What are acacia gum benefits and side effects every ethical consumer must know? Here are acacia gum pros and cons and how buying them will impact your health, the environment, animals and laborers.
Food is something we consume every day. If you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on acacia gum benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about acacia gum benefits and side effects. This will include acacia gum benefits for your health and potential risks, acacia gum water footprint and carbon footprint, sustainability, if acacia gum is vegan or impact animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if acacia gum is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be able to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about acacia gum benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Top Acacia Gum Benefits And Side Effects
HEALTH
Energy: acacia gum benefits may include aid digestion, ease stomach discomfort, ease throat discomfort, longer feelings of fullness, relieve pain and irritation, soothes coughs, soothes sore throats
Longevity: acacia gum benefits may include cardiovascular health, lower (bad) LDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation, treat ulcers
Appearance: acacia gum benefits may include clean teeth, maintain a healthy weight, reduce body fat, wound healing
Acacia gum is…
- Gluten Free
- Not a common Food Allergen
ENVIRONMENT
Water footprint: high, it takes 13,748 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of rubber, gums, waxes / 1,647 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of rubber, gums, waxes
Carbon footprint: unknown
Destruction: low, acacia gum production is relatively sustainable, no significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. gum arabic trees can help prevent desertification through dune stabilization and acting as a wind break, valued in agroforestry systems where combined with crops such as millet, sorghum, sesame, and groundnut, improves soil fertility, provides shade for crops and workers, supplies fuelwood and fodder
Acacia gum is…
- Moderately Sustainable
ANIMALS
Kills: none, acacia gum production does not require any animals
Harms: none, acacia gum production does not require any animals
Indirectly kills or harms: none, acacia gum production does not indirectly kill or harm animals as long as there are no toxic chemicals, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Acacia gum is…
- Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic
LABORERS
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Acacia gum…
- May have labor issues
Where does most acacia gum come from?
The world’s top acacia gum exporting country is France, followed by Sudan, Germany, USA, Italy, Chad, UK, Spain, Nigeria and Netherlands. Sudan is the world’s leading acacia gum producer.
What are acacia gum uses?
Acacia gum uses in food include candy, desserts, energy bars, gond ke laddu, soy milk, syrup, icing, fillings, chewing gum, paint, glue, cosmetics and more.
What products contain acacia gum?
Acacia gum is commonly in icing, fillings, chewing gum, paint, glue and cosmetics.
When is acacia gum in season?
In Africa, the acacia gum harvest month is July and is exported beginning in November.
Is acacia gum nutritious?
Yes! Acacia gum is high in fiber, flavonoids, alkaloids and glycosides.
Other names for acacia gum are acacia and gum arabic.
acacia gum is gluten free.
Is acacia gum gluten free? Yes, acacia gum is gluten free.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten-Free Foods List
acacia gum is not a common food allergen.
Is acacia gum a common food allergen? No, acacia gum is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to acacia gum but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods refers to as the Big-8 and include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States.
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
acacia gum has a high water footprint.
Does acacia gum have a high or low water footprint? Acacia gum has a relatively high water footprint compared to other foods.
What is the water footprint of acacia gum? It takes 13,748 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of rubber, gums, waxes / 1,647 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of rubber, gums, waxes.
Did you know that water is a finite, non-renewable resource?
We must do what we can to conserve fresh water and a major way to reduce needless water consumption is to change the way we eat. That’s not to say we need to reduce our water intake….quite the opposite. It’s important for our health to drink lots of water and eat foods that hydrate. The kind of water conservation we’re talking about here is behind the scenes.
How much water does it take to produce an apple? A serving of rice? A steak dinner?
We need to be aware of “water footprints”. That is, the amount of fresh water utilized in the production or supply of goods we consume. As it turns out it takes significantly more water to yield foods that come from animals than foods that come from plants. Imagine how much water a cow needs to consume to generate a piece of beef. Not only how much water a single cow drinks, rather all the water that went into producing the crops that the cow ate.
Find out how much water your food consumes with this: Water Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
acacia gum is moderately sustainable.
Overall, is acacia gum eco friendly? Is acacia gum sustainable?
Acacia gum production is moderately sustainable by comparison to other ingredients. Be sure to buy non GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. when using regenerative practices.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
A 2010 United Nations report said that a global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world the worst impacts of climate change.
acacia gum is vegan.
Is acacia gum vegan? Yes, acacia gum is vegan. Acacia gum is a gum exuded from the acacia tree and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
acacia gum is a product that may or may not have labor issues.
Is acacia gum a product with labor concerns? At this time there are no major concerns with acacia gum production but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening! It’s important to stay aware of human rights concerns and worker exploitation that may come with specific brands.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Sadly, many labor concerns exist around the world in both developed and developing countries. We must be vigilant to ensure what we buy is not contributing to industries that are unfair to their valuable workers. Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even experience harassment, humiliation, violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Sources:
USDA: CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE STRUCTURAL BASES OF THE EMULSIFYING ACTIVITY OF GUM ARABIC
Acacia Gum: An Important Social, Economic and Environmental Role for the Southern Sahel Countries
Opportunities and challenges for sustainable production and marketing of gums and resins in Ethiopia
