A beautiful question was posed by a reader who asked about carrageenan(ca-rag-ee-nan) as an ingredient in aloe vera gel and whether that affected its ability to be useful in the management of IC flares This brings up some questions for us
1 “Is the gelatinous property of aloe vera gel related to the carrageenan?” No the aloe is gelatinous by itself without the carrageenan
Perhaps another question 2 “Does the carrageenan affect the effectiveness of the aloe vera gel physiologically?” Again no
3 “Why put the carrageenan into the aloe in the first place if the aloe is naturally gelatinous?” Now this is an important insight This gets to the heart of an often asked question “Can I use the juice instead of the gel? The gel’s gelatin quality is not very attractive”
The gel has a “slooooooow” release in the GI tract and this slimy/smooth quality reduces both Vata and Pitta which is usually why one is using the aloe in the first place The gel reaches the small bowel more effectively due to this quality
The small bowel is the area of the GI tract where the Pitta energy pattern is most heavily concentrated because it is the energy of transformation(a lot of transformation is happening in the small intestine) A piece of broccoli is being transformed into the building blocks for the renewal of all forms of cells in the body(heart, brain, liver etc) Pitta carries the hot quality responsible for IC symptoms so dousing it with the cold quality of aloe is exactly what is needed for healing(ever used aloe for sunburns?)
So the more aloe you can get to where it’s needed is the best Gel does that, aloe juice less likely
Carrageen is a substitute for gelatin or the stuff we make jello from and the source is a form of seaweed Even though derived from an energetically salty plant(salt is provoking for IC) its effect is not going to be significant due to the volume of what’s present This food is Kapha promoting due to its slimy/smooth property and actually would be very good for Pitta Vata energy makeups In fact it would promote balance for you
Sooooo…. aloe gel with carageenan is fabulouso!! and actually makes the gel work even better for those with IC
Take home message for IC patients Even though aloe juice can be used it’s best to use the gel
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love Dr Bill
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About the Author: Dr Bill Dean helps people with IC eliminating pain and
improving relationships Get more from Dr Bill on LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.Dr Bill is also the author of Foods Heal: Why Certain Foods Help YOU Feel Your Best
The IC Bladder Syndrome: The Alternative Medical Treatment for Chronic IC and Prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and Fibromyalgia February 14, 2013
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