Thickener

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Infant reflux and vomiting³

  Thickened formula, made with thickening agents, helped babies spit up less and gain more weight, though reflux barely changed.

• Open question

  Infant spit-up⁴

  Milk thickeners are used for babies who spit up often, but doctors are rechecking how well they work.

• Open question

  Infant growth and weight⁵

  Babies given milk thickener were slightly heavier and longer at age one, but not by age four.

• Open question

  Reflux in babies⁶

  In bottle-fed babies with reflux, thickeners in milk eased symptoms but sometimes made reflux episodes last longer.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria and health⁷

  Functional hydrocolloids used as food additives may help gut bacteria improve host problems, but this is still being studied.

• No harm found

  Water absorption from the gut⁸

  Thickening agents like modified maize starch, guar gum and xanthan gum did not change how fast water was absorbed from the gut.

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.