Can Konjac Glucomannan Promote Weight Loss?

Can Konjac Glucomannan Promote Weight Loss?

If you haven't yet come across konjac glucomannan - particularly in the popular rice and noodle form - you'll be interested to know that this natural, plant-based ingredient offers a wide array of benefits, particularly when it comes to appetite control and weight management or even direct weight loss. This fascinating and ancient ingredient works on a number of levels to help your body lose weight while supporting good health. It's also completely natural, plant-based, and free from chemicals or additives and it can be enjoyed safely by almost everyone. Let's take a closer look at some of the benefits.

What is Konjac Glucomannan?

Konjac Glucomannan goes by various names, including Elephant's Ear and Voodoo Lily. It's a large root that has been used for centuries in native Asian countries, where it is grown as a perennial plant for food and medicinal reasons. In Asia, healers have used it for thousands of years to help manage asthma and skin disorders, and today it is largely used as an ingredient to make noodles and rice products. You may see it listed as konjac, konjac root, glucomannan, or konjac glucomannan on ingredients listings, but it's all the same thing.

Creates a feeling of satiety

Glucomannan naturally forms a gel-like substance in its unprocessed form. It can swell to 20 times its original size by absorbing liquid, and this helps to create a full feeling with very few calories. The combination of volume and high fiber helps to give the stomach signals that it is full. This makes konjac glucomannan an excellent ingredient for weight loss, offering the feeling of being full without high calories. [1]

Reduces appetite

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved glucomannan as a weight loss supplement, with tablet forms being taken before meals to curb the appetite. This natural and plant-based ingredient is proven to be highly effective and far safer than many of the dubious weight loss supplements touted online, which often contain chemicals and additives. The best time to take the ingredient as an appetite suppressant is around 30 minutes before a meal, which gives it time to swell and act as a gel-like substance in the stomach.[1]

Promotes healthy gut bacteria

Studies suggest that Konjac helps to promote the healthy bacteria that reside in your gut. Too many unhealthy lifestyle practices can diminish this good bacteria and mean that unhealthier, or even damaging, strains take over. Stress, junk food, smoking, alcohol, and a lack of sleep all contribute to damaging your healthy gut flora. Some seemingly innocuous practices can also affect this essential balance. For example, if you take antibiotics, these damage all of your intestinal bacteria by killing off good bacteria as well as identified pathogens. It takes time for your gut to restore a healthy balance, and the more you can support this with healthy foods, high-fiber ingredients and the right supplements, the better you can support your immune system. Why does this matter? Scientists increasingly believe that a healthy gut is the key to our overall health, wellbeing and immunity.

Acts on a variety of levels

Konjac root has been medically studied - unlike a huge number of popular weight loss supplements - and researchers have concluded that it helps to promote satiety, helps people to excrete more calories in the stool, and also supports healthy blood fats and glycemic balance. [2] It also helps to absorb excess carbohydrates in your system, which are otherwise placed into your body's fat stores by the natural insulin response.

Enjoying konjac noodles in your diet

The easiest way to enjoy this super ingredient is by eating specialist Konjac Glucomannan Noodles or Rice products that contain the ingredient. You can use it with all kinds of delicious dishes and top it with sauces, meat, fish, nuts, soy or vegetables and add plenty of other ingredients that support weight loss and healthy weight management, such as peppers to boost the metabolism and vegetables for low-calorie fiber.

In addition to basic rice and noodle products made from konjac root, you can buy specialist fettuccine and pasta alternatives that allow you to make delicious Italian dishes without the excess calories or negative implications for your weight. Why not also try Konjac Fiber as an ingredient to cook with and to enjoy the further benefits of satiety, carb absorption and blood sugar management - all while helping to enhance the benefits of adding this wonder root to your kitchen?

Sources

[1] https://www.labmeeting.com/glucomannan-for-weight-loss

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16320857/