Glucomannan — Is It an Effective Weight Loss Supplement?

Glucomannan — Is It an Effective Weight Loss Supplement?

Weight loss isn't continuously simple, and long-run success needs dedication and perseverance.

Countless supplements and diet plans are marketed as effective weight loss strategies, claiming they make things easier.

One of them is termed glucomannan, a natural dietary fiber promoted as an efficient weightloss supplement.

This article looks in detail at the science behind glucomannan and if it's something you should be taking.

What is glucomannan?

Glucomannan may be a natural water soluble dietary fiber extracted from the roots of Amorphophallus paeonifolius, additionally called konjac.

It is on the market as a supplement, in drink mixes and is additionally further to food product like pasta and flour.

It is additionally the most ingredient in shirataki noodles.

Glucomannan includes four-hundredth of the dry weight of Amorphophallus paeonifolius, that is native to South East Asia. It has a long history of use in herbal blends and traditional foods like tofu, noodles, and konjac jelly.

In addition to being sold-out as a dietary supplement, it's used as a food additive: AN surface-active agent and thickening indicated with the quantity E E425-ii.

Glucomannan has AN exceptional ability to soak up water and is one amongst the simplest better-known viscous dietary fibers.

It absorbs such a lot liquid that a really low quantity of glucomannan in an exceedingly glass of water turns the complete content into a gel.

These distinctive properties area unit believed to mediate its effects on weight loss.

SUMMARY

Glucomannan is a water soluble dietary fiber, extracted from the roots of elephant yamt has gained goodish attention as a weight loss supplement.

How does glucomannan help with weight loss?

Glucomannan is a water soluble dietary fiber.

Like other soluble fibers, it is believed to promote weight loss in several ways (1):

• It has very few calories.
• It takes up area within the abdomen and promotes a sense of satiation (satiety), reducing food intake at a resulting meal.
• Delays emptying of the stomach, which contributes to increased satiety.
• Like other soluble fibers, it reduces the absorption of proteins and fats.

It also feeds friendly bacteria in your gut, which convert it to short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which has been shown to protect against fat gain in some animal studies.

Feeding intestinal bacteria can also have other benefits. Some studies have shown a correlation between altered intestinal bacteria and body weight.

Glucomannan differs from most different soluble fibers therein it's exceptionally viscous, creating it significantly effective for weight loss.

SUMMARY

Like other soluble fibers, glucomannan absorbs water from the stomach and contributes to the feeling of satiety. Plus, it can promote reduced calorie intake and weight loss in other ways.

Does it really work?

Several randomized controlled trials have studied the effects of glucomannan on weight loss. These types of studies are the gold standard of scientific research in humans.

Several randomised controlled trials have studied the results of glucomannan on weight loss.

In the largest study, 176 healthy however overweight folks on a calorie-restricted diet were arbitrarily allotted a glucomannan supplement or a placebo (8).

Three totally different|completely different} glucomannan supplements with different doses were tested. Some also contained other fibers.

These were the results after 5 weeks:

As you can see, the weight loss was significantly higher among those who supplemented with glucomannan.

Several other studies agree with these results. Glucomannan caused modest weight loss in overweight and obese people when it was ingested regularly before a meal (9, 10, 11).

t is especially effective once combined with a weight loss diet.

The same applies to all or any weight loss strategies - they work best together.

SUMMARY

When taken before meals, glucomannan can lead to modest weight loss in overweight people, primarily by creating a feeling of satiety and reducing calorie intake.

Other Health Benefits

In addition to promoting weight loss, glucomannan can improve some risk factors for heart disease.

According to a systematic review of 14 studies, glucomannan may decrease (10):

Total cholesterol at 19 mg / dL (0.5 mmol / L).

LDL "bad" cholesterol at 16 mg / dL (0.4 mmol / L).

Triglycerides per 11 mg / dL (0.12 mmol / L).

Fasting blood sugar at 7.4 mg / dL (0.4 mmol / L).

It mainly reduces cholesterol in the blood by decreasing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine.

According to this research, adding glucomannan to your diet may reduce your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

As a water soluble fiber, glucomannan has also been used successfully to treat constipation (12, 13).

SUMMARY

Glucomannan can improve several important risk factors for heart disease, including total cholesterol, "bad" LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting blood sugar.

Dosage and side effects

To lose weight, a dose of 1 gram, 3 times per day is considered sufficient (14).

Mixed with water, glucomannan expands and may absorb up to fifty times its weight. Therefore, the recommended dose of glucomannan is lower compared to other fiber supplements.

Glucomannan has no effect on weight loss unless it is taken before a meal. The time recommendations vary from 15 minutes to 1 hour before a meal (14, 8).

Glucomannan is well tolerated and is generally considered safe.

However, if glucomannan expands before reaching the stomach, it can cause suffocation or blockage of the throat and esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

To avoid this, you should wash with 1–2 glasses of water or another liquid.

Some people may experience mild side effects, such as bloating, flatulence, loose stools, or diarrhea, but these negative effects are rare.

Glucomannan can also reduce the absorption of oral medications such as sulfonylurea, a diabetes medication. This can be avoided by taking the medication at least four hours after or one hour before taking glucomannan.

SUMMARY

Glucomannan is generally considered safe. The suggested dose is 1 gram, taken 3 times a day with water. Be sure to take it before a meal, as otherwise it has no effect on weight loss.

Should you try Glucomannan?
Judging from the evidence, glucomannan is an effective weight loss supplement. But as with any weight loss strategy, it doesn't work in isolation.

The only known way to lose weight in the long term is to make a permanent change in your lifestyle.

Glucomannan can help make it easier, but it won't work miracles on its own.