Manufactured citric acid is a powerful inflammatory/allergy agent

[Androsclerosis]

If on the nutrition label is found "citric acid" in citric foods, like sour cherry jam, would it be the natural or the industrial one?

 

[Dr. B]

If on the nutrition label is found "citric acid" in citric foods, like sour cherry jam, would it be the natural or the industrial one?

Its the same one. Its used in food products and supplements as a filler or flavoring ingredient. It provides that tart flavor so its used in citrus flavors and also raspberry strawberry etc.
Most likely it will be the one that’s sourced from fungus or mold, since its more expensive to source it from lemon or real citrus fruits.

nowadays you could probably make good money marketing and selling something like real citrus fruit sourced vitamin C… olive oil sourced omega 3… butter sourced omega fats… olive oil sourced vitamin E… etc. since vitamin C is almost always from corn/mold and E is usually soy, but sometimes sunflower, and rarely wheat germ.

But something like jam- you dont eat much, and there may be not much present in it. So you might
Be able to get away with it.

But something like magnesium citrate or strawberry flavored whey protein’s might have a lot more… back when I used to eat whey protein daily, I would switch flavors for variety every month.

Cookies and creme flavors or plain chocolate were tolerated the best. They used real alkalized cookie bits or alkalized cocoa powder for flavors etc.

When I switched to a strawberry cheesecake flavor, which had citric acid in the ingredients, my stomach was noticeably more bloated, face was noticeably puffier, i even had some acne come out on the face, and i was more fatigued- this was all purely from swapping out a cookies and crème flavor whey protein for strawberry cheesecake from the same exact brand.

The worst reaction I had to that brand was to a karamel sutra flavor or white chocolate caramel… I believe those didnt have citric acid in them but may have had caramel flavor or caramel color? And im thinking something else hidden in the natural flavors part of the ingredients list that caused issues… or maybe they just used more artificial sweetener in those flavors. Acefulsame potassium seemed to cause much more trouble than sucralose. I think sucralose is splenda and has some real sugar in it? Whereas acefulsame potassium is supposedly more carcinogenic…

 

[Androsclerosis]

But something like jam- you dont eat much, and there may be not much present in it. So you might
Be able to get away with it.

if you would know how much i eat... haha

The worst reaction I had to that brand was to a karamel sutra flavor or white chocolate caramel… I believe those didnt have citric acid in them but may have had caramel flavor or caramel color? And im thinking something else hidden in the natural flavors part of the ingredients list that caused issues… or maybe they just used more artificial sweetener in those flavors. Acefulsame potassium seemed to cause much more trouble than sucralose. I think sucralose is splenda and has some real sugar in it? Whereas acefulsame potassium is supposedly more carcinogenic…

it depends where are you from.. i wouldn't be surprised if in the US you could find hidden ingredients
i think the best option is to leave the research aside and cook everything because you can't trust any institution nowadays
for example today i made my first banana jam.. in 370g, almost 1 pound, I put 250g of sugar, lemon juice and the rest banana. and it really worked and it costs me around $1 to make it, compared to $2.5 if I buy it already made.

 

[Dr. B]

if you would know how much i eat... haha

it depends where are you from.. i wouldn't be surprised if in the US you could find hidden ingredients
i think the best option is to leave the research aside and cook everything because you can't trust any institution nowadays
for example today i made my first banana jam.. in 370g, almost 1 pound, I put 250g of sugar, lemon juice and the rest banana. and it really worked and it costs me around $1 to make it, compared to $2.5 if I buy it already made.

I was looking and actually there are jam option’s with no citric acid… most aren’t organic. But surprisingly smuckers jam which is cheaper, doesn’t have any citric acid… just has fruit pectin and sugar. Its still an added expense to have it in there, maybe thats why they don’t have it

 

[Kray]

I was coughing a lot, mostly dry cough but persistent enough. All of one month and still going after I got sick a week after I began using manufactured citrates to improve my blood's zeta-potential. At first I thought the dry cough was caused by an acid base imbalance that rendered my extracellular fluids very acidic, but even as I restored my acid base balance, the cough continued.

I don't know if it's just the aspergillus niger causing the cough, or if it was because it caused me to develop malaria (by activating a dormant plasmodium parasite). One of the symptoms of malaria is persistent dry coughing.

Should one be concerned with citric acid if it's listed as a last ingredient in tonic waters? How much is too much? And I assume they are all MCA, regardless of brand.

 

[Tzheng2012]

I’m curious though if actual mold spores were found in citric acid. Sure it’s made from mold but is there any left in the refined substance?

