Glucomannan Fact Sheet, FAQs & Product List

Glucomannan information, FAQ and product listing page. This page contains information and frequently asked questions about glucomannan as well as a complete list of products containing glucomannan.

What is glucomannan and what does it do?

Glucomannan is a dietary fiber that is water-soluble. It comes from the Konjac root. Since it’s found in the very limited amounts in food, supplement is required. Glucomannan helps increase the amount of stool bulk by absorbing water. It decreases the amount of stress on the colon by allowing stool to more easily pass.

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What are the benefits of taking glucomannan?

Because glucomanna is a fiber, it can be beneficial in both weight loss and maintain levels of healthy weight. It does this by expanding your stomach and absorbing fats. These absorbed fats are eliminated from the body and do not go through the digestion process, thus nullifying their caloric effect. Glucomanna also plays another role in weight loss by occupying space in your stomach to give you a feeling of fullness – meaning you’ll eat less.

In obese patients, taking 1 gram of glucomannan with 8 ounces (250 ml) of water 1 hour before each of 3 meals daily over 8 weeks resulted in an average weight loss of 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg).

Glucomannan has demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the total cholesterol of obese patients. In healthy men, 4 weeks of taking 3.9 grams of glucomannan decreased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure; notably, triglycerides dropped by 23%. Glucomannan has also been tested in children with high cholesterol in conjunction with a diet. Interestingly, greater decreases in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were observed in female children when compared to male children. When used in conjunction with chitosan, glucomannan decreases serum cholesterol possibly by increasing steroid excretion via the feces.

Glucomannan may also be useful as a therapeutic adjunct for type 2 diabetes. It has been shown to improve the lipid profile and alleviate the fasting blood glucose levels of type 2 diabetics.

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Who can benefit from taking glucomannan?

Those that may want to control their insulin levels and lose weight may benefit from supplementing with glucomannan. Diabetics and those with high cholesterol may also benefit. It should be noted that glucomannan is not an essential nutrient, and has no recommended daily allowance (RDA) has been set.

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How much glucomannan should I take?

It’s important to assess your tolerance levels of glucomannan by starting with a dose equal to one-half of a given product label’s recommended dosage. Increase the dosage amount gradually and do not exceed the maximum dosage warnings.

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Does glucomannan have any side effects?

Side effects are rare, but may include frequent bowl movements at high dosage amounts of 3-4 grams.

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GLUCOMANNAN PRODUCTS ON SALE NOW:

The full product listing for supplements that contain Glucomannan will be posted soon!

Sources used:
Vorster HH, Lotter AP, Odendaal I, et al. Benefits from supplementation of the current recommended diabetic diet with gel fibre. Int Clin Nutr Rev 1988;8:140-6.
Marzio L, Del Bianco R, Donne M, et al. Mouth-to-cecum transit time in patients affected by chronic constipation: Effect of glucomannan. Am J Gastroenterol 1989;84:888-91.
Doi K. Effect of konjac fibre (glucomannan) on glucose and lipids. Eur J Clin Nutr 1995;49(Suppl. 3):S190-7 [review].
Marsicano LJ, Berrizbeitia ML, Mondelo A. Use of glucomannan dietary fiber in changes in intestinal habit G E N 1995;49:7-14 [in Spanish].
Wu J, Peng SS. Comparison of hypolipidemic effect of refined konjac meal with several common dietary fibers and their mechanisms of action. Biomed Environ Sci 1997;10:27-37.
Walsh DE, Yaghoubian V, Behforooz A. Effect of glucomannan on obese patients: a clinical study. Int J Obes 1984;8:289-93.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucomannan