Guar gum - what is it? This issue began to worry the population of the CIS countries after the public began to pay attention to the content of chemical additives in food products. Among the concerns are not only modified starch and citric acid, but also guar gum. What is it and how much can it harm human health? Let's understand and answer this question with all possible objectivity.
Guar gum - what is it?
To understand what properties this additive has, the chemical nature of this substance should be studied. Guar gum, also called resin or guar, is a carbohydrate compound. It is extracted from juice (exudate) when the bark of a plant is damaged or when processing the fruits of a pea tree. Substances such as agar-agar and gum arabic have a similar chemical composition. Due to its viscosity, guar gum has the same properties of a thickener. What is it from the point of view of industrial use? In the production of both food products and various consumer goods, it is repeatedly required to thicken and gel a variety of mixtures and solutions to give them viscosity. The ability to stabilize the consistency of various products inherent in a substance such as guar gum (its use in the paper industry as glue, emulsion and suspension has long been an integral part of the process) is very important in industry.
Where does the gum add?
The food industry nevertheless remains the main area where this substance is in great demand. Pea tree extract as a stabilizer and thickener is very popular also because it is low-calorie, has no pronounced taste. For example, it is added to dairy products to achieve a denser consistency; in ice cream so that ice forms in it at a higher temperature and ice crystals do not spoil the texture of the treat; in hard cheese blanks - to increase the yield of finished products. In bakery products, guar gum (its price is very affordable) can improve the taste and color of the crust. The meat industry uses this supplement to make it easier to work with minced meat. Gum has the ability to improve ductility, as well as increase the shelf life of products. This supplement is approved for use in Russia and found to be safe. But you still need to consider that its content should not exceed the recommended level. Otherwise, gum can adversely affect human health.
Guara and the body
This substance is popular in various vitamin supplements and dietary supplements due to its ability to reduce appetite and cholesterol. Guara is also a mild laxative; it can remove some toxins from the body. But an overdose of this substance threatens the appearance of nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain. Therefore, you need to carefully consider the choice of food additives and give preference to more well-known and reliable manufacturers.