Glucomannan For Weight Loss, Gut Health, & More

Glucomannan is a water-soluble dietary fiber found in the root of the konjac plant.

If you’ve had konjac noodles, also called shirataki, that’s what those are mostly made of, and it’s why they have next-to-no calories.

You may be wondering: if it’s water-soluble, how do the noodles not dissolve in water? And the answer is that the noodle-making process involves making a gel out of the fiber and water, which is then extruded into noodle shapes. In this gelatinous form, they’re fairly stable (it’s one of the most viscous dietary fibers), but yes, if you were to boil them for a long time, they would indeed turn the entire liquid contents of the saucepan into gel.

How it works for weight loss

Because of its viscosity, adding even a small amount of powdered* glucomannan to a glass of water will turn the whole thing into gel in seconds. This means that if you take glucomannan capsules with a glass of water, then so far as your stomach is concerned, you just ate a cup of gel, and the water is now processed as food, staying longer in the stomach than it otherwise would, and promoting feelings of fullness.

*i.e. dry powder, not in a gelatinous form like the noodles

As for its efficacy in weight loss, see for example:

❝Glucomannan was well-tolerated and resulted in significant weight loss in overweight and obese individuals❞

Read more: Glucomannan and obesity: a critical review

So, that covers the basic requirements, but may be wondering: does it have other benefits? And the answer is yes, it does:

❝Glucomannan appears to beneficially affect total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body weight, and fasting blood glucose❞

Read more: Effect of glucomannan on plasma lipid and glucose concentrations, body weight, and blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis

To further corroborate that and comment on safety…

❝Results showed a significant mean weight loss using glucomannan over an eight-week period. Serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly reduced in the glucomannan treated group. No adverse reactions to glucomannan were reported.❞

Read more: Effect of glucomannan on obese patients: a clinical study

As to whether other gel-making agents work the same way, the answer is no, they don’t seem to:

❝Glucomannan induced body weight reduction in healthy overweight subjects, whereas the addition of guar gum and alginate did not seem to cause additional loss of weight❞

Read more: Experiences with three different fiber supplements in weight reduction

How it works for gut health

In the words of Dr. Yu Li et al.,

❝Konjaku flour can achieve positive effects on treating obesity, which manifest on reducing BMI, fat mass, blood glucose, and blood lipid, improving hepatic function, and also regulating intestinal microfloral structure.

Therefore, changes in gut microbiota may explain in part the effects of konjaku flour.❞

Read in full: Effects of Konjaku Flour on the Gut Microbiota of Obese Patients

This has extra positive knock-on effects too:

Glucomannan promotes Bacteroides ovatus to improve intestinal barrier function and ameliorate insulin resistance

Want to try some?

We don’t sell it, but here for your convenience are example products on Amazon:

Konjac noodles | Glucomannan capsules

Enjoy!