Is Gellan Gum All Natural?

Gellan gum is an all-natural ingredient approved for use in organic products. It is obtained through a natural fermentation process. It acts as a thickening agent and will bind water. We add it to our beverages to keep water from separating out and forming a layer on top of the beverage.

gellan gum can be an ingredient in a USDA Organic- or USDA Made with Organic Ingredients-labeled food or beverage product even if the gellan gum is not USDA-certified organic. Its listing is located in section § 205.605 Nonagricultural (nonorganic) substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as “organic” or “made with organic

My experience with carrageenan is that consuming foods containing it result in a debilitating headache several hours later which may continue for 12 to 18 hours. This is repeatable and dose dependent, and can be caused by consuming heavy whipping cream, sausage, processed meat, all of where the common denominator is that it contains carrageenan.

Regarding gellan gum in heavy whipping cream, it causes headach exactly as does carrageenan. Horizon and HEB heavy whipping cream was recently (2015) changed to eliminate carrageenan. Gellan gum is in there instead. Just to be sure it is not the food, cream, sausage, and bacon that does not contain either of these does not provoke the headache.

The mechanism of action is probably the effect the carrageenan or gellan gum has on the biome, the mass of bacteria, viruses, yeast and other organisms in the human gut. They change, and produce a toxin that provokes the headache.

The duration of the headache can be shortened by taking a tablespoon of vitamin C which causes  a strong exhaustive bowel movement usually within the hour.