 

[yerrag]

Should one be concerned with citric acid if it's listed as a last ingredient in tonic waters? How much is too much? And I assume they are all MCA, regardless of brand.

It's one of those things I normally would dismiss, given that it is used so much that to know of its effects in a definitive way is hard.

Until one personally experiences the ill effects from having used it, and even then it is at worst a strong suspicion. Is it a coincidence that I developed what I would call a strong fungal infection ( with high fever, jaundice, low platelets, high acidity, cramps) a week after I took a citric acid solution which happen to coincide with me taking tetracycline, which is known to produce CWD (cell wall deficient) bacteria- a form closer to being fungal? Would the presence of citric acid (made from aspergillus niger) further cause the CWD bacteria to develop into a more virulent form of fungi, a fungal parasite?

Germ theory proponents would say no definitely, but terrain theory proponents would more than likely say yes.

As a terrain theory proponent, I would rather minimize on intake of any food or drink laced with industrial citric acid.

 

[Kray]

I’m curious though if actual mold spores were found in citric acid. Sure it’s made from mold but is there any left in the refined substance?

It's one of those things I normally would dismiss, given that it is used so much that to know of its effects in a definitive way is hard.

Until one personally experiences the ill effects from having used it, and even then it is at worst a strong suspicion. Is it a coincidence that I developed what I would call a strong fungal infection ( with high fever, jaundice, low platelets, high acidity, cramps) a week after I took a citric acid solution which happen to coincide with me taking tetracycline, which is known to produce CWD (cell wall deficient) bacteria- a form closer to being fungal? Would the presence of citric acid (made from aspergillus niger) further cause the CWD bacteria to develop into a more virulent form of fungi, a fungal parasite?

Germ theory proponents would say no definitely, but terrain theory proponents would more than likely say yes.

As a terrain theory proponent, I would rather minimize on intake of any food or drink laced with industrial citric acid.

Good question. Makes me think it's not so simple- variables such as quality, concentration, etc. Is the GRAS label just an acronym for Gee-Really-Aren't-Sure?

Given these lingering concerns, I recently contacted the company whose "Quali-C" vitamin C product I regularly take, to see if A.niger is used in the processing of Quali-C, since this is a supplement I use not only daily, but in more substantial amounts. Their response gave me some relief, and I thought I'd share, below:

"Thank you for contacting us about our Pure Vitamin C Powder with Q-C. This product is not made from Aspergillus Niger nor is there any Aspergillus used in the manufacturing process. Quali-C ascorbic is manufactured from glucose derived from corn as a starting material. It is prepared via esterification process producing a highly refined ascorbic acid, rendering a chemical compound free from any traces of the original raw agricultural commodities."

Now, I wonder about non-GMO corn being used. But does the last sentence remove any doubts-- "...free from ay traces of the original raw agricultural commodities"? I might just try to clear that up, too. Anything else someone has to add to the list?

 

[FrostedShores]

Citric acid definitely causes inflammation for me. Anytime I drink stuff with citric acid, I get lower back pain and my face gets red. It sucks 'cause there are so many things I like that have added citric acid...

 

[yerrag]

Good question. Makes me think it's not so simple- variables such as quality, concentration, etc. Is the GRAS label just an acronym for Gee-Really-Aren't-Sure?

Given these lingering concerns, I recently contacted the company whose "Quali-C" vitamin C product I regularly take, to see if A.niger is used in the processing of Quali-C, since this is a supplement I use not only daily, but in more substantial amounts. Their response gave me some relief, and I thought I'd share, below:

"Thank you for contacting us about our Pure Vitamin C Powder with Q-C. This product is not made from Aspergillus Niger nor is there any Aspergillus used in the manufacturing process. Quali-C ascorbic is manufactured from glucose derived from corn as a starting material. It is prepared via esterification process producing a highly refined ascorbic acid, rendering a chemical compound free from any traces of the original raw agricultural commodities."

Now, I wonder about non-GMO corn being used. But does the last sentence remove any doubts-- "...free from ay traces of the original raw agricultural commodities"? I might just try to clear that up, too. Anything else someone has to add to the list?

Ascorbic acid isn't made using aspergillus Niger in the process, but citric acid is. I don't understand. You may have gotten them cross crossed.

 

[milk_lover]

Good question. Makes me think it's not so simple- variables such as quality, concentration, etc. Is the GRAS label just an acronym for Gee-Really-Aren't-Sure?

