Gum arabic and heart and blood sugar measures in adults
What it found
In six randomised trials in adults, gum arabic lowered weight, BMI and fasting blood sugar compared with placebo.
The authors say these results should be taken cautiously.
What they found
Studies in people
Weight and BMI
Gum arabic significantly reduced BMI and weight in adults across the six trials. In a sub-analysis, weight reduction was statistically significant in the healthy group.
Fasting blood sugar
Gum arabic significantly reduced fasting blood sugar in adults. The authors note high heterogeneity for this outcome.
Lipid outcomes
Lipid parameters were assessed in the trials, but the results section does not report a significant pooled effect for them.
HbA1c
HbA1c was one of the outcomes assessed, but the results section does not report a significant pooled effect for it.
What the authors conclude
“GA showed some effect on lowering weight, BMI, and glycemic control in adults.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that GA showed some effect on lowering weight, BMI, and glycemic control in adults.
- They suggest that GA may be a promising nutritional intervention for managing cardiometabolic risk factors and weight reduction in adults.
- They advise that these results should be taken cautiously due to the limited number of trials, short follow-up periods, and high heterogeneity for fasting blood glucose.
How it was done
Gum arabic has shown a vital effect in improving glycemic, lipid, and cardiometabolic outcomes in adults, but its overall effect remains uncertain because findings have been inconsistent across studies for weight, BMI, FBG, and HbA1c, and no quantitative meta-analysis has established its pooled effect.
The authors searched PubMed, Cochrane Central, and Scopus for randomised controlled trials comparing any dose of oral gum arabic to placebo or standardised treatment in adults, including healthy individuals and those with type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome. Six trials with 476 participants met the inclusion criteria.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The review pools only six trials with short follow-up periods, so it cannot show what happens over the long term.
- The high heterogeneity for fasting blood sugar means the pooled result for that outcome is uncertain.
- The trials were too few to draw firm conclusions about effects in different groups of people.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Ross University School of Medicine, Barbados; Geisinger Medical Center, PA US; Nobles Hospital, UK
The paper
- Title
- Effects of oral gum arabic supplementation on glycemic and lipid outcomes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Jumaa MA, Budh DP, Nazir Q, Rahman MJ, Radix C (2026). Effects of oral gum arabic supplementation on glycemic and lipid outcomes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders. doi:10.1007/s40200-026-02034-yFree full textPubMed 42571068DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error