Partially hydrolyzed guar gum and gut bacteria in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests using stool samples from six people, partially hydrolyzed guar gum boosted certain gut bacteria over 24 hours.
The authors say these bacteria are linked to better gut health.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Parabacteroides bacteria rose
In lab tests, one group of bacteria called Parabacteroides grew from 3.48% to 10.62% of all bacteria after 24 hours with the fiber.
Bacteroidetes bacteria rose
Another broad group called Bacteroidetes went from 45.89% to 50.29% of all bacteria over the same 24 hours in the lab.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that partially hydrolyzed guar gum feeds Parabacteroides, a type of bacteria linked to fewer issues with irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.
- They note it also supports other helpful bacteria tied to positive health markers.
- The authors describe it as a prebiotic fiber that ferments easily.
How it was done
Prebiotic fibers pass through the upper gut undigested and feed bacteria lower down. How much they stimulate bacteria varies a lot between people, so the authors wanted to measure that range.
Scientists collected stool samples from six healthy adults who ate a typical Western diet and had no recent antibiotics or gut illness. They exposed the samples to 0.5 g of partially hydrolyzed guar gum in the lab. Bacterial changes were measured at 0, 12 and 24 hours.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are lab tests using stool samples outside the body. They cannot show what happens when someone eats this fiber in real life.
- With only six donors, scientists do not yet know if everyone would see the same bacterial changes.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Minnesota, United States
The paper
- Title
- In vitro analysis of partially hydrolyzed guar gum fermentation on identified gut microbiota
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Carlson J, Gould T, Slavin J (2016). In vitro analysis of partially hydrolyzed guar gum fermentation on identified gut microbiota. Anaerobe. doi:10.1016/j.anaerobe.2016.08.006PubMed 27585552DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error