If you are quite a regular in the kitchen and have a knack for baking, chances are you are already familiar with guar gum. For those who are still waiting to discover this ingredient, let me introduce it as white powdery edible substance, that’s obtained from the beans of a legume plant, guar, widely grown in Pakistan and India. Before I go on to tell you the various guar gum uses, let me share with you some knowledge on this legume powder.

Know guar gum

The guar plant is synonymous to cluster plant, which is grown in North India and Pakistan, and is considered an important cash crop for both the economies. The seeds of guar plant are harvested post monsoon, after which, they are sundried and processed to be made available commercially in the form of guar gum powder or split seeds.

Various guar gum uses

Thickener

Most of the guar gum uses relate to the culinary world as a natural thickener in foods, having similar uses like the cornstarch, locust bean gum, carageenan or tapioca flour. Guar gum happens to have a greater effect in thickening foods than the more easily available cornstarch and that too, at only a fraction of the costs of the ingredients already mentioned. This has made the ingredient a popular inclusion in ice creams and puddings. Guar gum is also commonly used in thickening sauces, soups, cheese recipes and even some beverages like smoothies and shakes.

Binder

Apart from finding use as a thickening agent, guar gum also makes way to the kitchen as a plasticizer and a binder, which prevents the refreezing ice-cream from forming grainy crystals. Guar gum uses are also exemplary in food processing, especially in cream based processed foods, where the quality of the food is maintained by the guar gum which acts as the food binder, without which the ingredients could easily dissolve into a watery mess.

Appetite suppressor

The guar gum uses are not just limited to the kitchen as they are quite useful in creating diet pills too, as they are known to give a sense of fullness, reducing the appetite and bringing about weight loss.

Xanthan gum substitute

One of the guar gum uses is to substitute for xanthan gum, which is another popular binder used in sauces and creamy dishes. However, since people allergic to corn cannot consume foods containing the xanthan gum, which is made from corn syrup, guar gum replaces this ingredient.

Guar Gum Side Effects

Guar gum is good only as long as it is used as a food additive and used in trace amounts. This is because; guar gum comprises water soluble fibers, which when taken in large amounts can leave a laxative effect on the digestive tract. But then again, the guar gum uses cannot be extended in relieving constipation as it has a number of other side effects. One main reason is that when guar gum binds with liquid inside the stomach, it swells up to a bigger size owing to high viscosity and causes gastrointestinal distress with serious complications. Diabetic patients may even experience fluctuations in their glucose level.

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