If you happen to’ve ever stopped to learn the components record 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 protected for my cat?
The very quick story is that guar gum is a thickening agent, and sure, it’s protected in your cat. However, as you may need guessed, there’s a little bit extra to the story than that. Preserve studying to be taught a little bit extra about what guar gum is, the way it’s used, and why it’s a protected however not excellent ingredient for our cats.
What Is Guar Gum?
Guar gum is a polysaccharide (a carbohydrate produced from a number of bonded sugar particles) extracted from the seeds of the guar, or cluster bean, plant (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba). It’s generally used as an emulsifier (one thing to assist bind components collectively), stabilizer, and thickener in meals merchandise.
Though you’re unlikely to see guar gum on the entrance of a pack, and even excessive up in an components record, you is likely to be stunned at how typically it’s included in lots of merchandise we use (and eat) day by day. Listed below are just some of the myriad methods through which guar gum is used:
- thickening agent in meals
- prevents ice crystal formation when making ice cream
- vegan/vegetarian various to gelatin
- cosmetics, moisturizers, soaps
- binding agent in clumping cat litter
Along with these home purposes, there have been promising ends in research utilizing drug-infused guar gum to focus on sure cancers, significantly colon most cancers.
And naturally, it’s typically included in moist cat meals as a thickening or gelling agent and supply of fiber.
Is Guar Gum Protected For Cats?
Guar gum is completely protected for cats. Though it’s a sugar-based ingredient, which is pointless in a cat’s eating regimen, the quantity in cat meals shouldn’t be sufficient to pose any important danger or calorie improve. It’s not poisonous, and generally might be a benign, although largely pointless, ingredient. Most processed cat meals comprise one type of thickening agent or one other, corresponding to guar gum, cassia gum, carrageenan, or xanthan gum.
Is Guar Gum Unhealthy For Cats?
Some people, significantly these with celiac illness, present related gastrointestinal reactions (bloating, diarrhea, cramping) when consuming meals that comprise guar gum, regardless of its lack of gluten. Equally, some cats, significantly these with a historical past of inflammatory bowel illness, are fairly delicate to the thickening agent.
One other problematic characteristic of guar gum for cats is that analysis has proven that it could actually block the absorption of protein from the big gut. Subsequently, 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 Utilized in Cat Meals?
After we take a look at the dietary requirement of cats, we will see that they want a eating regimen that accommodates roughly:
| Power: | 400 kcal |
| Protein: | 25-40 g |
| Fats: | 5-10 g |
| Carbohydrates: | 0 g |
That is per 100 g of dry matter. You’ll discover that cats don’t truly want to devour carbohydrates, though fiber is often included within the eating regimen of home cats to compensate for his or her much less energetic existence; guar gum is one such ingredient. Nevertheless, the principle motive guar gum is utilized in cat meals is to masks how a lot of a meals consists of water.
Think about opening a can or sachet of cat meals to seek out one thing that extra carefully resembles soup than casserole, milkshake than meatloaf. With out the addition of a thickener like guar gum, that’s what many moist meals would appear to be.
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 Recent Meals | Premium Moist Meals | Funds Moist Meals | |
| Instance | Smalls | Hill’s Science Food plan | Sheba Gravy Indulgence |
| Protein | 13% | 8.5% | 5.5% |
| Fats | 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 might be 4-5 instances these figures.
You’ll be able to most likely think about what a meals comprised of 87% moisture would appear to be with out the addition of a thickening agent. Primarily, thickening brokers like guar gum are included to masks the shortcomings of those meals, making them seem extra nutrient-dense.
Ought to I Keep away from Guar Gum?
In case your cat has digestive points corresponding to inflammatory bowel illness or intestinal lymphoma, their excellent eating regimen ought to include high-quality, extremely digestible components, with minimal pointless components. You must at all times focus on your cat’s particular dietary wants together with your vet, as they could fluctuate from case to case.
With regards to feeding your cat, the goal ought to at all times be to feed them one of the best meals you possibly can afford that’s proper in your cat. The truth is that we will’t all afford top-quality, human-grade, recent cat meals, significantly if in case you have a couple of cat. What we should always all be doing, nevertheless, is taking a more in-depth take a look at the components on the again of the pack so we all know what it’s we’re shopping for. Costly doesn’t at all times equal wonderful, and also you is likely to be stunned to seek out that a few of the finest cat meals typically include a modest price ticket, so it pays to spend a while studying the wonderful print.
Most moist cat meals will comprise some type of thickening agent, and guar gum shouldn’t be dangerous or poisonous in your cat. Simply do not forget that you need to decide the standard of your cat’s meals by what’s written within the small print relatively than the way it appears to be like of their bowl.
Remaining Ideas
Guar gum is a pure product, extracted from the seeds of the guar plant. It has a mess of purposes, together with thrilling potential in treating most cancers.
Guar gum is a typical and protected inclusion in lots of moist cat meals. It’s not a needed part, nor will it contribute any worth to your cat’s eating regimen. It’s used as a gelling agent to assist bind the components collectively and masks how a lot water is within the meals. Though some cats, significantly these with IBD, could also be fairly delicate to guar gum (and different thickeners, corresponding to xanthan gum), it’s not dangerous or poisonous in your cat. Nevertheless, it could actually scale back the absorption of important vitamins, significantly protein.
All the time learn the components record in your cat’s meals to know what you’re paying for and what your cat goes to get out of it.
Featured Picture Credit score: spline_x, Shutterstock
