Glucomannan - the source of the necessary fiber for the purification of the body

The desire to lose weight and become the owner of an ideal figure is characteristic of people for a long time. And recently the question of excess weight has become a real problem, which almost half of the planet is facing. In this case, people are increasingly willing to use natural herbal remedies to solve health problems. Not surprisingly, and to combat excess weight, vegetable bioadditives are increasingly used, a relative novelty among which has become glucomannan.

What is glucomannan

The main active ingredient of this dietary supplement is obtained from an unusual plant known as Amorphofallus Cognac( other names: konjak, potato cognac, konjaku).For its original appearance it is also called the language of the devil. This plant has only one huge sheet that grows from the tuber. It is strongly dissected, therefore it looks more like a small tree. During flowering, a large flower forms on a long stem( about 110 cm), a pale dirty brown color with patches of black, green, grayish points.

It is interesting! When flowering, the plant emits a strong unpleasant odor, similar to the smell of rotting meat, along the way highlighting small viscous droplets. At home, to achieve flowering is very difficult, so it is often grown as a houseplant because of beautiful leaves.

Konjak has been grown for several millennia in Asian countries( most in Japan and China), using in cooking and medicine. The tubers of this plant are rich in natural water-soluble fiber, which is often lacking in the body with an improper diet.

Principle of operation and use for weight loss

The main property of glucomannan, which provided it with popularity as a means of losing weight, is the ability to absorb a huge amount of liquid( about 200 times its own volume).

Swelling from water, glucomannan significantly increases in size, filling the stomach and causing a feeling of satiety, which comes in a few minutes after taking. Thanks to this, the amount of food eaten is significantly reduced, which means that the quantity of calories received is also reduced. However, it is very important to wash down konjak with a lot of water, otherwise it will not be able to dissolve and fully fulfill its task.

Thanks to its high adsorption capacity, glucomannan fibers absorb not only water, but also harmful substances that accumulate in the body. They also do not allow fat and cholesterol to be absorbed into the blood, contributing to their rapid elimination. Because of its high fiber content, glucomannan is able to regulate insulin production, reduce blood glucose levels, and purify blood.

Another useful property of the coarse fiber found in konjak tubers is the ability to effectively cleanse the intestines. Passing through it, glucomannan absorbs and removes toxins, toxins, undigested food residues, unsplit acids and fats. As a result of such mechanical cleaning, the normal microflora is restored in the intestine, which helps to eliminate bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation or colic.

All these properties contribute to the cleansing of the body from accumulated harmful substances, normalization of digestion and loss of appetite, resulting in the loss of extra pounds.

Additional useful properties of

Of course, first of all, most people take konjak for weight loss, however, glucomannan fibers have other properties useful for the body. Among them:

• improved metabolism;
• regulation of the amount of free triglycerides in the body;
• stabilization of the pH level in the gastrointestinal tract;
• ability to bind heavy metals, food colorings and other harmful additives and safely remove them from the body.

Glucomannan is recommended for people suffering from hypertension, hyperlipemia, hyperglycemia, as well as for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies.

Rules for admission, how to use

In order to avoid negative consequences, it is very important to carefully follow the rules for glucocannan.

The most important of these is the need to drink up to 2 liters of clean water a day during each course. At the same time, each serving of Konjak is washed with at least one glass of water. Water is necessary for the fibers to swell in the stomach, begin to soften and dissolve.

With a lack of water, the fibers will remain coarse and stiff, so it's easy to damage the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. This is especially dangerous when taking Konjak in the form of tablets, since a small amount of water can cause choking or spasm of the respiratory system, throat, esophagus or intestine.

According to the research of the staff of the American Dietetic Association, the daily norm for an adult is 25 g for women and 50 g for men( up to 50 years).After 50 years, this rate is reduced to 21 g and 30 g, respectively. It is better to start taking glucomannan from small doses - 3-4 grams per day, which are divided into several parts taken before each meal( just before meals or 1 hour before it).



Many stores today offer a variety of drinks or products with the addition of konjak or prepared from its fibers. In particular, there are fruit juices with konjak, contributing to weight loss, elimination of toxins and, at the same time, quenching thirst. In cooking, konjak is mainly used as a gelling agent( along with agar-agar or gelatin), so jelly is often found on the market, which, while preserving all the useful properties, is also a delicious dessert.

Also from the konjak tubers make flour, which is then used to make macaroni or shirataki noodles. These products are very popular in Asian cuisine.

Side effects, contraindications

Side effects of glucomannan include common for all dietary fiber effects:

• bloating;
• stomach pain;
• loose stool;
• flatulence;
• diarrhea.

There are also a number of contraindications to taking glucomannan. In particular, very carefully it should be taken to people suffering from diabetes, as the fibers of konjak can cause a sharp decrease in sugar.

Also glucomannan is contraindicated in people with structural disorders in the intestine or esophagus, since the fibers can provoke a blockage of the gastrointestinal tract.

Another remark concerns the combination of glucomannan with drugs. It, as a rule, prevents the full absorption of medications, so it is recommended to distribute their reception on time and take the medication in an hour, and better - 4 hours after glucomannan.

Like all other herbal remedies, glucomannan fibers can induce individual intolerance. When it is detected, it is necessary to immediately exclude this product from your diet in order to avoid serious consequences for the body.

Despite the fact that konjak is really quite effective for weight loss, it should be used with extreme caution, since if the rules of admission are not adhered to, serious health consequences may occur.