guar gum

[KetoKaren]

Guar gum (a natural vegetable gum) is a great addition to homemade protein shakes (gives them that thick, rich quality), and may be very beneficial to one's health.

I use a 1/4 tsp in my shakes (tried a teaspoon once and couldn't pour it out of the glass very easily).

Although it has some carbs, they are all made up of insoluble fibre.

Below is a link to a study that shows guar gum may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels.

guar gum study (http://www.md-phc.com/nutrition/diabetes/guar.htm)

[Bonnie]

Thanks for this info and link KetoKaren ;)



Bonnie

[IslandGirl]

Soluble and fermentable fibre actually, like all vegetable gums (Guar, Acacia, Xanthan, Carob...) ... the best kind for soothing the intestines, acting as probiotics/prebiotics and, apparently, moderating blood sugars

[KetoKaren]

Cool--thanks IslandGirl!

[Karen]

So then guar gum would make a good laxative?

Guar gum and psyllium shake? Nummy! ;)

Karen

[Kay]

Recipe???
:D

[Karen]

Well, I would take 1 Tbsp. of psyllium husk and 1 tsp. guar gum and mix it with 1 1/2 cups water using a hand blender. There are probably better recipes though. I'll give it some thought ;)

Karen

[IslandGirl]

[ snicker snicker ] !

I'll have that shake with a pinch of seasalt and a dash of clam juice, please... :p

[Kay]

Karen, I knew you could make a recipe for anything!

Seriously, though, folks, would guar gum be of any use in those recipes that we used to thicken with corn starch or flour? I am thinking in particular of stir fry.

[IslandGirl]

I've got a selection of the gums in my cupboard, including the custom blend from Expert Foods Inc., called notStarch.

I use 'em for thickening sauces, occasional soups, shakes, gravies and (ta da!) a little in stirfry when needed.

[Kay]

So, Judi, I am guessing from what you said that it doesn't make any difference if you heat the guar gum. Do you add it before or after you heat the rest of the liquid? Does it thicken instantaneously? Stay thick when hot?

I am thinking of how gelatin, and conversely, flax meal react with hot water.

I have used agar powder, sometimes with success and sometimes with no thickening happening whatsoever. I have used it to made a very nice maple-syrupish concoction, thick at room temperature. I wonder if guar gum would work in this recipe instead?

Hmmm . . .

[Kay]

By the way, Judi, what was that you said about carob?
The carob I've known and loved is a powder (flour) that I used to substitute for cocoa. Any relation?

[doreen T]

I posted a recipe a while back, from the Canadian Flax Council, for a stir-fry sauce using ground flax meal as the thickener. It worked well, and that's what I generally use now. Make sure to grind the meal as finely as possible, or you will have "gritty" sauce.

here's the link - http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3664

Doreen

[Karen]

I used to make hot chocolate with water, cocoa, whipping cream, AS and guar gum. I think I used less than 1/4 tsp. to 12 oz. of liquid. I would blend everything while cold with the hand blender and microwave it. It was like a loose pudding in texture.

Then, of course, I would put gobs of whipping cream on top. Then of course, I stopped making it after it became a nightly winter habit because I was enjoying it too much.:rolleyes:

I was serious about is as a laxative. It might be easier for some people to take than psyllium. Does anybody know?

I suppose I could experiment on myself...:eek:

Karen

[doreen T]

I might try it. I'm allergic to psyllium, and dont' always want to have flax meal every day. I do take the oil every day though.

Guar gum is cheaper than xanthan gum, that's for sure.

Maltitol is a great laxative :eek:

Doreen

[Karen]

Maltitol is a great laxative

Ahh! I should add that to my laxative cocktail along with sea salt and clam juice. ;)

Karen

[Kay]

Hmmm . . . starting to have my doubts about this recipe!!! ;)

[Trifle]

and where do I get it ?

[IslandGirl]

Have you actually Searched the site yet, Trifle? The search button is right up there on the right... I'd be awfully surprised if the info isn't already around about this soluble fiber vegetable gum readily available in Health Food Stores.

[Chris1966]

I've been mulling this over - is this the best place for such a discussion ? Perhaps I should post this in newbie questions? If I get no response, that's what I'll do...

[IslandGirl]

Chris, what's the question?

As for the rest of this thread, silliness aside, note the recent post elsewhere in this Products forum about the Benefiber (a new product from the makers of ExLax , I kid you not) that is, essentially, modified guar gum and being sold as a bulking fiber supplement. In other words, a sort of 'laxative' or promoter of regularity.

All the vegetable gums are soluble fibers. Soluble fiber is beneficial for regularity, blood sugar modulation (in some fashion not quite nailed down but in my opinion may have to do with slowing carbohydrate release from the intestines into the blood stream), etc.

And by the way, a bulking agent promotes regularity and a laxative promotes sudden 'movement'. Soluble fibers (or any fiber) are not laxatives in truth. Senna is a laxative. Yuck!

