Key takeaways:
Xanthan gum is a food additive that helps thicken foods and prevent ingredients from separating. It’s often used in salad dressings, sauces, and gluten-free baking.
Xanthan gum is used in very small amounts in food, and is safe to consume. But it can cause gas and bloating, so some people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) avoid it.
Usually, xanthan gum is made from corn. So people with a corn allergy should avoid xanthan gum. But it can sometimes be made from wheat or soy.
You can also buy xanthan gum in a more concentrated supplement form to help with dry mouth.
If you’ve ever taken the time to actually read food ingredient lists, there’s one you may see frequently: xanthan gum. Many packaged foods include this ingredient. But what is it? And is it safe to consume? Read on to learn more about xanthan gum — what it is, which foods contain it, and how it affects your health.
What is xanthan gum?
Xanthan gum (pronounced ZAN-than) is a food additive used to thicken, emulsify (mix), and maintain texture in many foods and beverages. It helps ingredients stay blended together so they don’t separate and become watery. Xanthan gum is often used in yogurt, salad dressing, or packaged smoothies.
Xanthan gum is made by fermenting sugar with a bacteria called Xanthomonas campestris. Most often, the sugar in xanthan gum comes from corn, but it can also come from wheat or soy. The fermented sugar takes on a glue-like consistency. Then, alcohol is added, and the mixture is dried, heat-pasteurized, and milled into a white powder that looks like flour.
How is xanthan gum used?
Many food manufacturers add xanthan gum to packaged foods. It’s common to find xanthan gum in processed and ultra-processed foods. It acts as a:
Thickener, to add a more condensed, creamy texture to foods like ice cream and sauces
Emulsifier, to help blend ingredients together. This is particularly useful in foods that contain oil, since oil doesn’t mix well with other ingredients on its own. For example, xanthan gum is often used in salad dressings and mayonnaise.
Structure-builder, to help mixtures — including dough — keep their shape. Xanthan gum is often used in gluten-free baked goods. In most doughs, gluten provides the elastic texture. Adding xanthan gum to gluten-free flour helps mimic the elastic texture that gluten provides.
Xanthan gum is also used in:
Pancake batter
Jam and jelly
Chewing gum
Syrup
Candy
You can also use xanthan gum in home cooking to make sauces, dressings, and baked goods.
Xanthan gum has nonfood uses, too. It’s a common ingredient in personal care items like makeup, shampoo, and lotion. It helps toothpaste keep its gel- or paste-like texture. Many liquid medications contain it, too. By thickening medicine into a viscous syrup, xanthan gum allows for easier pouring and dosing.
Is xanthan gum bad for you?
Foods contain a very small amount of xanthan gum. In these small quantities, xanthan gum is not bad for you, and it’s considered safe to consume. It also doesn’t cause side effects for most people.
What does “processed food” actually mean? Processed food is any food that has been changed from its original state. But not all processed foods are bad for you.
The best foods to eat with irritable bowel disease (IBD): Diet changes may help manage IBD symptoms and flares. There’s no single diet that works for everyone, but here are a few that may help.
Food additives to avoid: Not all food additives are harmful. But here are the ones you should try to avoid.
What are examples of ultra-processed foods? The goal with ultra-processing is to create ready-to-eat foods that taste good, have a long shelf life, and are inexpensive. Learn how to spot them.
But in higher amounts, xanthan gum acts like a sponge and pulls water into the intestines. This gives it a laxative effect. And it can cause side effects, including:
Gas
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Diarrhea
Who should avoid xanthan gum?
Because xanthan gum can cause digestive issues, many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, choose to avoid foods that contain it. They often avoid other gums, emulsifiers, and thickeners, too.
These food additives may also negatively affect the gut microbiome (good bacteria in the gut) and trigger more inflammation in the intestines. But so far, studies on xanthan gum and IBD have been conducted in mice, not humans. More research is needed to know if xanthan gum is harmful to people with IBD.
People with a corn allergy should also avoid xanthan gum, since it’s usually made from corn. Even though the fermentation process removes most of the corn protein, trace amounts can remain. And note that some xanthan gum is made from wheat or soy. So it’s a good idea for people with wheat or soy allergies to confirm the source of the xanthan gum before consuming it.
