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Xanthan Gum
Xanthan Gum
Xanthan Gum
What is it:
Xanthan gum is an additive and emulsifier that is used as a thickening agent derived from sugar fermented with a bacteria called Xanthomonas campestris. It is commonly used in baked goods, soups, dressings, sauces, ice creams, and gluten free products, among other products. The two biggest producers of Xanthan Gum in the United States are Merck and Pfizer.
Rating:
Xanthan gum is a synthetic ingredient, meaning it was made in a lab and does not naturally occur in food. It is generally agreed upon to be safe to consume in small amounts, but manufacturers may use common allergens like wheat, corn, soy, dairy to produce the Xanthan gum. These sources may also have GMOs and are not organic. In a study on rats, xanthan gum showed increases in inflammation, but another study using mice cells showed that xanthan gum may be useful in the treatment of inflammatory disorders.
Resources:
- Evaluation of xanthan gum as a food additive
- Review of Xanthan gum production from unmodified sources
- Xanthan Gum production updates
- Xanthan gum intake reduces cholesterol with no adverse effects (clinical trial)
- Xanthan gum increases markers of inflammation but has no effect on tumor growth in rats (animal study)
- Immunomodulatory effect of xanthan gum in mice cells (in vitro animal study)
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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