Guar gum and blood fats in people with type 2 diabetes
What it found
In people with type 2 diabetes, guar gum lowered total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
It also lowered triglycerides when taken at 20 g/day or more.
What they found
Studies in people
Total cholesterol dropped
Taking guar gum lowered total cholesterol by about 20.32 mg/dL in people with type 2 diabetes.
LDL cholesterol dropped
Guar gum lowered LDL cholesterol by about 14.52 mg/dL in people with type 2 diabetes.
Triglycerides at higher doses
Doses of 20 g/day or more lowered triglycerides by 12.55 mg/dL. Lower doses made almost no difference, dropping them by only 1.84 mg/dL.
HDL cholesterol unchanged
Guar gum did not change HDL cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
What the authors conclude
- They say guar gum lowers certain blood fats in people with type 2 diabetes, especially total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
- They advise that more research is needed to confirm these findings.
How it was done
People with type 2 diabetes often have high blood fats, and current treatments are not always enough. Scientists wanted to see if fiber supplements like guar gum could help lower these levels.
They searched five research databases for trials up to January 2021. They found 11 papers that met their criteria and combined the results. All trials studied people with type 2 diabetes who took guar gum.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These trials looked only at people with type 2 diabetes, so we cannot tell what happens in other people.
- The trials were short, so we cannot tell if these changes last over many years.
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 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error