Guar Gum Benefits And Side Effects

guar flour guar gum

The Guar is a herbaceous perennial and belongs to the Leguminosae family, that grows in Asia and North America, the scientific name is cyanopsis tetragonolobus.

Guar Gum Benefits

Refining the seeds you get dried flour with high Hygroscopicity, i.e. ability to absorb water molecules; This feature makes it an excellent thickening and gelling agent that is used in the food industry in ice creams, puddings, sauces, in feeding stuffs, and in supplements.

Guar flour is also known as Guar gum, from a standpoint of substances is classified as a rubber, and belongs to the large family of fibres; even the industry cosmetics uses it in detergents, in moisturizers, hair products. Guar flour is chemically formed for 70/80% by chains of polysaccharides, the rest are protein, fat, fiber, water and traces of iron.

Guar gum is used in foods for diabetics because it decreases the absorption of sugars; It also has a cholesterol-lowering activity, it in fact decreases the circulating blood cholesterol levels, in part by inhibiting the synthesis and slowing their absorption.

The decrease in the absorption of sugars for diabetics has the effect of losing weight; the effect is twofold, in addition to quantitative decreases of sugars the guar fibrous nature causes that the quantities from the bloodstream are absorbed more slowly, resulting in less chance of triggering the cycle of insulin, one of the most common causes of overweight and obesity.

Another effect of guar gum is increased fat excretion during bile bowel movements; carries out an activity as strongly hydrophilic booster of water with enlargement of its mass.

This feature has a dual effect: it decreases appetite and swelling the feces, facilitates the constipation. The decreased appetite, coupled with the reduction in the absorption of sugars, is the reason why the guar gum is used in the treatment of obese people. The recommended daily dose is 7 grams taken with meals.

Today there is also a type of partially hydrolyzed guar gum that remains liquid gels, and is able to give water to the stool in case of constipation and absorb it in case of diarrhea, acting as a veritable intestinal regulator.

Guar Gum Side Effects

As possible side effects aside from the possible hypersensitivity to the product  also include the ability to flatulence and intestinal disorders.