As a result of its high water-binding capacity, guar gum provides extremely high viscosity in water-based systems even at low dosage levels. Guar gum is mainly used as a thickening agent. (Danisco A/S )

Guar gum is not just a thickening agent, but a binder and plasticizer as well. When untreated ice cream melts and refreezes, grainy ice crystals often form. Guar gum has the natural ability to bind with water molecules, preventing them from forming the unwanted crystals. (wiseGEEK)

Guar gum (E412, also called guaran) is extracted from the seed of the leguminous shrub Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, where it acts as a food and water store. (Martin Chaplin)