Guar gum and blood fats in type 2 diabetes
What it found
In people with type 2 diabetes, guar gum lowered total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and at doses of 20 g/day or more it also lowered triglycerides.
It made no difference to HDL cholesterol.
What they found
Studies in people
Total cholesterol
Guar gum supplementation significantly reduced total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes.
LDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol also fell significantly with guar gum supplementation.
Triglycerides and dose
At doses of 20 g/day or more, guar gum led to a notable drop in triglycerides. At lower doses, there was little change.
HDL cholesterol
Guar gum had no effect on HDL cholesterol.
What the authors conclude
“Guar gum consumption has lipid-lowering effects when administered to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and it is particularly able to reduce TC, LDL-C and TG levels.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that guar gum consumption has lipid-lowering effects in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- They say it is particularly able to reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- They advise that further research is needed to confirm their findings.
How it was done
Dyslipidemia is common in type 2 diabetes and current ways to manage it are still not good enough, so the authors looked at whether fiber supplements like guar gum could help.
They searched five databases for randomized controlled trials of guar gum in people with type 2 diabetes, up to January 2021, and included 11 papers in the analysis.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This analysis can show that guar gum was linked to changes in blood fats in the trials studied, but it cannot prove cause and effect.
- It cannot show whether guar gum affects heart disease or other health outcomes.
- It cannot show what happens in people without type 2 diabetes.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, China; Hospital of Southern Medical University, China; The First affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, China
The paper
- Title
- The effect of guar gum consumption on the lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Li J, Chen R, Chen Y, et al (2023). The effect of guar gum consumption on the lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1981228PubMed 34558350DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error