Carrageenan is a seaweed-derived thickener that passes through the body without being absorbed. Removing it improved blood sugar handling, inflammation markers and bowel flares in people carrying extra weight, raised blood sugar or long-standing bowel inflammation; lean healthy adults showed no change. Costs are modest: giving up cold-shortening nasal sprays, substitution toward other thickeners, and narrower access to fortified foods. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Faecal calprotectin | Below 50 µg/g | Detects active bowel inflammation |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein | Below 0.5 mg/L | General systemic inflammation |
| Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) | 4.8–5.4% | Average blood sugar over about three months |
| Fasting insulin | Below 5 µIU/mL | Earliest marker of insulin resistance |
| HOMA-IR | Below 1.0 | Quantifies insulin resistance as one number |
| Interleukin-6 | Below 1.8 pg/mL | The marker that rose in the colitis trial |
| Total and LDL cholesterol | LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) | The lipid that fell on an emulsifier-free pattern |
| Serum zonulin | No established target: track the direction of change from the individual's own baseline | Indirect read on gut barrier leakiness |
Cadence: Baseline before starting, the same panel repeated at 12 weeks, then every 6–12 months while the exclusion continues; faecal calprotectin also repeated at 4 weeks where bowel inflammation is present