Xanthan gum in liquid feed and blood sugar in people
What it found
In five healthy young adults, a liquid feed with xanthan gum added led to lower blood sugar 20 minutes after drinking than the same feed without it.
The authors say xanthan gum may help slow the rise in blood sugar after eating.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar at 20 minutes
Blood sugar 20 minutes after drinking was lower in the xanthan gum group (84 mg/dL) than in the control group (107 mg/dL). The authors report this difference as significant.
Overall blood sugar rise
The total rise in blood sugar over 120 minutes was smaller with xanthan gum than without it. The authors report this difference as significant.
Fasting blood sugar
Before drinking, blood sugar levels were about the same in both groups.
Later blood sugar levels
At 40 and 60 minutes, blood sugar was slightly lower with xanthan gum than without it. At 120 minutes, the effect was no longer seen in these healthy volunteers.
Other findings
How it might work
The authors suggest xanthan gum's high thickness may slow the movement of carbohydrates in the gut, which could explain the lower blood sugar. They say this is different from how diabetes drugs called alpha-glucosidase inhibitors work.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that xanthan gum may not only help increase dietary fiber intake but may also reduce the dosage of drugs given to patients with diabetes.
- They note that they only looked at a single drink with xanthan gum, so further studies are needed on both short-term and long-term intake in patients with diabetes.
- They also warn that too much soluble fiber may cause diarrhea and can reduce the absorption of minerals and vitamins.
How it was done
The authors had already found that a semi-solid feed with xanthan gum lowered blood sugar after meals in rats. They wanted to see whether the same effect happens in people.
Five healthy volunteers aged 21 to 22 (2 men and 3 women) fasted for 12 hours, then drank 150 mL of the liquid feed Meibalance with or without 1.0% xanthan gum on two separate days a week apart. Blood sugar was measured before drinking and at 20, 40, 60 and 120 minutes after.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a small study of five healthy young adults, so the results may not apply to other people, such as older adults or those with diabetes.
- Blood insulin levels were not measured, so the effect on insulin is not known.
- The study only tested one drink with xanthan gum, so it cannot show what happens with long-term use.
The paper
- Title
- The Addition of Xanthan Gum to Enteral Nutrition Suppresses Postprandial Glycemia in Humans
- Type
- Clinical trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Tanaka H, Nishikawa Y, Kure K, Tsuda K, Hosokawa M (2018). The Addition of Xanthan Gum to Enteral Nutrition Suppresses Postprandial Glycemia in Humans. Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology. doi:10.3177/jnsv.64.284Free full textPubMed 30175792DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error