Guar Gum Emerging as Health Ingredient

At the Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan, Sprague Dawley rats experienced an almost 30% drop in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels following an eight-week diet of chapatis, Indian flatbreads, made with 3 grams of guar gum per 100 grams of flour.

For the study, researchers blended commercial wheat flour with legumes, such as lentil and chickpea, and guar gum in various combinations to make composite flours for the preparation of chapatis. The greatest increase in the flours fiber content (35.3%) occurred when guar gum was added at 3%, leading researchers to conclude that five chapatis per day prepared from selected compositions provides an extra five to eight grams of dietary fiber that is helpful in lowering cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic individuals.

The study is published in LWTFood Science and Technology (2007; 40, 7:1198-1205).

Guar gum, derived from the endosperm of the seed of the legume plant, Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, is commonly used in small quantities in food products as a thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer, and is FDA-approved for such use.