Agar is the healthiest hydrocolloid on the market

Let’s start by answering the following question: what is a hydrocolloid? It is a large group of polysaccharides and proteins that dissolve in water in the form of colloids and are highly prone to forming gels. They have a large number of applications due to their special properties: they texturize, thicken, agglutinate, emulsify, stabilize, foam, form films, gel, clarify, and increase adherence. Thanks to these characteristics, we constantly find them in our daily lives. 

There is a wide variety of hydrocolloids: Guar Gum, Konjac, gelatin, starches, agar, alginates, carrageenans… We find them from animal sources, like gelatin, from fruit, like pectin, from algae, like agar, or made from vegetables, like xanthan. 

Among all the options on the market, agar is the healthiest thanks to its multiple qualities. With recognized health properties in traditional Asian medicine, agar is hydrating, easily digestible, satiating, regulates intestinal transit, provides minerals, has less than 0.2% fat, decreases the absorption of cholesterol and sugar, and helps eliminate toxic waste. Moreover, it is the main vegan and natural alternative to animal-derived gelatin.