Source: TheEpochTimes.com
A new study suggests potential health risks associated with carrageenan (derived from red seaweed), a common food additive used as a thickener and found in everything from ice cream to plant-based milk.
Researchers found that overweight people who ate foods with the additive became more insulin resistant and had more inflammation.
“In overweight participants, carrageenan exposure resulted in lower whole body and hepatic insulin sensitivity,” the study authors wrote, highlighting the need for further investigation into food additives that consumers might consider harmless.
Carrageenan Linked to Reduced Insulin Sensitivity, Inflammation
The research, published in BMC Medicine on Tuesday, was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 20 young, healthy male participants who received either 250 milligrams of carrageenan or a placebo twice daily over two weeks.
Key outcomes of the study included the measurement of insulin sensitivity through various tests, including the oral glucose tolerance test. Although no significant differences in overall insulin sensitivity were observed among all participants, interactions between participants’ body mass index (BMI) and their exposure to carrageenan or the placebo were notable.
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.
While existing research demonstrates carrageenan’s correlation with heightened metabolic risks, inflammation, and gut disruption, the precise molecular mechanisms driving these adverse effects remain unclear.
While previous animal studies had suggested that carrageenan could induce glucose intolerance and worsen the adverse effects of high-fat diets, the new study represents one of the first clinical investigations into the additive’s effects on human glycemic response….