Is Acacia Gum Safe?

Do you ever think what the product called Gum Arabic used in snacks like cookies, candy bars, ice cream, and carbonated beverages is? Gum Arabic is a type of plant-derived resin.

You may consider it like an edible glue, an organic volumizing agent, and a filler that brings the additives together. We have further rounded up all the useful details regarding Acacia Gum to help you decide whether it's safe to use.

What is Acacia Gum?

Gum Arabic, also classified as or Acacia gum, is usually present in dried, packed products. It is made up of a combination of glycoproteins, a family of proteins with carbohydrate units connected to the polypeptide chains. It also contains oligosaccharides, which is a particular form of carbohydrate.

Is it Safe to Use?

Acacia gum is deemed organic, safe to eat, and usually healthy to human ingestion. Studies suggest that it is non-toxic, mainly when used in standard or reasonable doses, and is accepted by people with gluten sensitivity.

Although gum is believed to be hard to digest to both people and animals, it has been deemed healthy food fiber by the United States Food and Drug Administration since 1970. However, if swallowed in abundance, it may lead to nausea, intestinal cramping, and increased gas or flatulence.  Acacia gum can also cause allergies.

Benefits of Acacia Gum

The following are some benefits of Acacia gum:

• Not only can Acacia gum cause the bread and baked products like cookies to rise, but it will also introduce an organic soluble fiber to the foods.
• Acacia gum is a popular prebiotic and a type of soluble dietary fiber that ensures that people cannot absorb carbohydrates. This is beneficial when it comes to intestinal health, digestive system, and even heart health because of how soluble fiber tends to stabilize cholesterol levels.
• If you have consumed acacia gum, it will ferment in the large intestine with microbes' aid. They assist to effectively nourish healthy probiotic bacteria in the gut, which have many vital functions. Acacia gum can also bring about an increase in the prebiotic impact.

• As it is a rich form of dietary fiber, acacia gum may make a person feel full, help prevent hunger pangs and bingeing, and potentially aid with losing weight and lower cholesterol rates.
• Acacia gum is also a strong disinfectant and expectorant.
• Roots and leaves of the plant are squashed and often used on the skin to control swelling, allergic reaction, injuries, pests, and other infections. Small quantities of the plant can also be ingested or applied to the mouth to effectively cure bleeding, dental problems, and teeth pain.
• A few other typical acacia applications include rinsing it for the swollen throat, cleaning the skin with it for psoriasis and burns, using it to conjunctivitis in eyewashes, and applying it to blisters.

Final Word

Acacia gum is a natural product that has been deemed safe to use in all food items. However, since it is mostly used in processed foods, laden with sugar, those processed foods should be avoided, and the gum can be used independently for its multiple benefits.

Reference:

https://draxe.com/nutrition/gum-arabic/