Tofu litters and IBD? Guar gum ?

[Cat.mama]

I’m noticing on all brands of tofu the ingredients list guar gums. I was warned to stay away from this in foods.
Obviously they won’t eat the litter (I hope) but they will groom and be around the dust ?? Should this be something to stay away from?

 

[Caspers Human]

Guar gum comes from the ground-up seeds (beans) of the guar tree, native to India an Pakistan. Beans are dehusked, cleaned and pulverized to form a soluble powder used in foods, cosmetics and industrial applications.

Guar gum is a thickening agent, for instance, to make ice cream and pastry cream. It can be used in cosmetics and other household products to make them thicker and easier to use. It can be use in industry for oil and gas production. Guar gum is also a source of water soluble dietary fiber.

Guar gum is classed as "Generally Recognized as Safe" by the FDA and other organizations around the world but that doesn't mean that it's harmless. Some people (or animals) can be allergic to guar. Those who are allergic, obviously, should not eat it. Guar gum readily absorbs water. If too much is eaten it can cause constipation or, in worst cases, intestinal blockage. Don't forget that guar gum contains a high amount of starch and sugars. Too much starch and sugar in the diet isn't good for humans or animals. Humans should eat only moderate amounts of starch and most animals shouldn't eat very much at all.

Guar gum is also used as a filler in certain foods to add bulk and moisture. It is cheap, easy to use and is readily available. The main reason I check ingredient lists for guar gum (especially cat food) is because I don't like companies using cheap ingredients then charging me full price for the product. That's cheating! Why should I reward cheaters by giving them my hard-earned money?!

If you or your pets are allergic to guar gum, of course, you should avoid it. If you or your pets have dietary restrictions on starch/sugar, again, avoid foods containing guar gum. If you are like me and don't like paying for cheap crap then, yes, choose another product.

Guar gum, by itself, is not harmful unless you or your pets have specific reasons for not consuming it. Problems come when guar gum is overused, over consumed or used, inappropriately, as a cheap filler. You don't need to avoid guar gum unless you have reason or, like me, have personal preferences.

Read the ingredients list on the foods you eat or feed your cat, before you buy, make informed decisions and you'll be all right!

 

[Cat.mama]

Guar gum comes from the ground-up seeds (beans) of the guar tree, native to India an Pakistan. Beans are dehusked, cleaned and pulverized to form a soluble powder used in foods, cosmetics and industrial applications.

Guar gum is a thickening agent, for instance, to make ice cream and pastry cream. It can be used in cosmetics and other household products to make them thicker and easier to use. It can be use in industry for oil and gas production. Guar gum is also a source of water soluble dietary fiber.

Guar gum is classed as "Generally Recognized as Safe" by the FDA and other organizations around the world but that doesn't mean that it's harmless. Some people (or animals) can be allergic to guar. Those who are allergic, obviously, should not eat it. Guar gum readily absorbs water. If too much is eaten it can cause constipation or, in worst cases, intestinal blockage. Don't forget that guar gum contains a high amount of starch and sugars. Too much starch and sugar in the diet isn't good for humans or animals. Humans should eat only moderate amounts of starch and most animals shouldn't eat very much at all.

Guar gum is also used as a filler in certain foods to add bulk and moisture. It is cheap, easy to use and is readily available. The main reason I check ingredient lists for guar gum (especially cat food) is because I don't like companies using cheap ingredients then charging me full price for the product. That's cheating! Why should I reward cheaters by giving them my hard-earned money?!

If you or your pets are allergic to guar gum, of course, you should avoid it. If you or your pets have dietary restrictions on starch/sugar, again, avoid foods containing guar gum. If you are like me and don't like paying for cheap crap then, yes, choose another product.

Guar gum, by itself, is not harmful unless you or your pets have specific reasons for not consuming it. Problems come when guar gum is overused, over consumed or used, inappropriately, as a cheap filler. You don't need to avoid guar gum unless you have reason or, like me, have personal preferences.

Read the ingredients list on the foods you eat or feed your cat, before you buy, make informed decisions and you'll be all right!

Thank you for all this info it’s very helpful. My cat was recently diagnosed with ibd so I guess I will continue looking for other litter options.
thanks again

 

[Caspers Human]

I think the idea for using guar in tofu cat litter is as a binding agent to make it clump like bentonite based cat litter does. The litter will absorb moisture and the guar will act like glue, holding it together until it solidifies.

Guar isn't harmful, by itself. Just by your cat walking and digging in cat litter, there should be no problems with guar. A cat would have to eat it to get sick...if, indeed, guar would make a cat sick.

Guar is made from the ground up seeds from a plant, just the same way flour is made from ground up wheat. It is, in essence, "sticky flour."

There isn't any reason for a healthy person or cat to avoid guar unless they know that they have a sensitivity to it. (Gas, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, etc.)

If you or your cat are sensitive to it, don't eat it. I can't imagine that a cat would eat cat litter even if it's made of tofu. Most cats don't.

Strangely, some research has said that guar gum actually helps humans with inflammatory bowel diseases but other researchers say that it makes IBD worse. Basically, the only thing we can take away from that is, as the saying goes, the jury is still out. That leaves it up to the individual to decide.

If you use tofu-guar cat litter and your cat doesn't like it or if your cat seems to have problems with it, stop using it. If you or your cat don't have any problems, there isn't any reason to stop using it unless you want to.

If you have any other questions, the best thing to do is ask your vet.