Roll Call

“Guar?”Here!guar gum

Plant

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As a supplement

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.

A soluble fiber ground from the seed of the guar plant, a legume grown mainly in India and Pakistan. In supplements it usually appears as a fine powder or thickening agent.

Why it’s used

Taken as a source of soluble fiber, often for support with post-meal blood sugar response, cholesterol, or a feeling of fullness.

What the evidence is for

reducing the rise in blood glucose after a meal.

What the evidence says

The European Food Safety Authority has recognized guar gum's soluble fiber content as supporting a reduced rise in blood glucose after a meal when it replaces other carbohydrate sources.

Context

Trials supporting the glycemic-response claim generally used guar gum consumed with or added to a meal rather than at other times of day. Weight-loss trials used higher intakes over weeks and did not show benefit.

Rumors

  1. Reducing the rise in blood glucose after a meal.

    Not gradedhealth and safety evidence

    Sources cited — no verdict reached.

    What was measured is not yet noted.