Acacia gum

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Weight and blood sugar³

  In adults, acacia gum was linked to lower weight, BMI and fasting blood sugar, but scientists say the evidence is still limited.

• No harm found

  Cholesterol levels⁴

  In people, acacia gum did not change cholesterol levels, unlike other fibers tested.

• Open question

  Hunger and fullness⁵

  People felt fuller and less hungry after taking acacia gum, though some had bloating and gas.

• Benefit

  Weight and blood pressure in diabetes⁶

  In people with type 2 diabetes, taking acacia gum daily for 3 months lowered BMI, belly fat scores and systolic blood pressure.

• Benefit

  Body weight and fat⁷

  Women who took acacia gum daily for six weeks lost some weight and body fat.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood sugar health⁸

  In people with or at risk of metabolic syndrome, acacia gum lowered blood pressure and fasting blood sugar.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria balance⁹

  Eating acacia gum daily raised helpful gut bacteria in people, with about 10 grams working best.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol and digestion¹⁰

  In men, acacia gum lowered cholesterol but did not change blood sugar or stool weight.

• Concern

  Gut comfort¹¹

  Some men who ate a lot of the acacia gum formula had bloating, gas and loose stools.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Tooth enamel erosion¹⁸

  In lab studies, acacia gum added to citric acid left tooth enamel harder than acid alone.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria balance¹⁹

  Acacia gum helped good gut bacteria grow in human feces, much like FOS does.

• Open question

  Nutrient levels in orange waste²⁰

  Acacia gum helped keep vitamin C and flavonoids from breaking down when orange juice leftovers were dried.

• Benefit

  Kidney health²¹

  In people, taking acacia gum raised blood butyrate, which in lab studies calmed kidney cell signals.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  How a food additive works¹²

  Acacia gum is used to help mix and protect ingredients in foods, but how it works is still being studied.

• No harm found

  Additive in baby formula¹³

  Experts looked at acacia gum in formula for very young babies and found no reason for health concern.

• Open question

  Calorie counts on labels¹⁴

  Scientists still cannot agree how many calories Acacia gum actually adds to food.

• No harm found

  Additive purity criteria¹⁷

  Food safety authorities concluded that acacia gum needs no set limit when it meets purity rules.

How it’s made and used

• Food additive quality¹⁵

  Acacia gum in food may be mixed with other gums, and today's rules cannot always tell.

• Vitamin A in yogurt¹⁶

  Acacia gum helped keep the vitamin A in fortified yogurt from breaking down during storage.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.

• UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 1989

  No daily limit needed (“ADI not specified”, JECFA’s term for very low toxicity).