[IslandGirl]

Carob, xanthan, guar, acacia: these are sources for the fibers.

Carob is also the common name for the 'flour' derived from the carob bean, or the common name for the 'pseudo-chocolate' also derived from the carob bean. That bean gets a lot of processing and is the source for many products.

Kind of like the cocoa bean, which also has some fiber in it but maybe not enough to give rise to a whole industry ...

[Chris1966]

The question ends up being:
What are the most carb-efficient forms of fiber?

I know there's a debate on the relationships between the two (carbs and fiber) and also I'd like more information on the comparative benefits of soluble versus or in concert with insoluble fiber.

It appears that the soluble fibers (guar, etc) act as cellulose "gums" but all I know about the insoluble is that they act as bulking agents in the stool.

In the end I did post this as a question over in newbies and have started reading up on the pointer given to the Cholesterol?heart disease area.

How about a nutients section? A thread on fat, another on fiber, etc?

TIA, Chris.

[IslandGirl]

The question ends up being:
What are the most carb-efficient forms of fiber?


Maybe I'm having a 'stupid' day. What do you mean by carb-efficient ?

My understanding is that 'effective' or digestible carbohydrates (essentially, sugars and starches in the common terminology) are not so good for us, and fiber or relative indigestible carbohydrates ARE good for us.

It appears that the soluble fibers (guar, etc) act as cellulose "gums" but all I know about the insoluble is that they act as bulking agents in the stool.

Ok, it's actually the other way around... cellulose gums are fibers, and I believe cellulose is insoluble (bran, wood fiber, etc.). Vegetable gums are fibers (guar, xanthan, etc) but of the soluble variety (they are basically dissolvable in water or hold water (hydrophilic).

In the end I did post this as a question over in newbies and have started reading up on the pointer given to the Cholesterol?heart disease area.

How about a nutients section? A thread on fat, another on fiber, etc?

Indeed, when you've gotten around this site some more and navigated through the wealth of material, I think you WILL start to find that the Health Concerns forum and the wonderful collection of articles, summaries and tips pretty well covers nutrients discussion, rather than here in the forum targetting specific low carb products discussion.

Enjoy.

[Chris1966]

For this excellent information and guidance.

I'm the one with the brain in a lower gear I think. Certainly I should do some more reading and your suggestion of the general health posts is excellent.

Yours reading, Chris.

[Cinderella]

I use gur gum to thicken my gravey for all meats.

juices from meat
pad or butter
soya sauce
gur gum!!

hugs.....cin

[Nellie]

I use guar gum in cold things, like my shakes, but I dont' like it in hot stuff. Like in soup, it just kinda floats to the top and give food a slimy/slick texture. Is this normal or do I have a low quality guar gum? I bought it at a healthfood store.

Nellie

[nsmith4366]

Guar Gum is made from clusterbeans (a polysaccaride/a sugar) from what I understand. It is not a sugar itself, and it is not a BULK forming fiber but it is a fiber (even though it does thicken things but it does so like a flour would thicken things, it does not 'swell' in the body and give "form" to stools, in fact it does the opposite)...this is what the Benefiber people told me on the phone. It does absorb some liquid, but does not bulk like other soluable fibers, psyllium for example - it can have irritating properties to people because it can act as a laxative...taking too much can lead to diahrea, can trigger IBS/D (in some people).

They say it is a new product and they are still collecting information from the public on effectiveness. The phone number is right on the package.
----------------------------
It is not new/I've seen it before with xanthan gum.
It is being marketed by Novartis, who makes specialty foods for primarily hospitals and people with medical conditions. It is available at a lower price as just guar gum online.

A little won't hurt, but alot will act like senna-or a laxative, not a bulking fiber. I'd say try it, but I don't want you to be out the money - or stuck in the bathroom.

If you have ever had hemmorhoids or IBS or any colon condition this is NOT the fiber you want. Stay with a bulkforming fiber like psyllium - honest. First hand experience.

If you are in normal health, you might use a little if constipated or mixed in a recipe, shake or with your psyllium. I am sure soon, we will hear reports of people who took this 3x a day and developed diahrea (much like the excitement and let down of olean fake fat craze - remember?).

It is meant to be eaten in small amounts, mixed with other foods, and in baking. It will thicken things, much like a flour would, but does NOT bulk up contents of intestine, instead causes a possible urgency problem if eaten in large quantities. It is a soluable fiber made from a bean (but they say its a VEGETABLE fiber - aren't beans legumes?)

------------ Different people may have different experiences...
Psyllium and olive oil work just fine for me.

I think there will be alot of chit chat on this new fiber very soon.

[india]

Hi, I'm new here and was reading your questions, I've been using guar gum to thicken all kinds of things. I got it at a low carb store here. It says to use in baked goods on the package too. I've used it in soups, gravies, and stir fry. I think you could put it in cream and make pudding or something, it doesn't take much!
I don't know for sure about the laxitive qualities that I've notiiced, but then you don't use much or you have solid whatever.