Given these lingering concerns, I recently contacted the company whose "Quali-C" vitamin C product I regularly take, to see if A.niger is used in the processing of Quali-C, since this is a supplement I use not only daily, but in more substantial amounts. Their response gave me some relief, and I thought I'd share, below:

"Thank you for contacting us about our Pure Vitamin C Powder with Q-C. This product is not made from Aspergillus Niger nor is there any Aspergillus used in the manufacturing process. Quali-C ascorbic is manufactured from glucose derived from corn as a starting material. It is prepared via esterification process producing a highly refined ascorbic acid, rendering a chemical compound free from any traces of the original raw agricultural commodities."

Now, I wonder about non-GMO corn being used. But does the last sentence remove any doubts-- "...free from ay traces of the original raw agricultural commodities"? I might just try to clear that up, too. Anything else someone has to add to the list?

Heavy metal contamination is the concern with vitamin C. More than mold.

 

[Tzheng2012]

Citric acid definitely causes inflammation for me. Anytime I drink stuff with citric acid, I get lower back pain and my face gets red. It sucks 'cause there are so many things I like that have added citric acid...

But how do you know it’s not because of the actual ingredients of the drink? Since citric acid is a preservative it means it’s almost in everything which is not fresh.

Do we actually have any studies showing the mold in the final citric acid product? It seems this whole thread is based off the fact that there is… but no proof is yet to be presented. You sure it’s not just the citric acid itself being the problem?

 

[Dr. B]

Heavy metal contamination is the concern with vitamin C. More than mold.

Wasnt there something about it being allergenic due to its sourcing?
Mold or fungus or something.

 

[FrostedShores]

But how do you know it’s not because of the actual ingredients of the drink? Since citric acid is a preservative it means it’s almost in everything which is not fresh.

Do we actually have any studies showing the mold in the final citric acid product? It seems this whole thread is based off the fact that there is… but no proof is yet to be presented. You sure it’s not just the citric acid itself being the problem?

You could be right. It could be something other than the citric acid. But I get the same reaction anytime I have anything with citric acid in it - maybe there's some other shared ingredient that I'm not aware of? Recently, I was trying to incorporate dried fruit into my diet, and I kept getting the same reaction - inflammation, back pain, red face. I looked at the back of the package, and sure enough, it has added citric acid.

 

[Kray]

Ascorbic acid isn't made using aspergillus Niger in the process, but citric acid is. I don't understand. You may have gotten them cross crossed.

Ascorbic acid isn't made using aspergillus Niger in the process, but citric acid is. I don't understand. You may have gotten them cross crossed.

I hope so! But I was pretty sure the rep at the company whose vitamin C I inquired about said that some companies use A.niger for their processing. Maybe she was referring to other products, not AA. But thank you for point that out!

Another interesting feedback I got from another mfg is that only "trace" amounts of A.niger are found in the finished product of their (magnesium) citrate. When I asked what constitutes "trace" and how much is considered safe, she suggested to refer to "my healthcare provider."

 

[yerrag]

I hope so! But I was pretty sure the rep at the company whose vitamin C I inquired about said that some companies use A.niger for their processing. Maybe she was referring to other products, not AA. But thank you for point that out!

Another interesting feedback I got from another mfg is that only "trace" amounts of A.niger are found in the finished product of their (magnesium) citrate. When I asked what constitutes "trace" and how much is considered safe, she suggested to refer to "my healthcare provider."

I believe we have to make a clear distinction between living organisms that can multiply into a large colony, and inert toxic substances.

A trace amount of the latter we may be able to let loose our concerns, but a trace amount of the former can still be harmful, especially when the subject given the substance has low immunity. Like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree, the tiny seed of a aspergillus niger used to make citric acid, can multiply and in a body that is compromised, can morph into a fungal parasite, and would express in symptoms that would be mistaken for something else that our medical doctors are quite capable of misdiagnosing.

I have taken a live blood test, and was shown fungal parasites coming out of my red blood cells. And this made me aware to the probability that when I got really sick (during the height of the COVID-19 hoax), it was a fungal parasitic infection that would explain why my platelets have dropped to low levels and that I have developed jaundice as my liver enzymes became elevated. Without this awareness, I would have simply bought in to being infected with a COVID-19 virus.

Instead, I self-doctored and used every means possible to provide my body with support to enable it to restore its energy to be able to heal itself.

I think that I would not have gotten any clue were I not taking records and taking note that I had taken tetracycline and potassium citrate together a week before my health took a downturn, and had @haidut not shared the study on industrial citric acid being made from aspergillus niger, and had I not done the research earlier on the ability of certain antibiotics to transform bacteria into cwd (cell wall deficient) bacteria that makes bacteria morph into more fungal forms. As my body became more hospitable to the fungal form as my metabolism shifted into one that produces lactic acid instead of carbon dioxide, the more the fungal form of bacteria would become more of a form that approaches that of a fungal parasite, and further destroy my tissues and organs and body.

