Scientists have found that guar gum, a good source of fibre, can successfully limit inflammation and delay Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms in mice.
The group from the University of British Columbia, Canada, studied the effects of different types of fibre diet in mice. They found that guar gum was the only fibre type that significantly limited MS-like symptoms.
Commonly guar gum is extracted from guar beans and has thickening and stabilising properties useful in food, feed, and industrial applications – India is its largest producer.
"Experts have consistently been saying fibre is good for you – and a variety of fibre sources is important to immune health – but there hasn't been very much critical work into identifying how the body responds to different fibre types. It's fascinating that this particular source has such an impact," said Naomi Fettig, first author on the study.
The study is published in Cell Reports.
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