What’s The Deal With Gums And All Those “Natural” Additives?

Confused? Yea, many are. I get asked all the time on my Instagram about gums, flavorings, and so many other ingredients found in today’s “natural” food products. First, if you have to question an ingredient, that should be the first sign. Second, just because it’s natural doesn’t make it healthy. Rattle snake poisoning is natural. Tar from the street is natural. Heck, a dog’s feces is natural…so does that make it healthy for us to eat?

The health food industry has done quite a phenomenal job at tricking the average consumer into thinking the term “natural ingredients” mean it’s ok to eat. They’ve also done a fantastic job at making the American diet worse. Yup, you heard me! I personally believe the majority of health food industry has made our health worse…NOT junk food. At least you know when you’re eating a bag of chemically filled Cheetos and a McDonald’s burger. Fast food has been around for ages now, but the “natural” and “health food” industry is still fairly new and soaring, yet more and more people are getting sick, ill, and developing food intolerance and IBS issues. WHY?

Americans are being tricked into think they are eating something healthier, that’s why. They opt for the “Better for you” low calorie, low carb, low sugar, reduced fat, dairy free manufactured foods and eat them on the daily. If someone want’s to splurge on a donut, they at least KNOW it. But when people are consuming foods thought to help their health every day but in reality are filled with just as much junk as the obvious junk food, that’s where the issue lies.

There’s no way I can include everything I know and avoid in this one post, but I wanted to point out a few…specifically the now so common “gums” contributing to stomach problems.

Guar Gum

What is it?
Guar gum is a fiber derived from the seed of the guar plant.

How and why is it used?
In food products, it’s used as a thickening, stabilizing, suspending, and binding agent.
It’s also widely used in non-food items such as lotions, creams, toothpaste, etc. to help bind and thicken a substance.

What are the side affects?
Increased gas, bloating, diarrhea, and loose stools are some common experiences when consumed. These side effects may decrease or disappear after several days of use, but if you’re constantly eating and even drinking items with guar gum, your symptoms will only get worse….I mean, it’s in everything!

Be careful! Strong weight-loss claims and diet products are tied to guar gum and now even used in meal replacement products because manufacturers claim it can help curb your appetite by swelling and absorbing water in the digestive system. Hmmmm? In my opninion, that claim is NOT a positive one. The FDA recently fought these claims and said that excessive use of guar diet pills can obstruct the intestines and esophagus due to forming high amounts of gel in the gastrointestinal tract.

Xanthan Gum

What is it?
Xanthan gum is a complex exopolysaccharide, meaning that it is a polymer composed of sugar residues, secreted by a microorganism into the surrounding environment. It’s produced by plant-pathogenic bacterium – a microorganism that causes several diseases in plants.

How and why is it used?
Xanthan gum is again, like all other gums, a thickening and stabilizing agent and used in a wide variety of food and industrial products.

Common products using xanthan gum are:
• Supplements
• Baked goods
• Cream cheese (vegan and dairy)
• Ice creams (especially low fat and non-dairy)
• Pudding
• Jams
• Salad dressings
• Mayo (especially low fat, vegan)
• Industrial uses
• Lotions
• Medicines
• Toothpastes
• Cosmetics

 

Side Effects:
Xanthan gum swells in the intestines, causing gas, bloating, cramping, and other issues associated with IBS.

Locust Bean Gum

What is it?
Locust bean gum is considered a “natural” food additive that comes from the carob seeds of the carob tree. Similar to guar and xanthan gum, locust bean gum is a thickening and stabilizing agent and added to similar products as the other gums mentioned.

Side Effects

Blocks nutrients absorption
This study though quite long ago, showed that carob bean gum may compromise the absorption of essential nutrients. Specifically, the absorption of iron, calcium and zinc were decreased in the subjects studied.

Slow down the gastric emptying rate
This study also showed that the addition of carob bean gum to the diet may slow the gastric emptying rate, creating an uncomfortable delay in the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine. This is HUGE for anyone suffering from gut issues…..and if you’re not suffering, you may be soon if you start consuming this on the regular.

Magnesium sterate

Most think of the mineral magnesium when reading “magnesium sterate”……But what is it really?
Magnesium stearate is a fine white power that sticks to your skin and is greasy to the touch. It’s a simple salt made up of two substances, a saturated fat called stearic acid and the mineral magnesium.

What does magnesium stearate do?
Ever seen this in your supplements and vitamins? commonly added to many foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. In medications and vitamins, its primary purpose is to act as a lubricant and “flow agent,” preventing ingredients inside the capsule from sticking together.

What are the health risks?
It’s obviously recognized by the FDA as “safe” to consume, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s known that if too much is ingested, it can have a laxative effect and also irritate the mucosal lining of your bowels!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved magnesium stearate for use as an additive in food and supplements. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, it’s considered safe for consumption at amounts below 2,500 milligrams (mg) per kilogram per day. This causes your bowels to spasm. The sad part is, magnesium stearate is now in everything (not just vitamins) so it’s very easy to overdoes without even knowing it.

This study may be of interest to you.

To quote in the study,

Allowable Tolerances:
Residues of magnesium stearate are exempted from the requirement of a tolerance when used as a surfactant in accordance with good agricultural practices as inert (or occasionally active) ingredients in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops or to raw agricultural commodities after harvest.

I find it interested that such a thing (SOMETHING ALLOWED IN OUR FOOD) has such an in-depth explanation….if your food need explanation you may need to rethink some things.

Yeast Extract

What is it?
Yeast extract (not to be confused with yeast) is made by adding sugar to yeast in a warm environment. As the yeast expands, the walls of its cells soften. This mixture is then spun in a centrifuge and the loosened cell walls are whisked away.
There are two kinds of yeast extract, autolyzed and hydrolyzed. In both, the cell walls are discarded and the contents of the cell are combined.

How Do I Look for It on a Label?
Most manufacturers are upfront in their use of yeast extract, listing it as just that on food labels. Sometimes, “natural flavors” or “additives” also can mean yeast extract is used.
Yeast extract contains glutamates, which are forms of an amino acid that are found naturally in many foods. They’re sometimes extracted and used as additives to prepared food. This product is commonly known as monosodium glutamate (MSG). Yeast extract contains naturally occurring glutamates, but not as much as MSG.
The main difference between yeast extract and MSG in food is basically flavor. MSG doesn’t have a flavor but is a flavor enhancer like salt is. Yeast extract actually contributes flavor, similar to a spice.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires products that contain MSG to state this on the label. Foods that contain yeast extract don’t need to specify that they contain MSG. However, they can’t claim to contain “No MSG.”

HERE is a great article if you want to read more on this matter.

Common products containing it:
canned soups and stews, frozen dinners, and salty snacks.

Above are just a few common ingredients acceptable in “health food” and passed along as such.
I have separate posts about:
• Sunflower Lecithin
• Dextrose / Maltodextrin
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Natural Flavors

Conclusion
Don’t take everything you read on the label as truth. Remember, it’s all marketing to sell you something. Yes, there are also very well trusted brands and products out there, but still the majority is just trying to bank in on the health food hype and cash in on all the buzz. If you question an ingredient, do your research first and don’t just trust someone because they recommend it (sadly I’ve come across many drs and dietitians recommending crappy products throughout my years).

I’ve spent much time on this post, so if you liked what you read or have any questions or general feedback, you know I always love hearing from you HERE on the gram! See you there!