Xanthan gum is a natural substance made from bacteria and is essential for baking recipes. It acts as a stabilizing agent in baked goods, keeping them soft and moist. Without it, keto baking can turn out dry and crumbly. The best xantham gum for cooking keto is free of gluten and other grains, and it is also low in calories and low in carbs. This gum can help you create delicious, healthy meals. In this context, understanding xanthan gum nutrition facts are important for people who may be using it regularly in their diet. In the following sections, we will provide a nutrition facts table for xanthan gum and discuss its nutritional properties in more detail.
Xanthan gum, which you undoubtedly eat weekly, is it. Because it’s in numerous industrial products and linked to respiratory and intestinal diseases, many people worry about its safety. Xanthan gum is safe, according to the FDA. As a supplement and gluten-free component, it is growing in popularity. It may lower cholesterol and blood sugar.
Xanthan Gum Nutrition Facts
Xanthan gum is an additive often used in food production as a thickener or stabilizer. Here’s a table with the nutrition facts for one teaspoon (2.5g) of xanthan gum:
| Nutrition Facts for Xanthan Gum | Per 1 teaspoon (2.5g) |
| Calories | 10 |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 5mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 2g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Protein | 0g |
| Vitamin D | 0mcg |
| Calcium | 5mg |
| Iron | 0.1mg |
| Potassium | 30mg |
Since it is mostly utilized as a thickening or stabilizer in food preparations, xanthan gum is usually taken in very small amounts.
What is Xanthan Gum?
In various recipes, Xanthan gum is a popular food additive used as a thickening or stabilizer. It is produced due to sugar fermentation by bacteria known as Xanthomonas campestris. Sugar produces a broth or goo-like liquid that can be solidified by adding an alcoholic beverage during the fermentation process. After that, it is dried and ground into a powder.
A liquid is thickened and stabilized by adding xanthan gum powder, which dissolves fast and forms a viscous solution. It thickens, suspends, and stabilizes various products. Since 1963, scientists have thoroughly researched and found it safe. Hence, the FDA has approved xanthan gum as a food additive without limits.
Even though it is created in a laboratory, it is a soluble fiber. Soluble fibers are carbohydrates that your body is unable to digest. They absorb water and produce a gel in the digestive tract, slowing digestion. Xanthan gum is indigestible and provides no calories or nutrients.
Health Benefits of Xanthan Gum
The FDA has cleared xanthan gum as a food additive but not for medical use. Before taking xanthan gum for any health reason, consult your doctor.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a long-term illness that affects the body’s capacity to process sugar. Blood sugar levels that are too high can harm neurons, eyes, blood vessels, and kidneys.12 g of xanthan gum reduced blood sugar levels during a fast and 2 hours after meals in a 12-week trial of 9 diabetic patients. In this study, no severe stomach issues were noted.
The xanthan gum mixture provided the most significant drop in blood sugar in a trial of 14 healthy male individuals and four juice blends. Xanthan gum reduced glucose concentrations without changing digestive fluid thickness in a comparable simulation of the digestive process.
If you eat a lot of rice, xanthan gum may help you avoid adverse effects. Rice causes a blood sugar increase that lasts about 30 minutes, and Xanthan gum decreased this blood sugar increase in humans in a study of 11 healthy volunteers.
Constipation
Xanthan gum demonstrated powerful laxative effects on the human body in a study of 18 volunteers. Supplementation with xanthan gum improved the amount and frequency of stool output. Xanthan gum enhanced the number and frequency of bowel motions in a study of 5 men.
Dry Mouth
Xanthan gum-based saliva substitutes were utilized in a study of 33 patients with severe mouth dryness caused by Sjogren’s disease at various thicknesses. Dry mouth was addressed using xanthan gum-based saliva substitutes.
Due to a necessary fluid-restricted diet, patients on renal dialysis complain of dry mouth and thirst. Saliva substitutes containing xanthan gum effectively treated thirst and dry mouth in 65 participants in the research.
Inadequate Proof
Dysphagia is a condition in which a person has difficulty swallowing food. A xanthan gum-based meal thickening improved safety and eased dysphagia in 120 patients and 14 healthy volunteers.
In addition, 76 patients with post-stroke dysphagia who were given xanthan gum thickeners reported improved swallowing safety, potentially reducing choking events.
Several low-quality clinical studies support the following benefits. The following xanthan gum uses lack proof. Never use xanthan gum in place of your doctor’s prescription.
Hunger
The participants in a study of 9 people who ate xanthan-supplemented muffins felt more whole. The European Food Safety Authority, on the other hand, found no link between xanthan gum consumption and greater satiation.
Another study found that xanthan gum did not affect hunger in 21 obese women.
Is it Safe to Consume Xanthan Gum?
The majority of people appear to be safe while consuming meals that contain xanthan gum. Although it is found in many foods, it only accounts for 0.05–0.3 percent of the total weight of a food product.
An average person also consumes less than 1 gram of xanthan gum per day, which is considered insignificant and 20 times the amount of money that has been verified to be safe. In actuality, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives assigned it a maximum daily intake of “not specified” as an acceptable daily intake. Food additives with very low toxicity and levels so low that they do not constitute a health danger are given this designation by the FDA.
Inhaling xanthan gum, on the other hand, should be avoided. Flu-like symptoms and nose and throat discomfort were observed in workers who handled the powder version of the substance. As a result, even though you may consume various foods that contain them, your overall consumption is so low that you are unlikely to experience any advantages or harmful side effects.
Is Xanthan Gum has the Potential to Cause Digestive Issues?
The sole known adverse side effect of xanthan gum appears to be an unsettled stomach in the vast majority of those who consume it. Many animal investigations have discovered that high dosages of this compound can increase the frequency of stools while also causing soft stools. In human research, it was discovered that high doses of xanthan gum had the following impacts on the subjects.
These adverse effects do not appear to manifest themselves until at least 15 grams of the substance have been ingested. It would be impossible to achieve this level of energy intake with a usual diet. Furthermore, the potential of xanthan gum to affect gut flora may be beneficial since many other soluble fibers have been shown to alter gut bacteria. They are referred to as prebiotics because they aid in growing beneficial bacteria in the stomach.
Conclusion
Xanthan gum is a prevalent thickening, suspending, the stabilizing agent found in many products. It can be found in a wide variety of foods and items and appears to be harmless for most people. When ingested in enormous quantities, it may even provide health advantages, while higher intake levels may raise the likelihood of stomach difficulties.
Furthermore, more significant intake levels are challenging to obtain through a regular diet and would most likely require the usage of xanthan gum supplements to be accomplished. Much research has demonstrated the safety of xanthan gum when used in food; however, just a few human studies have investigated its usage as a supplement. You can continue to consume items that contain xanthan gum in the interim. At the very least, it appears to be harmless.
