Nexira has adopted Acacia Gum through the American Botanical Council (ABC)’s Adopt-an-Herb botanical research and education program.
 
Acacia gum, also known as gum Arabic, is an exudate of trees in the legume or Fabaceae family, primarily the Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal trees native to Sudan and the sub-Saharan Sahel region of North Africa.
 
Acacia gum has been used for millennia in food, medicine, and cosmetics, and is an important economic crop in its native habitat. The gum is collected by making superficial incisions in the branches and stripping the bark off, and the gum is harvested weeks later for further processing.
 
Historically, acacia gum was used as a binder for cosmetics, inks, pigments, paint adhesives, and in the wrappings that were part of the ancient Egyptian mummification process. Cleopatra (ca. 69-30 BCE) was said to favor lipstick made with the gum. The Greek natural philosopher Theophrastus (ca. 373—287 BCE) and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (ca. 23—79 CE) mention the use of acacia gum to make poultices to relieve skin irritations, burns or ulcers, and to stop profuse nose bleeds. By the first century CE, it was used in Europe for hemorrhages and healing leech bites. 
 
Contemporary uses of acacia include as a binder in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paint, ink, and art supplies, and in the food and beverage industries as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and texturizer. It is a potent source of soluble fiber that can enrich the nutritional profile of food and beverages and is used in dietary supplements to support digestive health.
 
Supported by Nexira research, acacia is now confirmed as a dietary fiber by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Acacia fiber is also a prebiotic that acts in the intestines to promote the growth of friendly microorganisms that contribute to gut and bowel health.
 
The trees also prevent desert encroachment into their native habitat, serve as fuel and fodder for the human and animal inhabitants of the region, and contribute to improving overall soil fertility.
 
“Nexira is continuously working to raise awareness around acacia fiber prebiotic health benefits,” said Mathieu Dondain, Nexira vice president. “Adopting the acacia gum record on ABC’s HerbMedPro database is another way to share scientific studies with our community, to offer a compilation of published studies, and to bring to the table our own numerous studies. Acacia’s importance over the years has increased significantly and it is now appreciated as a natural ingredient that appeals to health and wellness-conscious consumers because of its multiple functional and nutritional benefits.”
 
Nexira’s acacia adoption supports ABC’s HerbMedPro database, ensuring that the resource remains up to date for researchers and other members of the herbal and dietary supplement and natural medicine communities. 
 
HerbMedPro is an online database that provides access to scientific and clinical research data on the uses and health effects of more than 265 herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and fungi. 
 
“ABC is deeply grateful to Nexira for its adoption of Acacia Gum on ABC’s robust HerbMedPro database,” said ABC founder and executive director Mark Blumenthal. “We truly appreciate Nexira’s focus on this historically-used plant material that has such wide array of commercial and health-related applications.”