See also: Normacol, a drug based on gum sterculia
Karaya gum is the rubbery secret that comes out of the trunk and branches of some species of the genus Sterculia (in particular Sterculia urens ), spontaneously, or following incisions.
From the chemical point of view, karaya gum is a complex high molecular weight polysaccharide, consisting of the sugars galactose, rhamnose and glucoronic acid. Poorly soluble in water, when it comes into contact with it it swells quickly, reaching a volume much higher than the initial one. This property accounts for its many applications in the industrial and health fields. Widely used as a thickener / stabilizer by the food industry (E416) and cosmetics, as well as an adhesive agent, the mass laxative gum in the treatment of constipation. For this purpose it can also be associated with sulphate or magnesium oxide.
Karaya gum can also be used as an adjunct to low-calorie diets aimed at reducing body weight. In fact, the simultaneous intake of water and karaya rubber not only accelerates intestinal transit, but also increases the sense of satiety.
Noteworthy side effects are not reported, but the intake is contraindicated in the presence of oesophageal or gastrointestinal strictures.
