The publish Guar Gum in Cat Food: Our Vet Explains the Uses, Safety & Verdict by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over whole articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You will not be conscious of it, however all of those articles had been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they are not thought of public area. However, we respect that you simply just like the article and would find it irresistible in the event you continued sharing simply the primary paragraph of an article, then linking out to the remainder of the piece on Catster.com.
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What Is Guar Gum?
Is It Safe For Cats?
Is It Bad For Cats?
Why Is It Used in Cat Food?
Should I Avoid Guar Gum?
If you’ve ever stopped to learn the components checklist in your cat’s meals – which you completely ought to – you’ll have noticed one thing referred to as ‘guar gum.’ Your first thought is more likely to have been what on earth is guar gum? shortly adopted by is guar gum secure for my cat?
The very quick story is that guar gum is a thickening agent, and sure, it’s secure to your cat. But, as you may need guessed, there’s a bit extra to the story than that. Keep studying to be taught a bit extra about what guar gum is, the way it’s used, and why it’s a secure however not excellent ingredient for our cats.
What Is Guar Gum?
Guar gum is a polysaccharide (a carbohydrate comprised of a number of bonded sugar particles) extracted from the seeds of the guar, or cluster bean, plant (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba). It is usually used as an emulsifier (one thing to assist bind components collectively), stabilizer, and thickener in meals merchandise.
Although you’re unlikely to see guar gum on the entrance of a pack, and even excessive up in an components checklist, you is likely to be shocked at how typically it’s included in lots of merchandise we use (and eat) each day. Here are just some of the myriad methods during which guar gum is used:
- Thickening agent in meals
- Prevents ice crystal formation when making ice cream
- Vegan/vegetarian different to gelatin
- Cosmetics, moisturizers, soaps
- Binding agent in clumping cat litter
In addition to those home purposes, there have been promising ends in research utilizing drug-infused guar gum to focus on sure cancers, notably colon most cancers.
And after all, it’s typically included in moist cat meals as a thickening or gelling agent and supply of fiber.
Is Guar Gum Safe For Cats?
Guar gum is completely secure for cats. Although it’s a sugar-based ingredient, which is pointless in a cat’s food plan, the quantity in cat meals isn’t sufficient to pose any vital threat or calorie improve. It isn’t poisonous, and normally will likely be a benign, although largely pointless, ingredient. Most processed cat meals include one type of thickening agent or one other, resembling guar gum, cassia gum, carrageenan, or xanthan gum.
Image Credit: Dmitry Strizhakov, Shutterstock
Is Guar Gum Bad For Cats?
Some people, notably these with celiac illness, present related gastrointestinal reactions (bloating, diarrhea, cramping) when consuming meals that include guar gum, regardless of its lack of gluten. Similarly, some cats, notably these with a historical past of inflammatory bowel illness, are fairly delicate to the thickening agent.
Another problematic characteristic of guar gum for cats is that analysis has proven that it might block the absorption of protein from the big gut. Therefore, the web results of a meals containing guar gum is that your cat could also be getting much less protein from their meals than what’s indicated on the pack, in addition to ingesting pointless sugar and fiber.
Why Is Guar Gum Used in Cat Food?
When we take a look at the dietary requirement of cats, we are able to see that they want a food plan that incorporates roughly:
| Energy: | 400 kcal |
| Protein: | 25-40 g |
| Fat: | 5-10 g |
| Carbohydrates: | 0 g |
This is per 100 g of dry matter. You will discover that cats don’t truly must eat carbohydrates, though fiber is normally included within the food plan of home cats to compensate for his or her much less energetic life; guar gum is one such ingredient. However, the principle motive guar gum is utilized in cat meals is to masks how a lot of a meals consists of water.
Imagine opening a can or sachet of cat meals to seek out one thing that extra carefully resembles soup than casserole, milkshake than meatloaf. Without the addition of a thickener like guar gum, that’s what many moist meals would seem like.
This isn’t essentially unhealthy, however one might argue that it’s a little bit dishonest. Let’s take a look at some comparisons:
| Premium Fresh Food | Premium Wet Food | Budget Wet Food | |
| Example | Smalls | Hill’s Science Diet | Sheba Gravy Indulgence |
| Protein | 13% | 8.5% | 5.5% |
| Fat | min. 8.5% | min. 4.5% | min. 2.5% |
| Fiber | max. 1.5% | max. 2% | max. 1.5% |
| Moisture | max. 73% | max. 78% | max. 87% |
| Thickening agent | None | Guar Gum Carrageenan | Guar Gum Xanthum Gum |
- NOTE: The values included listed below are on an ‘as fed’ foundation for these meals. The dry matter values will likely be 4-5 instances these figures.
You can most likely think about what a meals comprised of 87% moisture would seem like with out the addition of a thickening agent. Essentially, thickening brokers like guar gum are included to masks the shortcomings of those meals, making them seem extra nutrient-dense.
Image Credit: AB-7272, Shutterstock
Should I Avoid Guar Gum?
If your cat has digestive points resembling inflammatory bowel illness or intestinal lymphoma, their excellent food plan ought to include high-quality, extremely digestible components, with minimal pointless components. You ought to at all times talk about your cat’s particular dietary wants along with your vet, as they could range from case to case.
When it involves feeding your cat, the intention ought to at all times be to feed them the very best meals you may afford that’s proper to your cat. The actuality is that we are able to’t all afford top-quality, human-grade, recent cat meals, notably if in case you have multiple cat. What we must always all be doing, nevertheless, is taking a better take a look at the components on the again of the pack so we all know what it’s we’re shopping for. Expensive doesn’t at all times equal glorious, and also you is likely to be shocked to seek out that among the finest cat meals typically include a modest price ticket, so it pays to spend a while studying the high quality print.
Most moist cat meals will include some type of thickening agent, and guar gum isn’t dangerous or poisonous to your cat. Just do not forget that it’s best to choose the standard of your cat’s meals by what’s written within the small print quite than the way it seems of their bowl.
Final Thoughts
Guar gum is a pure product, extracted from the seeds of the guar plant. It has a large number of purposes, together with thrilling potential in treating most cancers.
Guar gum is a standard and secure inclusion in lots of moist cat meals. It isn’t a crucial element, nor will it contribute any worth to your cat’s food plan. It is used as a gelling agent to assist bind the components collectively and masks how a lot water is within the meals. Although some cats, notably these with IBD, could also be fairly delicate to guar gum (and different thickeners, resembling xanthan gum), it isn’t dangerous or poisonous to your cat. However, it might cut back the absorption of important vitamins, notably protein.
Always learn the components checklist in your cat’s meals to know what you might be paying for and what your cat goes to get out of it.
Sources
- https://www.altrafine.com/blog/guar-gum-powder-for-cat-litter-application/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/guar-gum
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/highly-viscous-guar-gum-shifts-dietary-amino-acids-from-metabolic-use-to-fermentation-substrate-in-domestic-cats/AB458783E8F04009297E10322080B5F9
- https://bsmpartners.net/insights/common-gums-in-pet-food/#:~:text=Commonly%20used%20gums%20include%20agar%20agar%2C%20carrageenan%2C%20cassia%2C%20guar%2C%20and%20carob
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1773224721005955
Featured Image Credit: spline_x, Shutterstock
The publish Guar Gum in Cat Food: Our Vet Explains the Uses, Safety & Verdict by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over whole articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You will not be conscious of it, however all of those articles had been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they are not thought of public area. However, we respect that you simply just like the article and would find it irresistible in the event you continued sharing simply the primary paragraph of an article, then linking out to the remainder of the piece on Catster.com.
