However, two other studies did find evidence that glucomannan can help with weight loss. In one study, 20 obese subjects were given 1 gram of glucomannan before meals, and on average, they lost 5.5 pounds over eight weeks. A systematic review found that glucomannan can reduce appetite, which can help weight loss. So take heed and if you are confronted with an Asian gummy dessert, and don’t approach it as you would a jello shot. Glucomannan works in the intestines by absorbing water. This, in turn, has a bulking effect. The fiber turns into a gel-like substance. Clinical trials suggest it could help an overactive thyroid when used alongside methimazole and propranolol.

Glucomannan foods are available in markets and may slightly enhance a diet rich in fiber, which is highly recommended. Several clinical trials showed that glucomannan could aid with weight-loss and the treatment of obesity when taken on a daily basis. As fiber has a stool softening the effect, the substantial build-up of any fiber in a gut is improbable.The only ‘rarity’ regarding glucomannan in Asia is the name, but it’s known to be safe and fiber is a proven way to lose a little weight, if only because it softens stools. Another study gave obese adults a glucomannan supplement before breakfast, lunch, and dinner for eight weeks. The study found no benefit for weight loss compared to a group who took a placebo.

The same study also found that individuals taking the supplement experienced significant growth in the colonies of “friendly bacteria” that reside within the digestive tract, highlighting another potential benefit of Konjac. How Much Glucomannan Should I Take?Even more impressively, the results demonstrated that female participants saw measurable reductions in insulin resistance, though this was not observed in the male volunteers. They concluded that “glucomannan ingestion attenuated a rise of blood glucose without significantly affecting insulin levels”. Glucomannan is a fibre that comes from the root of the konjac plant. It is naturally-occurringand is readily used in a variety of medicines and food supplements which according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), support healthy weight loss efforts, when paired with an energy restricted diet*. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Supornpim_Chearskul/publication/5807267_Glycemic_and_lipid_responses_to_glucomannan_in_Thais_with_type_2_diabetes_mellitus/links/54e2a2190cf2edaea0934845.pdf However, glucomannan hasn’t proved effective for weight loss (any more than any fiber might be), isn’t harmful and doesn’t interest scientists very much.

When glucomannan first drew considerable attention, there were some reports of people’s intestines rupturing due to overuse. Indeed, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is frequently hyper-activated in tumor cells and also plays an important role in cancer metastasis ( Guanen et al., 2018). AKe was found to inhibit PI3K signaling pathway and thwart MDA-MB231 breast cancer cell metastasis to lung in a xenograft model ( Wu et al., 2018). The chemokine receptors and adhesion molecules are strongly linked to tumor recurrence and metastasis. AKe was reported to significantly increase E-cadherin expression and reduce CCR7 and CXCR4 level, which are required for tumor migration ( Wu et al., 2018) ( Figure 1). Moreover, the glucomannan extracted from the C. utilis preferentially inhibited the Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) pulmonary metastases in a time-dependent manner, wherein an optimal dosage of glucomannan on early stage exhibits the optimal suppressive effect ( Kumano et al., 1985). If you are currently taking any medications, you are advised to take them 1 hour before or 2 hours after taking glucomannan because it may reduce the speed at which they are absorbed into the bloodstream. Some research has shown that it helps with weight-loss by suppressing or reducing appetite (delays emptying of the stomach) and assisting with more regular bowel movements. This, in turn, can positively impact a number of different health conditions, the most famous of which is the support that it lends to healthy weight loss... Glucomannan for Weight LossCollectively, these data outline the intrinsic impacts of glucomannan on tumor cell apoptosis, proliferation, and metastatic activity, which are the essential basis for its anti-tumor function. To a large extent, such effects are attributed to glucomannan-mediated inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. As a result, increased ratio of pro-apoptotic to anti-apoptotic gene expression undermines the immortality of tumor cells, while the reduced level of CCR7 and CXCR4 compromises their migratory capability. Glucomannan Enhances Anti-Oxidative Activity and Induces Autophagy in Tumor Cells