Effects of guar gum on blood lipid levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials

Abstract Guar gum is recognized as a soluble dietary fiber but its effects on blood lipid levels remain to be established. The purpose of the study was to focus on assessing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and investigate the effect of guar gum on lipid levels. Seventeen studies were systematically selected and included in the meta-analysis. Decreases in total cholesterol (TC) (standard mean difference (SMD) [95 %CI] = −1.38 [−2.01,−0.74]) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (SMD [95 %CI] = −1.67 [−2.52, −0.82]) were significantly more pronounced with guar gum consumption, whereas no difference was observed on high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (SMD [95 %CI] = −0.07 [−0.34, 0.19]) or triglyceride (TG) (SMD [95 %CI] = 0.06 [−0.50, 0.61]), which suggests that guar gum has the potential to promote lipid health and prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD).