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Harmful or Harmless: Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum, and More

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guar gum, what is guar gum
How concerned should you be with guar gum listed on the food label? iStock.com/Minerva Studio

So far in this series on additives, I’ve discussed magnesium stearate, soy lecithin, carrageenan, and xanthan gum. These are the most common food additives found in processed foods, especially in processed “health” foods, and many health conscious shoppers have been unnecessarily concerned about avoiding some of the less harmful substances I covered in this series.

In this final installment, I’ll review an assortment of gums that are often found either alongside or replacing xanthan gum and carrageenan in processed foods, acting as thickeners, stabilizers, or emulsifiers.

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Guar Gum

I talked briefly about guar gum a while back in my unexpectedly controversial article on coconut milk, but I’ll give you a bit more detail here. Unlike xanthan gum, which is a product of bacterial fermentation, guar gum is derived from an actual food: the guar bean, or Indian cluster bean, which grows primarily in India and Pakistan. They look similar to green beans, and are a common vegetable dish in the areas in which they grow.

Find out how gums used in processed foods can affect your health.

The physiological effects of guar gum have been extensively studied, first on animals and then on humans. In rats, the only significant effects from guar gum supplementation were reduced body weight and lower blood glucose, even with guar gum making up 15% of the diet (over 100 times the FDA Acceptable Daily Intake). (1) Because guar gum is a soluble fiber, neither of these effects is particularly surprising. Other animal studies conducted to test the safety of guar gum concluded that it is not carcinogenic or teratogenic (harmful to growing fetuses). (2, 3, 4)

Because the animal studies showed no harm even at very high doses, guar gum is now being studied in humans as a therapeutic tool for reducing blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Studies have shown guar gum supplementation to be effective for reducing fasting blood glucose, improving glycemic control, reducing insulin requirements in insulin-dependent diabetics, and reducing LDL cholesterol, although whether these effects could be maintained long-term is uncertain. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Unfortunately, these studies do report gastrointestinal side effects such as increased gas. In one study where subjects were given 21g of guar gum per day for 3 months, two participants dropped out due to excessive gas and abdominal discomfort. (11)

Although 21g per day is far more guar gum than anyone would reasonably encounter in their diet, even small amounts could cause unpleasant symptoms in those with sensitive digestive systems, and I’ve had patients with gut issues improve after removing guar gum from their diet. With that in mind, I think it makes sense to avoid guar gum if you have gut issues, like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or IBS, unless you’ve removed it and added it back in without noticing any harmful effects.

Locust Bean Gum

Locust bean gum, also known as carob bean gum, is derived from the seeds of the carob tree. During a two-year animal study, rats were given locust bean gum as 5% of their diet, and no carcinogenic or other toxic effects were observed. (12)

Similar to guar gum, locust bean gum has also been studied in humans as a potential cholesterol-lowering compound. (13) Normal subjects and subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia were given between 8 and 30 grams per day of locust bean gum for 8 weeks, resulting in reduced total cholesterol and an improved HDL to LDL ratio. Participants did report increased gas, but it went away after a week or two, and no other harmful effects were reported.

I think the same recommendation I gave for guar gum applies here: if you have gut issues, it would probably be best to avoid locust bean gum. Otherwise, I see no indication that it will cause harm.

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Gum Arabic

Gum arabic is derived from the sap of the acacia tree. Under FDA regulations, gum arabic is given an Acceptable Daily Intake level of ‘not specified,’ which is assigned to additives with little or no observed toxic potential. Animal studies have shown that it is not carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic, and even at very high doses, the animals did not display any effects of toxicity. (14, 15)

In a small human study, 5 healthy men were given 25g of gum arabic per day for three weeks, and no side effects were reported. (16) In fact, gum arabic had very little effect on the participants, positive or negative, aside from a modest reduction in serum cholesterol and an increase in breath hydrogen.

The increased breath hydrogen indicates metabolism by intestinal bacteria, which has been confirmed by more recent studies on the prebiotic properties of gum arabic. A study using healthy human volunteers found that gum arabic acts as a powerful prebiotic, selectively stimulating the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. (17) The study authors concluded that gum arabic is at least as effective a prebiotic as inulin, if not more so. Many of you are probably aware that inulin is sold as a prebiotic supplement, so that’s pretty significant!

Based on the available research, gum arabic seems pretty benign, even for those with gut issues. I certainly wouldn’t be concerned about consuming small amounts of it, although as always, be aware of your individual tolerance.

Tara Gum

Like guar gum and locust bean gum, tara gum is derived from the endosperm of a legume. Tara gum is a relatively new food additive so there’s less data on it, but it has been thoroughly studied for toxic effects in animals. Researchers conducted multiple 90-day trials in rats, mice, and beagles with tara gum as 5% of the diet, and found no adverse effects other than decreased body weight in the experimental groups. (18) Three-generation reproductive rat studies and genotoxicity studies found no harmful effects of tara gum. (19) In 2-year trials, the experimental groups had more tumors than the control groups, but due to the “high spontaneous incidence” of this particular tumor and the fact that nearly all of the control mice developed the tumor as well, researchers concluded that this was not a result of the tara gum supplementation. (20)

I’m slightly more skeptical of tara gum compared with the other gums because the toxicity results are less conclusive. Also, while all of the other gums have been tested on humans, tara gum has not. That doesn’t mean it’s not safe, because the available evidence indicates it is; it just means we don’t have as much to go on, and it’s always good to be cautious of new food additives.

