Citric Acid.. a common name we see daily. It is widely used in food, beverages, supplements and even medications. If you're like me, you probably thought it was derived from.. well.. citrus like lemons & limes!

We are now seeing insane inflammation amounts due to manufactured citric acid also known as MCA. So basically, greenwashing, right? Or blatant lying making the consumer think they are ingesting natural citric acid.

Manufactured citric acid (MCA) is made from a toxic mutant strain of black mold and convenient enough, companies will not disclose this on the ingredient list

MCA is produced in countries with poor food safety records and due to this the citric acid can contain particles of black mold.

People may experience significant immune (i.e., inflammatory) reactions if they ingest fragments of this black mold

Neither the FDA nor anyone else tested this ingredient for safety because it was assumed that manufactured citric acid was identical to natural citric acid.

Those who suffered inflammatory reactions improved when some patients eliminated all products containing citric acid from their diets. However, when they added it back, the symptoms returned.

As a result of the ingestion of MCA, a harmful inflammatory cascade may manifest differently in different individuals depending on their genetic predisposition and susceptibility, and further studies are required to assess the safety of MCA in consumable products.

If you are suffering from inflammation, try removing products that contain MCA and see how you feel!