National Toxicology Program

Selected toxicity information from HSDB, one of the National Library of Medicine's databases. ¹

Names (NTP)

• Guar gum
• V-7E

Human Toxicity Excerpts

• GUAR GUM WAS INCORPORATED INTO DIETS OF 6 INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETICS DRAWN FROM ONE GENERAL PRACTICE. AMT BETWEEN 6 AND 59.6 G DAILY WERE USED FOR 4-6 WK AND COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS 2 WK CONTROL. A SMALL REDUCTION IN CHOLESTEROL LEVELS OCCURRED. [CARROLL DG ET AL; NZ MED J 93(683) 292 (1981)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• In women, ... ingestion of guar gum led to permanent weight loss, but did not influence serum lipids in hypercholesterolemia. Similar results were noted in male patients and elderly patients. However, positive results are reported in use of guar gum as a long-term dietary supplement in control of hypercholesterolemia in diabetics. [Leung, A.Y., Foster, S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996., p. 290]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• Longterm administration (21 g/day) produced a sustained improvement in control of Type 2 diabetes, with significantly lower serum total and LDL cholesterol concentrations. An average reduction of 14% total cholesterol levels was observed in doses of 10 g b.i.d. immediately before meals as well as a 16 reduction in postprandial glucose levels. [Leung, A.Y., Foster, S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996., p. 290]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• Occupational asthma has been reported in subjects working with industrial production of guar gum. [Leung, A.Y., Foster, S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996., p. 290]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• Guar gum was blamed in causing esophageal obstruction. A death has been attributed to the use of one guar gum tablet product, which apparently swelled in the esophagus, indirectly resulting in complications that caused the fatality. [Leung, A.Y., Foster, S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996., p. 290]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• Mildly toxic by ingestion. [Lewis, R.J. Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 9th ed. Volumes 1-3. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996., p. 1757]**PEER REVIEWED**
  

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Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts

• GUAR GUM INDUCED NO CONSISTANT RESPONSES IN DOMINANT LETHAL GENE TEST TO SUGGEST THAT IT WAS MUTAGENIC TO THE RAT. [NEWELL GW ET AL; US NAT TECH INFORM SERV PB REP ISS NUMBER 221815/4 102 (1972)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• ADDITION OF 5% GUM GUAR TO A DIET CONTAINING 10% CASEIN DID NOT CHANGE THE OVERALL NITROGEN RETENTION OF YOUNG RATS BUT INDUCED SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN NITROGEN EXCRETION FROM URINE TO FECES, RESULTING IN MARKEDLY DECR APPARENT PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY. [HARMUTH-HOENE A-E ET AL; NUTR METAB 22(1) 32 (1978)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• Guar gum has been reported to lower the serum and liver cholesterol levels in chickens and rats as well as the serum cholesterol and postprandial (after meal) blood glucose in humans ... . When included at different levels in the diets of chickens, guar gum has been demonstrated to cause growth depression. though with inconsistent results. It also reduced the metabolizable energy of the diets in which it was included. Guar gum does not seem to be digested by animals. [Leung, A.Y., Foster, S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996., p. 290]**PEER REVIEWED**
  

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Human Toxicity Values

• None found

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Non-Human Toxicity Values

• LD50 Rat oral 6770 mg/kg [Lewis, R.J. Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 9th ed. Volumes 1-3. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996., p. 1757]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• LD50 Mouse oral 8100 mg/kg [Lewis, R.J. Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 9th ed. Volumes 1-3. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996., p. 1757]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• LD50 Rabbit oral 7000 mg/kg [Lewis, R.J. Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 9th ed. Volumes 1-3. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996., p. 1757]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• LD50 Hamster oral 6000 mg/kg [Lewis, R.J. Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 9th ed. Volumes 1-3. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996., p. 1757]**PEER REVIEWED**
  

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Absorption, Distribution and Excretion

• None found

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Metabolism/Metabolites

• None found

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TSCA Test Submissions

• None found

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Footnotes

¹ Source: the National Library of Medicine's Hazardous Substance Database, 10/28/2007.