Natural is only so natural when you are super sensitive to ingredients. And sadness consumed me when I read further down the label of one of my favorite products – Natural by Nature Whipping Cream.

I have been dealing with inflammation for some time, and have really had issues with bloating and swelling in my lower gut. I keep eliminating things without a lot of success, but have always allowed myself this whipped cream (because a doppio con panna is just NOT a doppio con panna without the panna) – but have started to wonder after eliminating the gellan gum from my diet and seeing good results.

So, here it is – right there on the label. Carrageenan, according to the Artificial Intelligence over at Google, is a ‘natural’ food additive:

And although it is true that it may ‘originate’ from seaweed, my guess is the process is much like isolating the molecule of CBD from the cannabis plant into a CBD Isolate – which not only creates an ingredient NOT found in nature, but also may have residual solvents or changes to the molecule that could result in your digestive tract not appreciating it so much.

From Wellness Mama:

Although derived from a natural source, it appears to be particularly destructive to the digestive system, triggering an immune response similar to that your body has when invaded by pathogens like Salmonella. The result: “It predictably causes inflammation, which can lead to ulcerations and bleeding,” explains veteran researcher Joanne Tobacman, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Illinois School of Medicine at Chicago. She says the food ingredient irritates by activating an immune response that dials up inflammation. Her previous work showed a concerning connection between carrageenan and gastrointestinal cancer in lab animals, and she’s involved with ongoing research funded through the National Institutes of Health that is investigating carrageenan’s effect on ulcerative colitis and other diseases like diabetes.

So there it is – for the past two years, the inflammation in my gut has been ‘ramping up’ – really to the point of chronic – and I had eliminated all dairy (except for the ‘con panna’), all wheat, all seed oils – and STILL was having issues after trying combinations of eliminating things from my diet.

And then… after seeing this about a month ago, I decided to start making MY OWN whip cream. And guess what? Not only has my gut improved, but just this morning I saw that the backs of my arms, where I was started to get these little red bumps – that is starting to go away too! This is also something that has gotten worse over the past two years (when my ‘con panna’ consumption has increased with a need for more caffeine).

Super Easy Home-Made Whipped Cream

• 1 Cup Whipping Cream (make sure there is no ‘gellan gum’ or other thickener!!)
• 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar (this makes it not too sweet, so you can add more!)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (Tank and Tilly’s favorite is ‘Singing Dog’ Organic Pure Vanilla’)
• Dash of Redmond Real Salt (optional – this is the best salt for taste and trace minerals)

Being a vigilant consumer is imperative – I consider myself HIGHLY aware of what is in my food, and yet, after ‘assuming’ that carrageenan was ‘natural’ which is absolutely how it is marketed… I just continued to eat this. Eliminating the gellan gum as a thickener started this journey of asking more questions about what IS in our ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ foods… and now, after eliminating the carrageenan in my whipping cream – I can speak with confidence that it has made a positive improvement in my gut inflammation.

So, be aware – you are all that stand between you and your health!