What the heck is guar gum?

Our BBQ, Curry and Mediterranean Tempeh Pieces contain guar gum and we sometimes get questions about it. So, we made this short and sweet guar gum guide for you. We hope you find it helpful.

_{Disclaimer: This post is an introduction to guar gum and is for informational purposes only. This post should not be taken as professional medical advice.}

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What is guar gum?

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Guar gum is a natural, soluble dietary fibre. It’s used to thicken and stabilise food products, so we can have tastier, more consistent products. Thanks guar gum!

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Health benefits of guar gum

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According to some scientific articles (listed at the end of this post), guar gum can also have positive health effects. For example, it can help with fibre intake, help control bowel movements, and it has the potential to promote lipid health and prevent cardiovascular disease. Guar gum is no one-trick pony.

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Are there any downsides to guar gum?

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We’re all unique and some people have reported that guar gum can irritate their tummy. If that's the case, it's wise to avoid it or limit its intake.
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A photo of a nutritious and supercharged protein meal: Two beautifully presented bowls of Mango Tempeh Curry made with Better Nature Tempeh.

Guar gum and our products

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Why do we use guar gum? As mentioned, we use guar gum in our marinated tempeh pieces as it helps spread the marinade evenly so you don't end up with loads of marinade on one piece and none on another.

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All is not lost even if guar gum doesn't suit you. You can still enjoy our Organic Tempeh and Smoky Tempeh, which don't use it.

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Summary

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Guar gum:

is a natural, soluble dietary fibre
is used to thicken and stabilise food products to improve their quality
can have positive health effects like the potential to promote lipid health
can irritate the tummies of some individuals. So if you’re sensitive to it, it’s wise to limit its intake
is used in our BBQ, Curry and Mediterranean Tempeh Pieces but not in our Organic Tempeh or Smoky Tempeh‍

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The end. Thank you for coming to our TedTalk.

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_Sources:

_{https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900702010328}

_{https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-011-0522-x}

_{https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523314916}

_{https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464621002541}

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