BY JOSEPH GUSTAITIS | FEBRUARY 3, 2023
Xanthan gum is a soluble fiber that is commonly added to foods for various purposes — to thicken liquids, to prevent oil and vinegar separation in salad dressings, and to make ice cream creamier, just to mention some. People with celiac or gluten intolerance appreciate it for its ability to make gluten-free baked products taste more like traditional foods. Now, a new animal study from researchers in Japan indicates that thickeners based on xanthan gum can lower blood sugar levels after eating.
Many foods have been recommended for lowering blood sugar, some with more convincing evidence than others. Among them are broccoli, vinegar, pumpkin, nuts, beans, flax and chia seeds, avocados, and eggs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises, “If you have diabetes or prediabetes, fiber is your friend because it helps with blood sugar control and weight management…. Because the body is unable to absorb and break down fiber, it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar the way other carbohydrates can. This can help keep your blood sugar in your target range.” And because xanthan gum is a fiber, it’s not surprising that the new study reports its beneficial effect on blood sugar.
For their experiment the researchers, who were from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, used two clusters of rats. For a period of five weeks, one group of seven was given a xanthan-gum-thickened liquid and another group of seven received saline. The rats underwent a variety of tests. For example, an oral glucose tolerance test was done four weeks after the start of the experiment, RNA was extracted from the internal tissues, fasting plasma concentration of insulin was measured, and DNA was extracted from rat feces.
Xantham gum linked to lower after-meal glucose in rats
After the trial period, the researchers reported that although there was no difference in body weight between the two groups, “the results showed blood glucose levels at 60 to 90 minutes after eating were significantly lower in rats that received the thickened liquid.” They also determined that the microbiome (population of organisms) of the gut had been altered, a finding consistent with previous studies. In technical terms, they explained, “Xanthan gum is a viscous soluble fiber that forms a non-diffusible aqueous layer, which affects the rate of diffusion of nutrients into the intestinal lumen … and inhibits nutrient absorption by prolonging absorption time.”
“In conclusion,” the authors stated, “the administration of a xanthan gum-based fluid thickener could decrease postprandial blood glucose level…. This is the first study to show the suppressive effect of fluid thickeners on postprandial blood glucose with evaluating comprehensive gene expression in the ileum and gut microbiome. Xanthan gum-based fluid thickeners may ameliorate glucose/lipid metabolism.”
Although xanthan gum is available for purchase, it’s meant to be used as a food thickener, not a nutritional supplement, and it would be premature to suggest that people with diabetes should start ingesting it. Besides, unpleasant side effects have been reported, and there is some concern among health professionals that xanthan gum can interfere with some diabetes medications. As the authors cautioned, “ … the biological effects of fluid thickener on postprandial blood glucose levels, gene expression in the gastrointestinal tract and gut microbiome have not been fully clarified…. Further studies are required to clarify the clinical effects and identify the bioactive components in xanthan gum-based fluid thickener.”
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