Agar Agar
Agar-agar is a natural vegetable gelatin counterpart. It is white and semi-translucent when sold in packages as washed and dried strips or in powdered form. It can be used to make jellies, puddings, and custards.
Agar agar–also known as kanten, Japanese gelatin, vegetable gelatin, Chinese isinglass, China glass, and dai choy goh–is a vegan gelling agent derived from red algae, a type of seaweed. It has many uses but is used primarily in Food & Pharma. Agar agar is odorless, tasteless, and has only 3 calories per .035 ounces (0.99 g).
Agar agar has many uses, including:
- Food: Agar agar is a natural, vegetarian substitute for gelatin that can be used to make jellies, puddings, custards, sauces, and more:
- Desserts: Agar agar can be used to make jelly sheets, panna cotta, and other desserts.
- Savory dishes: Agar agar can be used to set savory flavors in sauces and soups.
- Ice cream: Agar agar can be used to slow the formation of sugar crystals in ice cream.
- Laxative: Agar agar can be used as a laxative. agar pills stimulate bowel movements and act as a laxative. Agar is 80% fiber, so it can be helpful to relieve constipation
- Appetite suppressant: Agar agar can be used as an appetite suppressant.
- Clarifying agent: Agar agar can be used as a clarifying agent in brewing.
- Sizing paper and fabrics: Agar agar can be used for sizing paper and fabrics.
- Laboratory cultures: Agar agar is used as a basis for growing laboratory cultures.
- Textile treatment: Agar diffusion is used to assess the efficacy of textiles treated with diffusible biocides.
- Healthcare: Agar contains a gel-like substance that bulks up in the gut. This stimulates the intestines and creates a bowel movement. This bulking effect is thought to make it useful as a laxative and for weight loss. Agar tends to make people feel full, so they might stop eating earlier than they otherwise would. Some people think this reaction will lead to weight loss. But so far, there is not enough reliable scientific evidence that supports this weight loss theory.