Acacia gum, also known as gum arabic, has the advantage of being 100% plant-based, sustainable and multifunctional…but its benefits on digestive health can also be added to the list. A recent study conducted by French company Alland & Robert proves it: more than eight in ten people who consumed acacia gum every day for two months said that their intestinal wellbeing had improved.
Acacia gum comes from the exudation of acacia trees after the incision of their stems and branches. As a highly safe, natural and plant-based additive used for many centuries, acacia gum offers numerous functional properties and is today found in thousands of day-to-day products.
Natural gums leader Alland & Robert has researched the role acacia gum can play in gut health, and found that it is a gut-friendly agent that helps with the digestive wellness of consumers who regularly suffer from intestinal disorders.
Relatively unexplored until recently, intestinal disorders are the subject of increasing attention. Scientists now understand that these issues may have a larger impact on the occurrence of many pathologies, from weight gain to chronic or autoimmune diseases, and even dermatological problems.
There is significant demand for food, beverages and dietary supplements with digestive health advantages. As a direct consequence, the market for food products dedicated to digestive wellness is exploding. By 2025, it is expected to reach $59 billion. Acacia gum is a multifunctional and natural option to formulate food and beverages with gut health claims.
Acacia gum taken daily improves intestinal discomfort and pain
Alland & Robert mandated a leading company in consumer insight and sensory marketing. They recruited 240 consumers who admitted they suffered regularly from intestinal issues. The consumers received various dosages of acacia gum to take daily for two months.
After 60 days, 88% of consumers said they had low intestinal pain, and over 80% witnessed an improvement in their intestinal discomfort. Overall, 78% of consumers said the daily intake of acacia gum had a beneficial effect on their gut health. The study helped to highlight that acacia gum improves global digestive wellness and relieves the symptoms of intestinal discomfort. As such, acacia gum can be an efficient ingredient for the formulation of gut-friendly food and beverages.
Acacia gum: Prebiotic fibre for a diversity of applications
Acacia gum is also a fibre and a prebiotic. Thanks to its functional properties, it is a good ingredient to enhance the fibre content of food products without compromising the appearance, texture or flavour of the food product.
Based at the University of Montpellier in France, Professor Christian Sanchez and his team have been working on new uses for acacia gum for over eight years. Sanchez said: “Because of its classification as a fibre and its emulsifying properties, acacia gum could, theoretically, be used in all formulated food products since it also has the advantage of being temperature stable. Think yogurts, dairy products and derivatives, as well as baked goods and, more broadly, any flour-based products.”
“Multifunctional and versatile, acacia gum has many advantages. It can give texture, sweeten a taste or mask an aftertaste, and it can increase the fibre or prebiotic content with a very low-calorie intake. Today, our study shows that acacia gum is a good fit in products formulated to improve digestive comfort. This also confirms that acacia gum responds in an innovative way to the challenges encountered in many industries,” said Violaine Fauvarque, marketing manager at Alland & Robert.
French company Alland & Robert has been manufacturing Acacia gum since 1884. Their technical paper summarising the results of the research about acacia gum and gut health can be requested by email: info@allandetorbert.fr.
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