Locust bean gum

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Infant spit-up and digestion³

  In infants, formula with locust bean gum led to less spitting up and no looser stools.

• Benefit

  Gut comfort in preterm babies⁴

  In preterm babies, a locust bean gum formula was linked to better gut comfort and breathing, but more research is needed.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  Infant zinc levels⁷

  In piglet studies, locust bean gum lowered blood zinc levels, and for some infant exposures the safety margin stayed above 1.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Gut and heart health⁵

  Locust bean gum is a fiber that may help with bowel movements, diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer.

How it’s made and used

• Low-fat sausage quality²

  Adding locust bean gum with xanthan helped low-fat sausages hold water and fat, and tasters liked them up to 1%.

• Food texture and stability⁶

  Locust bean gum is added to dairy, frozen and baked foods to improve thickness, texture and stability.

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 two findings in people. 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.