Gellan Gum

Gellan gum is similar to xanthan gum in that it is an exopolysaccharide produced by bacterial fermentation. Unfortunately, the routine animal toxicity studies conducted for new food additives aren’t available online, but we do have a human study to look at. To test the safety of gellan gum, the diets of ten volunteers were supplemented with gellan gum at approximately 30 times the level of normal dietary exposure for 23 days. (21) Gellan gum acted as a bulking agent similar to xanthan gum, but no adverse effects were reported. However, a rat study with gellan gum supplemented at 5% of the diet for 4 weeks resulted in abnormalities in intestinal microvilli, which is concerning. (22)

This rat study, as well as the lack of data overall, makes me cautious, and I think those with sensitive guts should avoid it just to be on the safe side. For everyone else, I doubt the small amounts found in food will cause a problem, but it might be best to avoid it if possible.

Conclusion

As a general rule, gums can be problematic for those with digestive issues simply because they’re mostly indigestible, but it’s very unlikely any of them will actually cause harm. Of course it’s ideal to avoid food additives altogether, but I know it’s not realistic for everyone to prepare all food from scratch, and unless you have digestive issues or a sensitivity to certain gums, I don’t think it’s necessary.

Because I’ve covered a lot of different additives with similar applications (primarily thickening or emulsifying), I’ll try to rank them for you. Let’s say you’re buying some almond milk, and there are a bunch of different brands that use different additives. First, do your best to avoid carrageenan. As I mentioned in the article, the concerns have been largely overblown, but it definitely shows the highest potential for harm among the additives we’ve discussed, and with all of the choices available to us, it should be pretty easy to find a brand that doesn’t use it.

Next, I would avoid tara and gellan gums, not because they appear to be harmful, but because we have less information on them.

I’d probably rank guar gum above xanthan gum because it’s derived from a food instead of a bacterial exopolysaccharide, and it isn’t produced using common food allergens. Locust bean gum is probably on about the same level as guar gum, although based on the available studies, the gut symptoms associated with locust bean gum appear to be less severe.

Gum arabic seems the least likely to create digestive symptoms, and it even stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria, so out of all the gums, it appears to be the least problematic.

Finally, just remember that the overall quality of your diet is far more important than how well you avoid these additives. Luckily, the two correlate pretty well!

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229 Comments

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  1. Your articles are always great. Thank you so much to explain such a details information.
    You are helping me a lot with my son’s diet.
    I bought a coconut milk that contained both carrageenan and guard gum.
    Many thanks

  2. I have recently experienced two separate allergic reactions from ingesting a whey protein product mixed with a different brand almond milk on each occurance. A review of the almond milk ingredients revealed both contain xanthan gum, carrageenan, and guar gum. The whey protein, which I have consumed fairly frequently, also contains xanthan gum. I am hyper allergic to any food product containing the most minute amount of penicillin(generally beef and dairy products).
    Unfortunately, I have not yet read Chris’ previous articles in his series.
    Has anyone had similar resulting reactions from the above noted gum products?

  3. Thank you SO much for this article and all the others regarding gums! Finally I have a clue what is going on with me and I will do a test over the next weeks to see how I do trying to avoid these gums that are in all my GF foods (very sensitive to gluten and dairy – major gas, discomfort and not pretty gm’s.) Have not been able to figure out why I am still having digestive problems when I’ve been staying away from gluten and wheat! I will reply to my own post if I remember, so I can report my findings. This morning I had my probiotic soy yogourt from bioK, black coffee (a must despite the digestive implications) and GF pure oat flour pancakes with a tiny bit of pure maple syrup from Quebec. The pancake mix containing only oat flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar, from the company called Only Oats which I bought from Community Natural Foods so I know the source is decent. That was a few hours ago… so far so good.

    • correction in the second sentence – in parentheses: not pretty gm’s not gm’s!

      Since all GM’s are inherently not pretty 😉

        • But you gave me a good morning chuckle…..so thank you! Perhaps your original typo was nature’s assistance with discretion!

        • Yes Lisa my whole family is gluten free and even though they are gluten free oats we still react to them. I have read that there is a form of gluten in oats and some people are reactive to this form of gluten as well. So basically it’s no oats for us, although we have recently discovered quinoa flakes which are a great replacement.

    • Lisa —

      I also get major gas and discomfort from gluten and dairy….AND from soy and oats. So therein may lay your culprits. Dealing with digestive issues can unfortunately mean avoiding more than just gluten and dairy (and guar gum?)!

  4. We found by food elimination and re introductions that My daughter and I both are allergic to Guar Gum. My daughter is Gluten free * from an allergy of mold that grows on wheat* and so in buying things gluten free we were exposed to Guar Gum and both would get very ill.
    In our test and food rotations also Ameranth was another. We just eat lots of whole foods and veggies 🙂
    It is tough to find foods without gums most of the time.

