help: Gum Arabic fiber supplement - Is this stuff for real???

[Guest guest]

,

Dr Krigsman asked us to get a fiber supplement for our son to help get

better formed stools. The only fiber supp we liked in the past was

Benefiber, but that now has gluten in it. I wanted to get a fiber supp

without the additives that most have. So, I did some research and ran across

a fiber supplement called Gum Arabic (GA), also known as Acacia Gum (comes

from a plant in Africa). I initially found it on the following web site:

http://www.helpforibs.com/shop/suplmts/acacia.asp

When I talked to the lady there she described several benefits of GA. I

checked it out on Pub Med and was very surprised to find a whole host of

studies done on GA showing promising results in several areas. 22 pages

popped up and I searched thru 5 pages to find the following studies that may

be helpful to ASD.

Is this stuff for real? It seems to have such wide applications. Has anyone

tried it and seen benefits?

, have you ever searched on this before. I am new to Pub Med and I may

have missed something. This could be a potentially good fiber supp for us,

but there may be downsides I am not aware of. I have listed several Pub Med

links below with associated benefits regarding GA.

L

Potential Benefits of Fiber Supplement Gum Arabic (GA) (AKA: Acacia Gum)

Liver Protector effects

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=A

bstractPlus & list_uids=14527829 & query_hl=10 & itool=pubmed_DocSum>

& cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=14527829 & query_hl=10 & itool=pubmed_

DocSum

proabsorptive effects of gum arabic (GA)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=A

bstractPlus & list_uids=16943452 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_docsum>

& cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=16943452 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_

docsum

gum arabic can be fermented by the intestinal bacteria to short chain fatty

acid

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=A

bstractPlus & list_uids=16874552 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_docsum>

& cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=16874552 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_

docsum

increase in serum butyrate

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=A

bstractPlus & list_uids=16408114 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_docsum>

& cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=16408114 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_

docsum

ability to remove NO diffused into the intestinal lumen, may also partially

inhibit intestinal NOS and thus modulate intestinal absorption through these

mechanisms. Use of GA as a food additive may help in restoring or improving

small intestinal function in conditions where functional damage has

occurred.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=A

bstractPlus & list_uids=15388884 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_DocSum>

& cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=15388884 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_

DocSum

GA has applications in the protection of probiotic cultures during drying,

storage and gastric transit. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Gum

acacia treatment for the manufacture of probiotic-containing powders should

result in more efficient probiotic delivery to the host gastrointestinal

tract.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=A

bstractPlus & list_uids=12452956 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_DocSum>

& cmd=Retrieve & dopt=AbstractPlus & list_uids=12452956 & query_hl=30 & itool=pubmed_

DocSum