Carrageenan: A Common Misconception?

There is a common misconception about carrageenan.

Dr Tobacman, in 2001, conducted research on animals by administering intravenous doses of poligeenan ("degraded carrageenan" - an industrial ingredient not approved for use in consumable foods and supplements) in orders of magnitude higher than typically consumed by humans, which resulted in observation of gastrointestinal problems and possible links to cancerous growth. 

Hundreds of scientists and researchers have studied the effects of carrageenan in clinical settings since 2001 and have found it to be completely safe. SIBU soft-gels contain carrageenan as a substitute for bovine gelatin to stabilize the casing material. It is the key ingredient used as a substitute for animal byproducts in soft-gel material.

As we are a PETA-certified cruelty free and vegan brand, it is the best possible solution to replace the use of animal byproducts.

Here are some links to research and scientific articles summarizing the research and safety of carrageenan and further details that explain the misconception.

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12389870

- https://www.tomsofmaine.com/our-promise/ingredients/carrageenan

- https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.620

- https://marinalg.org/lets-be-clear-on-carrageenan/

One's own research on the internet will return many similar results and a few that deem carrageenan unsafe. Like many other controversial topics online, one can discover articles and opinions on both sides of the argument. However, the research falls soundly on the argument that carrageenan is, indeed, safe for human consumption.

SIBU, LLC believes in using only safe, bio-friendly ingredients and would not use carrageenan if the dangers were proven by scientific research.

We respect each individual's own discretion in what they choose to put in or on their body. We feel the research strongly supports carrageenan as a safe consumable ingredient. That being said, if any one person feels it's in their best interest to avoid carrageenan, we respect that choice.

Keep in mind, carrageen makes up the coating of the vegan soft gel, a very minute amount. What is in the soft gel is 100% organic sea buckthorn oils, absolutely nothing else. A secondary option would be to puncture the soft gel and squeeze the oils out onto your tongue. No soft gel, no carrageenan.

As a final option, you can try the more potent, more complete Omega 7 Pure. This is the entire sea buckthorn berry, pureed and bottled. Nothing added, nothing taken out. This provides the full range of nutrients as you have the whole berry vs. the fruit/seed oils found in the soft gels. Omega 7 Pure has about double the amount of omega 7 per serving.