Effects of guar gum supplementation on the lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background and aims: Guar gum can be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of dyslipidemia. However, based on data from different studies, the effectiveness of this product is not uniform. Therefore, we conducted a dose–response meta-analysis between guar gum supplementation and lipid profile. Methods and results: Five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar) were searched to identify relevant articles published up to July 2020. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was derived based on the random-effects model. Overall findings were generated from 25 eligible trials. Patients’ conditions included hyperlipidemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, overweight, carotid endarterectomy, and menopausal women. Prescribed gum dose varied between 100 mg/d and 30 g/d for 1–24 months. Compared with control groups, guar gum supplementation decreased total cholesterol (TC) by −20.41 mg/dL (95% CI: −26.76 to −14.07; P < 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) by −17.37 mg/dL (95% CI: −23.60 to −11.13; P < 0.001), but did not change triglycerides (TG) (WMD: −6.53 mg/dL, 95% CI: −16.03 to 2.97; P = 0.178) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (WMD: −0.62 mg/dL, 95% CI: −1.68 to 0.44, P = 0.252). Conclusions: Guar gum supplementation significantly reduced serum LDL-C and TC levels in patients with cardiometabolic problems, but had neutral effects on TG and HDL-C levels.