Have you ever heard of PHGG? It stands for partially hydrolyzed guar gum and also goes by the name of Sunfiber! It’s a type of soluble fibre we often recommend in our practice for its many gut health benefits!
As a quick reminder…
Soluble fibre dissolves in water and forms a gel. It is beneficial for those with IBD because it’s often easy to tolerate, can help decrease diarrhea, and is a great source of fiber for those with stricturing disease. It also helps keep you full for longer and is great for heart health.
Insoluble fibre does not dissolve and adds bulk to the stool. It acts as a broom – sweeping out the intestines and is commonly referred to as ‘roughage’.
PHGG comes from the guar bean. It is processed into a white powder, making it easy to dissolve in water, and is transparent and tasteless. PHGG is a prebiotic fibre, which means that it feeds the beneficial gut bacteria and helps them thrive!
Benefits of PHGG
- Improves constipation
- Decreases Diarrhea
- Increases beneficial bacteria – Bifidobacterium
- Increases short chain fatty acid production from butyrate and acetate (which helps reduce inflammation)
- Fermentation of PHGG occurs slowly so there are less side effects like gas/bloating upon consumption
- It can easily be added to water, juice, oats, or baked goods to increase fibre intake
- Dissolves easily with no chunks!
- Improves blood sugar
- Can help decrease weight
- Improves cholesterol levels (a decrease seen in both total and LDL cholesterol)
What about guar gum?
Both PHGG and guar gum come from guar beans. What makes them different is the level of processing that is undergone to use them in the products and foods found in grocery stores.
Guar gum is a food additive and acts as a thickener and binder where it expands greatly – from 10-20x its size! Due to this ability,, it is something that can be more irritating on the guts
It can be found in products like:
- Ice creams
- Salad dressings
- Yogurts
- Pudding
- Vegetable juices
- Soups
- Sauces
- Cheese
It is recommended that those with IBD limit their intake of many additives, guar gum included, as it may play a role in intestinal inflammation. However, more studies on humans are needed to come to a full conclusion.
PHGG Top Tips
- Our motto (always) – go low and slow. If your guts are more sensitive and not used to fibre, we often recommend starting off with a smaller dose (like ½ scoop) and slowly building up to a dose recommended by your doctor or dietitian
- When adding any source of fibre, be certain you are consuming enough water to help your body process and eliminate fibre
- Add to smoothies or oats in the morning or your nightly glass of water before bed – stay consistent with it by having it at the same time every day
- Check with your healthcare provider to determine what an appropriate dose of PHGG is for you
If you struggle with increasing your fibre intake through food or are looking to get the benefits from consuming PHGG and are interested in trying it – find it here!