from the list of approved organic ingredients. It cites that there is sufficient proof that there are safer alternatives, like guar gum, that can be used as a thickening agent.
In 2018, however, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) ruled against the NOSBs recommendation. So what can loving pet owners do?
Seek Carrageenan-Free, Human-Grade Nutrition
If youre looking for a healthy food alternative for your best friend, you might check out JustFoodForDogs. The recipes include high-quality ingredients that provide human-grade nutrition.
Theyre one of the only pet food companies that offer whole, fresh ingredients and recipes that are free of preservatives and unnecessary by-products. Their mission is to deliver high-quality nutritional products to every dog every day.
Their guiding principle is to change every pets life for the better by providing them with human-grade nutrition in the form of tasty meals made with fresh, whole ingredients. They offer recipes in shelf-stable packaging and fresh frozen options. You can see the food in action at one of their many open-to-the-public kitchens.
They also have veterinary-prescribed meals for those pets with special needs. Finally, they havent forgotten about dog treats. And if you feel your pet needs a little something extra, they also offer nutritional supplements.
With fresh, whole foods, you will see a big difference in your best friends health and vigor!
To learn more about carrageenan in dog food, visit The Cornucopia Institutes website.
This post was reviewed and approved by a veterinarian.
Why Carrageenan Can Be Dangerous to your Pet
The Cornucopia Institute published a very detailed report of carrageenan in 2013 that provides some very concerning evidence regarding this common canned/moist pet food ingredient. It is unknown why so many pet food manufacturers continue to ignore the science linking serious illness to this ingredient.
Finding a canned/moist pet food without carrageenan is not easy; far too many pet foods use this ingredient as a thickener in moist pet foods. Sourced from seaweed, pet food (and human food) continues to claim it is safe but science is proving the opposite.
From the 2013 Cornucopia Institute report Carrageenan How a Natural Food Additive is Making Us Sick
Animal studies have repeatedly shown that food-grade carrageenan causes gastrointestinalinflammation and higher rates of intestinal lesions, ulcerations, and even malignant tumors.The chemical structure of carrageenan unique chemical bonds not found in other seaweeds or gums affects the body in several ways. Most notably, it triggers an immune reaction, which leads to inflammation in the gastrointestinal system. Prolonged inflammation is a precursor to more serious diseases, including cancer.
Carrageenan is derived from specific seaweeds, which are processed with alkali into a widely used natural food ingredient. When processed with acid instead of alkali, carrageenan is degraded to a low molecular weight, and is called degraded carrageenan or poligeenan. Degraded carrageenan is such a potent inflammatory agent that scientists routinely use it to induce inflammation and other disease in laboratory animals, to test anti-inflammation drugs and other pharmaceuticals.
Degraded carrageenan is not allowed in food, but scientists have raised concerns for decades that the use of food-grade (undegraded) carrageenan also causes harm. A convincing body of scientific literature shows negative effects caused by food-grade carrageenan. Moreover, scientists are concerned that the acid environment of the stomach may degrade food-grade carrageenan once it enters the digestive system, thus exposing the intestines to this potent and widely recognized carcinogen.
The unique chemical structure of carrageenan triggers an innate immune response in the body, which recognizes it as a dangerous invader. This immune response leads to inflammation. For individuals who consume carrageenan on a regular or daily basis, the inflammation will be prolonged and constant, which is a serious health concern since prolonged inflammation is a precursor to more serious disease. In fact, the medical community has long recognized that inflammation is association with over 100 human disease, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and arteriosclerosis. Inflammation is also linked to cancer.
There should be no doubt to any pet food manufacturer carrageenan comes with health risks for the pets consuming this ingredient with each meal. When are they going to wake up, read the extensive science, and stop putting this risky ingredient into so many pet foods?
To read the full Cornucopia Institute report on carrageenan, Click Here
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan ThixtonPet Food Safety AdvocateAuthor Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsibleTruthaboutPetFood.comAssociation for Truth in Pet Food
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