Does xanthan gum have health benefits?
A tablespoon (9 g) of xanthan gum contains:
Calories: 30
Carbohydrate: 7 g
Fat: 0 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 1 g
Potassium: 29 mg (1% daily value, or DV)
Sodium: 350 mg (15% DV)
It doesn’t provide any vitamins, additional minerals, or antioxidants. So you won’t get health benefits from the small amount of xanthan gum added to foods.
But some people use xanthan gum in higher amounts in supplement form, or as a medication ingredient. Doses of up to 15 g per day are typically safe. Here are some of the health conditions that may benefit from xanthan gum.
Dry mouth
Some moisturizing mouth sprays used to treat a dry mouth contain xanthan gum. This is because xanthan gum may lubricate the mouth in a way that mimics saliva.
Having low saliva or a dry mouth can be caused by:
Medications, including common over-the-counter (OTC) medications like antihistamines
Cancer therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy
Medical conditions, including Sjögren’s syndrome and hepatitis C
Tobacco use
Diet
Constipation relief
Studies show that xanthan gum can be an effective laxative. It works by pulling water into the intestine. This makes stool softer and easier to pass. But health professionals don’t usually recommend xanthan gum for this use since it can cause digestive issues. Other remedies — like eating high-fiber foods or taking psyllium husk fiber supplements — are more common recommendations for treating constipation.
Blood sugar management
Xanthan gum can help thicken fluids in the stomach and small intestine, and turn them into gel. This can help slow down how quickly sugar enters the bloodstream, which lowers blood sugar spikes after eating. But it’s important to note that using xanthan gum to lower blood sugar hasn’t been well studied. So xanthan gum isn’t widely used for this purpose.
Substitutes for xanthan gum
In processed foods, xanthan gum can be used interchangeably — and sometimes together — with other thickening gums, such as carrageenan, arrowroot powder, and guar gum. It depends on the food manufacturer.
If a recipe you’re following calls for xanthan gum but you want a substitute, you can try:
Chia seeds: These tiny fiber- and protein-rich seeds expand in water.
Cornstarch: Made from corn, this fine white powder acts as a thickener.
Psyllium: This soluble fiber takes on a gel-like consistency when you blend it with water.
Agar agar: This jelly-like thickener comes from sea algae.
Frequently asked questions
Xanthan gum isn’t really a “food” because you don’t eat it on its own. It’s a processed ingredient that manufacturers add to foods to serve as a thickener and emulsifier. And xanthan gum is most commonly used in ultra-processed foods, such as ice cream and baked goods.
Cornstarch is sometimes used as an alternative for xanthan gum. Neither ingredient provides any nutritional value or health benefits. Cornstarch is slightly higher in carbohydrates and calories. If you have a corn allergy, you should avoid both cornstarch and xanthan gum since both are made from corn. You can also look for xanthan gum made with wheat or soy.
Xanthan gum isn’t really a “food” because you don’t eat it on its own. It’s a processed ingredient that manufacturers add to foods to serve as a thickener and emulsifier. And xanthan gum is most commonly used in ultra-processed foods, such as ice cream and baked goods.
Cornstarch is sometimes used as an alternative for xanthan gum. Neither ingredient provides any nutritional value or health benefits. Cornstarch is slightly higher in carbohydrates and calories. If you have a corn allergy, you should avoid both cornstarch and xanthan gum since both are made from corn. You can also look for xanthan gum made with wheat or soy.
The bottom line
Xanthan gum is a food additive used in a wide range of foods, including sauces, ice cream, and gluten-free bread. It’s considered safe when used in small amounts, but it doesn’t have any nutritional value. And it may cause digestive discomfort in some people, especially those with IBD. Some treatments for dry mouth contain xanthan gum. And while xanthan gum may relieve constipation and lower blood sugar levels, it’s rarely used for these purposes because better options are available. If you need to avoid xanthan gum, some alternatives include psyllium, cornstarch, and chia.
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