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Guar gum

Guar g um is a dietary fiber made from the seeds of the guar plant. Guar g um is used as a laxative. It is also used to treat diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and diabetes, to lower cholesterol levels and to prevent arteriosclerosis. In food and beverages, guar gum is used as a thickening, stabilizing and binding agent. In industrial production, guar gum is used as a binding agent in tablets and as a thickening agent in lotions and creams.

How does guar gum work?

Guar g um is a dietary fibre that normalizes the moisture content of the stool, absorbs excess fluid in diarrhoea and softens the stool in constipation. Guar gum may also help to reduce the amount of cholesterol and glucose absorbed in the stomach and intestines. There is interest in using guar gum to aid weight loss as it swells in the intestines and creates a feeling of fullness. This could reduce appetite.

How effective is guar gum?

Guar g um is potentially effective in treating the following conditions:

  • Diarrhea: Adding guar gum to artificial nutrition in ICU patients could shorten episodes of diarrhea from about 30 days to about 8 days.
  • High cholesterol: Taking guar gum appears to lower cholesterol levels in people with high cholesterol levels. Guar gum and pectin, taken in combination with small amounts of insoluble fiber, lower levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol but do not affect levels of "good" HDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
  • Diabetes: Taking guar gum with meals appears to lower blood sugar after meals in diabetics. By slowing gastric emptying, guar gum may also reduce the drop in blood sugar that regularly occurs after meals in diabetics.
  • Constipation
  • Irritable bowel syndrome

Guar g um may be ineffective when used to aid weight loss. There is not enough scientific data to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of guar gum for arteriosclerosis. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of guar gum in this application.

Safety and side effects

Guar g um is probably safe and harmless for most people when taken with sufficient liquid. The liquid is important as it reduces the risk of intestinal blockage. Side effects include flatulence, diarrhea and soft stools. These side effects usually decrease or disappear after a few days of use. Use of large amounts of guar gum or inadequate hydration with guar gum can lead to blockage of the esophagus or intestines.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: The use of guar gum during pregnancy in the usual amounts may be safe and harmless. However, not enough is known about the safety and harmlessness of taking guar gum while breastfeeding, so breastfeeding women should avoid guar gum to be on the safe side.

Intestinal obstruction: You should not take guar gum if you suffer from a disease that can cause intestinal obstruction or narrowing of the esophagus.

Surgeries: Guar gum could affect blood sugar levels and there are therefore concerns that guar gum could affect blood sugar control during and after surgery. For this reason, you should stop taking guar gum two weeks before an operation.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining guar gum with the following medications:

Ethinyl estradiol

Ethinylestradiol is a form of oestrogen contained in some oestrogen products and contraceptive pills. Guar gum can reduce the amount of ethinyl estradiol absorbed by the body. Taking guar gum in conjunction with medications that contain estrogen can reduce the effectiveness of estrogen.

Diabetes medication

Guar g um may lower blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar levels. Taking guar gum in combination with diabetes medication could result in an excessive drop in blood sugar levels. For this reason, blood glucose levels should be carefully monitored. It is possible that the dosage of the diabetes medication may need to be adjusted.

Metformin

Guar gum can reduce the amount of metformin absorbed by the body. Taking guar gum in conjunction with metformin may reduce the effectiveness of metformin.

Penicillin

Guargum can reduce the amount of penicillin absorbed by the body. Taking guar gum in combination with penicillin can reduce the ability of penicillin to fight infections.

Care should be taken when combining guar gum with the following medications:

Digoxin

Some people are concerned that guar gum may reduce the amount of digoxin absorbed by the body. However, it is unlikely that guar gum will significantly reduce the absorption of digoxin.

Dosage

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies:

Oral

  • For constipation: 12 grams per day. You should start with a lower dose of 4 grams per day and slowly increase the dose over time to avoid digestive side effects.
  • For diabetes: 15 grams per day.
  • For high cholesterol levels: 15 grams of guar gum plus pectin per day in combination with 5 grams of insoluble fiber.
  • For irritable bowel syndrome: 5 grams of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG). PHGG is guar gum that has been chemically treated to make it soluble in liquids and prevent it from being destroyed by acid or heat.

References

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