But this is for me how I connect the dots, and why without it, and simply relying on experts to give me 100% proof, like @Tzheng2012 is wont to ask (which I would ignore as it makes no sense to argue on his basis, as he has a point, and would just as easily win on the basis of 100% proof. but based on survivability he may not win) is not how I operate. I would rather heal and be restored to health, than win on arguments.

 

[Kray]

I believe we have to make a clear distinction between living organisms that can multiply into a large colony, and inert toxic substances.

A trace amount of the latter we may be able to let loose our concerns, but a trace amount of the former can still be harmful, especially when the subject given the substance has low immunity. Like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree, the tiny seed of a aspergillus niger used to make citric acid, can multiply and in a body that is compromised, can morph into a fungal parasite, and would express in symptoms that would be mistaken for something else that our medical doctors are quite capable of misdiagnosing.

I have taken a live blood test, and was shown fungal parasites coming out of my red blood cells. And this made me aware to the probability that when I got really sick (during the height of the COVID-19 hoax), it was a fungal parasitic infection that would explain why my platelets have dropped to low levels and that I have developed jaundice as my liver enzymes became elevated. Without this awareness, I would have simply bought in to being infected with a COVID-19 virus.

Instead, I self-doctored and used every means possible to provide my body with support to enable it to restore its energy to be able to heal itself.

I think that I would not have gotten any clue were I not taking records and taking note that I had taken tetracycline and potassium citrate together a week before my health took a downturn, and had @haidut not shared the study on industrial citric acid being made from aspergillus niger, and had I not done the research earlier on the ability of certain antibiotics to transform bacteria into cwd (cell wall deficient) bacteria that makes bacteria morph into more fungal forms. As my body became more hospitable to the fungal form as my metabolism shifted into one that produces lactic acid instead of carbon dioxide, the more the fungal form of bacteria would become more of a form that approaches that of a fungal parasite, and further destroy my tissues and organs and body.

But this is for me how I connect the dots, and why without it, and simply relying on experts to give me 100% proof, like @Tzheng2012 is wont to ask (which I would ignore as it makes no sense to argue on his basis, as he has a point, and would just as easily win on the basis of 100% proof. but based on survivability he may not win) is not how I operate. I would rather heal and be restored to health, than win on arguments.

Thanks for sharing your journey yerrag. One can only wonder how many times this situation has occurred to many other people without having the benefit of your knowledge, and considering how often antibiotics are prescribed, together with the universal presence of citric acid in nearly everything. I am being more diligent to avoid citric acid from now on, including reading food and supplement labels. Whereas the majority of it was produced from fruit many years ago, now the majority comes from aspergillus.

 

[yerrag]

Thanks for sharing your journey yerrag. One can only wonder how many times this situation has occurred to many other people without having the benefit of your knowledge, and considering how often antibiotics are prescribed, together with the universal presence of citric acid in nearly everything. I am being more diligent to avoid citric acid from now on, including reading food and supplement labels. Whereas the majority of it was produced from fruit many years ago, now the majority comes from aspergillus.

You're welcome. Life is a balancing act.

Much of the time, how you avoid falling off the tightrope differs from how others do it. Those who do it wrong never learn to do it right as life affords them only one mistake.

But people don't learn when they are on a slow death spiral, as the mistake is framed as a product of genetics, or of old age, or of a lack of exercise, or God's will.

 

[Kray]

You're welcome. Life is a balancing act.

Much of the time, how you avoid falling off the tightrope differs from how others do it. Those who do it wrong never learn to do it right as life affords them only one mistake.

But people don't learn when they are on a slow death spiral, as the mistake is framed as a product of genetics, or of old age, or of a lack of exercise, or God's will.

Well said. Or the powers-that-be, putting profit over health and truth.

 

[Dr. B]

You could be right. It could be something other than the citric acid. But I get the same reaction anytime I have anything with citric acid in it - maybe there's some other shared ingredient that I'm not aware of? Recently, I was trying to incorporate dried fruit into my diet, and I kept getting the same reaction - inflammation, back pain, red face. I looked at the back of the package, and sure enough, it has added citric acid.

Dried fruits also have sulfites or sulfur added sometimes, but I have seen a lot that dont have additives now. Freeze dried dont taste as good but others are sunfried. Theres a few brands that have entire lines of dried fruit’s with no additives