Type 2 diabetes is a growing problem in western nations, yet is a preventable disease in most cases. It is believed by experts that problems arise in response to sudden spikes in glucose, typically from the consumption of sugary foods and drinks. When these spikes of blood glucose occur repeatedly, the body can start to become resistant to the effects of insulin. Glucomannan is a type of dietary fibre made from elephant yam, the root of the konjac plant. It’s a common dietary supplement that’s gaining a lot of attention for its possible health benefits. Glucomannan benefits could include reducing body weight, easing constipation, lowering high cholesterol, and helping to regulate blood sugar levels. However, with only limited scientific support, you should still take glucomannan with caution for now. Glucomannan: A New Superfood? Why? Glucomannan boasts remarkable properties as a viscous fibre. For example, it can absorb up to 50 times its weight in water. That means it may be particularly effective as a fibre, with all the benefits that fibres bring.

In this article, we want to talk about glucomannan and weight loss. Glucomannan is a dietary fibre promoted as a health supplement to support weight loss, lower cholesterol, and treat constipation. You can find out more about the benefits of glucomannan here. You should aim to consume around 30 to 50 grams of fibre on a daily basis, which ideally should be a mix of soluble and insoluble fibres. Glucomannan can be taken in tablet or powder form, both of which are almost tasteless and great for adding to food or smoothies. However, it is best to take glucomannan 15 to 30 minutes before a meal to give the gel time to expand and partially fill the stomach:Interestingly, another study followed a similar pattern but noted that the beneficial impacts on cholesterol levels were particularly noticeable in female participants when compared to males. They found that total cholesterol in their study group fell by 24% in females over the course of 8 weeks but only by a still-impressive 9% in males. LDL cholesterol levels also fell by 30% in female participants when compared to 9% in males. Much of what is said about glucomannan is not exactly a lie until you arrive at the hard medical research. When glucomannan first drew considerable attention, there were some reports of people’s intestines rupturing due to overuse.

You can find out all you need to know about weight loss strategies for men here: Weight Loss Plans for Men: Options and Tips What are the Side Effects of Glucomannan? Another glucomannan-mediated anti-cancer effect could be ascribed to its role as an antioxidant inducer ( Miadoková et al., 2006; Ansil et al., 2013; Ansil et al., 2014b; Wu et al., 2014). An earlier study confirmed that glucomannan isolated from C. utilis exerts anti-mutagenic function in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced mutagenicity, which may result from the decreased ROS level ( Chorvatovicova et al., 1999). Miadoková et al. further concluded that glucomannan from C. utilis cell wall exerts the anti-oxidative activity through iron chelation and scavenging of hydroxyl radicals in mouse leukemia cell ( Miadoková et al., 2006). In line with the above observation, glucomannan or AKe was demonstrated to enhance the expression of antioxidant enzymes in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis and N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats ( Ansil et al., 2013; Ansil et al., 2014c). Besides, Konjac glucomannan was able to ameliorate AOM-induced genotoxicity via alleviating the DNA damage process initiated by accumulated ROS ( Wu et al., 2014) ( Figure 1). On the other hand, the probiotics, mainly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, are indicated for their anti-colorectal cancer function through binding to the mutagens, inhibiting the activity of β-glucuronidase, and reducing the level of carcinogenic secondary bile acid ( Wu et al., 2011a; Chong, 2013). In various studies, glucomannan is shown to enhance the content of probiotics and its metabolic products, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), in feces ( Mizutani and Mitsuoka, 1982; Ikegami et al., 1984; Yeh et al., 2007; Wu and Chen, 2011b; Wu et al., 2011a; Chong, 2013; Wu et al., 2014; Quezada et al., 2017). SCFAs promote the functionality of normal intestinal epithelium and the gut integrity ( Chong, 2013); also, they stimulate cell differentiation program and induce apoptosis of transformed cells ( Kumano et al., 1985; Yeh et al., 2007; Chong, 2013). Taken together, these results suggest that glucomannan could indirectly promote an environment that is unfavorable for cancer development, at least in the gastroenterological system ( Figure 2). Glucomannan Serves as a Targeted Carrier for Anti-Cancer Drug Delivery Lipozene’s marketing department, not their supplement, deserves flagellation and it is they that are largely responsible for the interest in glucomannan, when the gel caps could be filled with psyllium husk and be equally (in)effective and harmless. Glucomannan Health Benefits Glucomannan is a natural, water-soluble dietary fiber extracted from the roots of the elephant yam, also known as konjac. Clinically proven to support weight lossIt may be a choking hazard: Some glucomannan products are banned in Australia and the EU because they have been found to pose a risk of choking. In some cases, the glucomannan powder has expanded in people’s throats before reaching their stomachs. According to Roger Clemens, an adjunct professor of pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacology, “[Studying] Glucomannan is generally passe in the medical and scientific communities.” It slows stomach emptying: Alongside reducing appetite, glucomannan is known to slow down the process of gastric emptying. This has been found to help weight loss. In one final study a group of overweight individuals were split into two groups. The first of these was provided with a glucomannan supplement. This was taken with 50ml of water 5-10 minutes before each meal for a period of 14 weeks. The second control group continued on as normal. Thereafter measurements were taken. The group supplementing with glucomannan fibre experienced an average weight loss of almost 6kg during that period and a reduction in waist size of 12cm, while body fat levels fell by an average of 2.43%. It is thought that this effect on cholesterol levels comes in response to two different factors. Firstly, glucomannan’s viscous nature slows down the rate at which nutrients are absorbed from the gut. This, in turn, seems to impact the rate at which cholesterol is absorbed from food.

So how does glucomannan support healthy weight loss when used in conjunction with a calorie-controlled diet? Glucomannan can help you feel full: Foods rich in fibre are known to increase feelings of fullness and satiety and to act as an appetite suppressant. As a potent fibre, glucomannan is known to do precisely this. However, it’s not clear whether glucomannan helps reduce appetite more than any other fibre. The only ‘rarity’ regarding glucomannan in Asia is the name, but it’s known to be safe and fiber is a proven way to lose a little weight, if only because it softens stools.The results are, ultimately, inconclusive. There is hope that glucomannan can be an effective weight loss solution, but there’s not enough evidence to say for sure. The experts found that participants taking the supplement experienced significantly smaller spikes in blood sugar levels when compared to non-supplementing volunteers. Furthermore it was found that this “protective” benefit was experienced for at least two hours after food consumption. It is believed that this occurs in a number of manners. Firstly, the way that glucomannan absorbs water and turns into a paste means that it can make us feel fuller when consumed a short while before eating. This is bolstered by the fact that glucomannan contains very little in the way of calories, further helping to restrict the intake of energy. Rather than being an exotic rarity in Asia, konjac is widely used as it has several unique and convenient properties, at least the kind of properties useful in food processing.

There is no evidence to support this and we have to call it urban medical mythology, possibly spurred on by jokes that a person would have to take so much glucomannan to lose weight that they would ‘explode.’Glucomannan is a type of dietary fibre made from elephant yam, the root of the South Asian konjac plant.