Originally published April 29 2015
Another solid reason to avoid Starbucks: Their new 'coconut milk' is low-quality junk food
by Paul Fassa
(NaturalNews) Starbucks has become ubiquitous internationally. It has its pleasant atmosphere and conveniences. But even with Starbucks' high prices, Consumer Reports has rated McDonald's cheaper coffee above Starbucks' burnt bean offerings.
Starbucks recently debuted its very own "coconut milk." But is it a healthy dairy alternative, or just another overpriced mediocre even unhealthy item that draws so many who think nicer surroundings cancel out the junk food offered?[1]
Starbucks' coconut milk has 14 ingredients: water, coconut cream, cane sugar, tricalcium phosphate, coconut water concentrate, natural flavors, sea salt, carrageenan, gellan gum, corn dextrin, xanthan gum, guar gum, vitamin A palmitate and vitamin D2.
Here's a breakdown of Starbucks' latest addition to unhealthy mediocrity
Water
There's nothing to indicate that the water is purified, so we're left to assume that fluoridated-chlorinated tap water is used.
Coconut cream
From Tropical Traditions: "Commercial coconut milks and creams are generally sold in cans, or sometimes boxes and tetra packs. The main ingredient in these products is water. If the fat content is 17%, it is called 'coconut milk.' If the fat content is 24%, it is called 'coconut cream.' But most of what you are purchasing is water."[2]
Cane sugar
Why is the coconut milk sweetened? Can't customers simply add their sweetener of choice if they desire a sweet coconut milk? Excess sugar consumption has been linked to many serious health problems like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and more.
Tricalcium phosphate (TCP)
Used as a food thickening agent, which adds smoothness and opacity to food. TCP is commonly derived from the bones of dead animals.[3]
Coconut water concentrate
Most commercially produced coconut water concentrate is pasteurized and all of the beneficial enzymes are destroyed.[4]
Natural flavors
This term is a red flag. Its purpose is to act as a fig leaf to disguise hidden toxic additives like MSG, soy lecithin, aspartame and others.[5][6]
Sea salt
Sea salt is the good stuff, right? Yes and no. The real stuff is good for you, but not all sea salts are genuine. Technically, the sea is where all salt is said to originate from. Since there are no government regulations that qualify how salt can be labeled, it is a classic caveat emptor (buyer beware) situation.
Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a seaweed-based additive that is strongly linked to inflammation. Back in the 1960s, researchers found that food-grade carrageenan was correlated with various types of GI dysfunction in lab rats including ulcerative colitis and intestinal lesions. It acts as a thickener and keeps the ingredients of the food product from separating.[7]
From the Cornucopia Institute:"Degraded carrageenan is such a potent inflammatory agent that scientists routinely use it to induce inflammation and other disease in laboratory animals, to test anti-inflammation drugs and other pharmaceuticals."
Gellan gum
Gellan gum is artificially produced by fermentation of a non-pathogenic bacteria. It's used as a thickening agent. Again, those with gut issues should probably avoid gellan gum.[8]
Corn dextrin
Dextrins are created from starches. Corn dextrin is most likely derived from GMO corn, especially if the corn is from the USA or Argentina. Also, gene technology could be utilized with plant-based starch sources.[9]
Xanthan gum[10]
Xanthan gum is derived from a bacterial fermentation process. It's commonly used as a food thickening agent and a stabilizer in cosmetic products. It has been linked to gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, gas and diarrhea.
Guar gum
Guar gum is derived from food. It's used as a thickening agent and/or an emulsifier. Those with sensitive digestive systems could experience problems with very small amounts of guar gum.[11]
Generally, anyone with a sensitive digestive system, especially those with serious digestive problems like IBS, IBD and GERD, should probably avoid all the gum additives, as they are indigestible and may cause varying degrees of gastrointestinal distress.
Isolated synthetic vitamin A
Isolated synthetic vitamin A cannot be metabolized by the body. Instead, it gets stored in the body along with other toxins. Synthetic vitamin A is essentially toxic.[12]
Vitamin D2
Vitamin D3 is most beneficial and bio-available form of D for humans. It's found in whole foods like raw pastured dairy products, seafood and mushrooms, and they contain important enzymes and co-factors that increase bioavailability. The very best form of D3 is made by the human body from sun exposure.[13]
Synthetic vitamin D2 is an isolated form of the vitamin and essentially cannot be used by the body. It may actually be harmful. Vitamin D2 is made by irradiating fungus and plant matter.
Sources:
[1] http://rebootedbody.com
[2] http://www.tropicaltraditions.com
[3] http://irregulartimes.com
[4] http://foodbabe.com
[5] http://www.naturalnews.com
[6] http://www.westonaprice.org
[7] http://missnutritionista.com
[8] http://chriskresser.com
[9] http://www.gmo-compass.org
[10] http://www.celiac.com
[11] http://chriskresser.com
[12] http://www.greenmedinfo.com
[13] http://ajcn.nutrition.org
About the author:
Paul Fassa is dedicated to warning others about the current corruption of food and medicine and guiding them towards direction for better health with no restrictions on health freedom.
You can check out his many non-compromising cutting edge, non-fluff articles here http://www.naturalnews.com/Author712.html
And you can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com
Paul Fassa is dedicated to warning others about the current corruption of food and medicine and guiding them towards direction for better health with no restrictions on health freedom.
You can check out his many non-compromising cutting edge, non-fluff articles here http://www.naturalnews.com/Author712.html
And you can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com
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