Glucomannan listed as a food supplement according to the European Union, that is, it is neither a food nor a medicine. Glucomannan is a very hydratable fiber. This means that it is a substance that quickly swells and grows when we give it water, creating a viscous paste that occupies much more than its original volume. For more updates please visit our website
How it Works ?
Glucomannan can work in the stomach and intestines by absorbing water to form a bulky fiber that treats constipation. It can also slow the absorption of sugar and cholesterol from the gut, helping to control sugar levels in diabetes and lowering cholesterol levels.
In particular, glucomannan has a higher molecular weight and viscosity than any known fiber. Like other fibers, glucomannan is indigestible and passes through our digestive system without pain or glory, It is a very long polysaccharide with 1.6: 12 D-mannose and D-glucose units and branches every 50 or 60 units. Due to its molecular configuration, our enzymes cannot attack glucomannan, so it is not nutritious.
The polysaccharide is normally obtained from an Asian plant known as konjac, Amorphophallus konjac. Glucomannan is extracted from the root, while the plant has traditionally been used in Asia as an edible plant, consuming the bulbs for jelly and other culinary uses.
In addition, commercially glucomannan is used differently. The most popular form is probably pasta. Glucomannan paste, also called konjac, from the original plant, is nutritionally very poor.
How to Use Glucomannan
The use of glucomannan varies depending on the format we consume it. As we said, if it is pasta, you just need to cook it in a very similar way to traditional cooking. In taking pills, it is generally advisable to take between 2 and 3 grams per day, half an hour before meals, with water.
The fiber will swell, hydrate and create a feeling of fullness. This fiber becomes a sticky paste in the stomach, diverse with food. In this way, it helps stomach transit, like additional water-soluble fibers. According to several studies, glucomannan tin help reduce constipation, support blood sugar, and have probiotic effects. However, the most popular quality of this polysaccharide, without a doubt, is satiating.
The latter is the one that is reputed to be an effective substance for weight loss. Studies indicate that glucomannan helps in weight control plans, although it should note that this is due to its origin as fiber and not to direct metabolic action: also has its downside.
The Adverse Effects of Glucomannan
In principle, glucomannan is harmless. However, we may encounter potentially dangerous situations. The first linked to its high water absorption capacity. Glucomannan stood banned in 2003 as a culinary jelly in confectionery due to its danger to children This danger is mainly because it can cause
Another problem with it found in other fibers. It tends to drag out digested food, reducing its time in the intestine and contact with the intestinal lining. It reduces nutrient uptake. And also which shouldn’t be a significant problem in a regular diet, but can lead to long-term malnutrition issues.
Is see, for example, in reducing the acquisition of fat soluble vitamins. The elimination of bile acids prevents the absorption of vitamins such as E, A, D and K. Over time, this decrease can be significant from a nutritional point of view. We see the same problem with drugs.
Fiber such as it , in the same way, can reduce the absorption of fat soluble drugs, so in case of treatment, the use of this type of dietary supplement is discourage. In the end, glucomannan has no other known interactions, which makes it harmless, even very effective satiety.