    • Correction Amaranth is My allergy. We have kept it away from our daughter since she would break out from Natural juice boxes that used it for color.

  5. I’m looking at the additives as an option to use in wheat free baking. Some options I like better than others, haven’t decided which is best but this info is extremely helpful.
    Thx!

  6. I understand the reference to the animal studies, however, I am not a rat, or a dog and I doubt that anyone is really interested on how these chemicals react on them! I want to know what they do to humans! This animal testing that still continues is rediculous, most studies on animals do not reflect the same results on humans. That being said, I love this site and know you are referring to what is available.
    Thanks

    • Hi Carol, He mentioned quite a lot about the effects on humans and cited human studies where available, in addition to the animal studies. Did you read the whole article?

  7. I am enjoying your discussion about the “gum” additives now being used and studied. I would like to see, as additional information added to your articles, the components for fiber, carbohydrate, protein, and fat. I need this information due to being diagnosed with Type2 diabetes. I am looking for a replacement for wheat noodles, with a high fiber/protein content. Thanks for the info!

    • Good news! There are red and green lentil pastas on the market! Just lentils, nothing else.

  8. My daughter used a product frm herbalife three years ago for about a month She has been.suffering with severe bloating belching excessive gas and stomach cramps for three years now What can she use to for relief please?

    • Jessy, I would recommend she try introducing kefir, a highly probiotic dairy product, in order to repopulate the good bacteria in her gut. I would be happy to send you some kefir grains that you simply add to milk (raw if possible) to culture it in about 24 hours. You are welcome to contact me at [email protected] thanks!

    • By all means change the diet. But if you can’t find the source of irritation, There is an herb called devil’s claw which reduces inflammation all over but especially in the intestinal tract. It lowers blood sugar a few points so if you’re diabetic take cats claw instead.

  9. Great info here.. You don’t see the investigations like this of the items buried at the bottom of your typical ingredient list.. I have actually noticed the link between these gums and increased gas, believe it or not.

  10. Really enjoying this series. I’ve encouraged several of my clients to visit your blog recently when they have questions about these additives. I can tell them these things are safe or not, but it gives them a resources when they get home. Keep up the good research!

      • Yes, I too cannot eat brown rice. With my IBS, the fiber in it tears me up! But I am able to eat Jasmine white rice with no problem. I find that if I avoid high fiber foods, my intestines are so much happier. The more fiber I eat, the worse the constipation is, but if I stick to low fiber and mostly soluble fiber, I have no problem.

  11. Has anyone heard of Caragum? I am trying to find out what blend of gums are in it, I have gotten conflicting data…

    Thanks

  12. Speaking of prebiotics.
    After listening to the podcast with Jeff Leach I was curious about using onion powder, mixed in water, the same way people use potato starch as a prebiotic. I’m not suggesting replacing cooked food with powder, but as a supplement to a nutritious diet and busy schedule.Might that be a beneficial way for increasing levels of Bifidobacterium?
    Thanks Chris

  13. Thank you for this article, I have forwarded it to some friends…i’ll bet that arrowroot is also not good for the gut as well, right?

  14. Very interesting post, Chris. Does the guar gum and locust gum seem to behave in a way similar to *resistant starch* – promoting beneficial microbes and modulating blood glucose? Would you classify potato starch and tapioca starch as similar to the guar and locust gum?

  15. Thank you Chris for the informative series. Patients are often confused about selecting foods containing these ingredients and the data you present will give them a good basis for making informed choices.

  16. Really enjoying this series so far. Maybe it’s already in the pipeline already, but I’d love to see an evaluation of titanium dioxide.

  17. Seems you have left out two items which are commonly used and which some have reported to have long term detrimental effects: di-calcium phosphate, which is reported to inhibit mineral absorption, and microcrystalline cellulose, which is indigestible and may build up in the body.

    • Robert, could you point me toward your sources for the long term detrimental effect of microcrystalline cellulose? My googling so far has failed to turn it up. Thanks.

        • By the way, as a mega-herb and vitamin “imbiber,” I have personal anecdotal experience with cellulose capsules. I had to find alternative forms of encapsulated nutrients after severe stomach pains and “blockages.” These were eliminated after I reduced the number of capsules I take daily.

    • I am probably the one in a million, but I find myself allergic to the bean gum families. I was going around very unwell, with a pulling in my ears, stuffy head, sudden dizzy spells, and going around for 8 months trying to stay on my feet because of a feeling of unbalance.

      One day my sister and I went shopping with me hanging onto the cart, and when we were done, we stopped and got some ice cream from Wendy’s.

      The next day, and the day after that, I was so off my balance, I could barely stand up. I realized that it was that large amount of ice cream that sent me there. I read the ingredients of a half gallon of ice cream in my freezer and found the Locust bean gum, the Caro gum and the carragenna, all three in the ice cream.

      I stopped eating ice cream, and everything that has any of the three compounds in the food. I came out of the dizzy spells and the wobbiling around, even though there are still smaller symptoms left over.

      I’m still searching for other ingredients that is harming me.