Guar gum is derived from the seeds of plant Cyamposis tetragonoloba (guar). An annual leguminous plant originating from India and Pakistan, also cultivated in the United States. It is an arid and semi arid plant, tolerates arid conditions valiantly. Its product, the guar gum, is extracted from the guar seed after a multistage industrial process. It is a gel-forming carbohydrate which is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract of mammals including human beings. It is largely used in the form of guar gum powder as an additive in foods, in pharmaceuticals, paper, textiles, explosives, oil well drilling and cosmetics industry. It is also beneficial in the management of many health problems like diabetes, bowel movements, heart disease and colon cancer. The present paper reviews the available information on different aspects of guar gum (production composition, properties, processing, and food applications) along with elaborating its role in reducing diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk and its potential in weight loss program.
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