Gum arabic is the gum that is exuded from certain trees, such as the Acacia sudan tree. It’s a source of dietary fiber that can dissolve in water.
Gum arabic tends to make people feel full, so they might stop eating earlier than they would otherwise. This might lead to weight loss and reduced cholesterol levels.
Gum arabic is used for high cholesterol, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don’t confuse arabic gum with Acacia rigidula, acai, or cassie absolute (Acacia farnesiana). These are different plants with different effects.
Probably the most interesting use for Gum Arabic is as part of soft drink syrups. It binds the sugar to the drink and avoids it from crystallizing on the bottom. Because Gum Arabic also reduces the surface tension of liquids, it is usually responsible for increased foaming in carbonated beverages. This can be exploited in the Diet Coke and Mentos Eruption, where a Mentos mint is thrown into a bottle of Diet Coke (or Pepsi) which causes the beverage to spray out of its container.