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Strengthen The Body With Guar Gum

Guar gum can best be described as a natural food thickener, similar to locust bean gum, cornstarch or tapioca flour. Guar gum is said to have significantly more thickening ability than cornstarch, at a fraction of the cost. This has made guar gum a popular additive in products such as puddings and ice creams. Until recently, guar gum was also an ingredient in non-prescription diet pills designed to create a sense of fullness.

The guar plant, also known as a cluster plant, grows primarily in Pakistan and the northern regions of India. It thrives on the drought/monsoon cycles present in those areas. The plants are harvested after the monsoon season and the seeds are allowed to dry in the sun. The seeds are then manually or mechanically separated and processed into flour or sold as split seeds. Guar gum is an important cash crop for the Indian and Pakistani economies.

Galactomannan polymer also known as Guar gum fiber is a complex carbohydrate derived from the seed of specially grown bean plants. This carbohydrate is a long chain linear molecule with a molecular weight of approximately 1 million. The long polymer chains attract and weakly capture water; the long chains physically tangle with one another in solution thus producing viscosity when mixed with water.

Guar beans as we know is grown primarily in Pakistan and India and the beans are harvested and dried following the growing season. The beans are shelled from the pods, the germ and hull removed. The resulting splits are wet-milled into powder; the powder is graded by granulation and quality. Products are re-blended according to specification, bagged and marked.

In summary, guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan. Guar gum is extracted from the guar bean, where it acts as a food and water store. The guar bean is principally grown in India and Pakistan, with smaller crops grown in the U.S., Australia, China, and Africa. The drought-resistant guar bean can be eaten as a green bean, fed to cattle, or used in green manure. Gum, Guar is a white flour-like substance made from an East Indian seed. Use small amounts as a thickener, binder, and volume enhancer.

Look for guar gum at your local or internet health food store in capsule or bulk powder forms. It should only be purchased manufactured by name brand companies to ensure quality and purity.

*Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Guar gum is not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider before changing any medication or adding Vitamins to medications.