Glucomannan For Weight Loss: Benefits, Downsides & Dosage 2024

Glucomannan has burst onto the scene in recent years as a popular fat-burning and dieting supplement. But does glucomannan really work for promoting weight loss?

The answer is…yes, it does! In fact, if you are looking to accelerate your weight loss journey safely and effectively, alongside enjoying a range of other health benefits, e.g., lower blood pressure, taking glucomannan may well offer the impressive bang for your buck that you’ve been looking for.

In this article, we’ll be covering how this humble little water-soluble polysaccharide can boost fat loss and regulate your appetite. We’ll also be taking a look at how it can lower blood cholesterol, create a healthier gut, stabilize blood sugar, and help to manage Type II diabetes. Additionally, studies^[1] with animals have demonstrated the correction of gut bacteria balance which can help relieve constipation. 

We’ll also be flagging up any potential side effects and dosage issues that you need to know. But first? Let’s find out exactly what glucomannan is — and glucomannan for weight loss can benefit you.

We know that glucomannan reduces^[3] the storage of lipids, i.e., fats, within our bodies, enabling us to manage our weight. Glucomannan is high in dietary fiber but significantly low in calories, partially explaining its power as a fat-loss agent.^[4] A 2020 scientific review and meta-analysis recently presented promising effects of using glucomannan in promoting weight loss^[4] amongst overweight and obese individuals.

It also exhibits a heap of great additional health-related benefits, such as helping manage type II diabetes^[5] and lowering our blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. And it plays a powerful role in appetite reduction due to the satiety effect of its fiber. Therefore, it is easier for us to manage our caloric intake and achieve fat loss and dietary goals as effectively as possible!

But what exactly is glucomannan?

What Is Glucomannan?

Glucomannan,^[6] otherwise known as konjac glucomannan,^[7] is a type of soluble fiber known as a water-absorbing beta-glucan. 

Glucomannan is a soluble fiber extracted from the root of the konjac plant, Amorphophallus konjac. Found in Eastern and Southeast Asia, the konjac is often called the Devil’s Tongue or Elephant Yam. 

As a water-absorbing beta-glucan, glucomannan demonstrates proven benefits in dieting and fat loss. For example, it regulates our digestion since fiber slows down the passage of food through the gut. By doing so, it enables an optimized absorption of the nutrients in our food and also acts to regulate our blood sugar. It also reduces fat storage^[8] via several sophisticated extracellular and intracellular mechanisms and is beneficial for the health of our gut bacteria.  

For these reasons, konjac glucomannan is now frequently used as a dietary health and weight management supplement, often as part of a calorie-restricted diet. As such, it remains a key ingredient — in the form of konjac flour or konjac jelly — in various healthful foods such as tofu and noodles. 

Glucomannan Benefits

Glucomannan demonstrates the highest hydrated volume at the lowest concentration of all dietary fiber. It, therefore, creates a notable feeling of satiety,^[9] even at relatively low doses. The outcome? After eating, you will feel fuller, for longer, making appetite control easier. And that’s great news for dieters, according to academic studies, because^[10] an inability to control overall caloric intake over time is the leading contributory factor as to why diets fail. 

If you’re a pizza lover, the news gets even better! In a recent study,^[11] mozzarella cheese was partly replaced in pizzas with konjac glucomannan. Researchers reported that the replacement led not only to improved health benefits but also superior reliability and overall desirable pizza bake performance! Konjac glucomannan is a positive replacement for other dairy products^[12] like yogurt and milk as a lower-fat, healthier alternative; however, it may not mix smoothly with milk. 

Scientific studies^[6] also prove its worth as a cholesterol-lowering agent, in lowering blood pressure and triglyceride levels, in the management of diabetes, in managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and as an anti-inflammatory agent. 

Interestingly, the water-soluble dietary fiber glucomannan is now also being investigated^[13] as an effective means of directly delivering drugs to the colon to more effectively target a range of colonic diseases and other gut-related health benefits.  

Glucomannan Side Effects And Dosage

Happily, studies have found that glucomannan is well-tolerated,^[9] exhibits only mild gastrointestinal side effects, can contribute to a healthy gut, and remains stable under varying pH conditions. Better still, it contributes effectively to your daily consumption of dietary fiber.

However, there are risk factors to consider. First, as is the case with all fiber supplements, it is important to remember that over-consumption of any kind of soluble fiber can cause^[14] poor water and micronutrient absorption. This can lead to a higher risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as diarrhea, abdominal distension, and flatulence. For this reason, it is recommended that you begin with a low dose when taking glucomannan supplements and slowly increase it over time, accompanied by an increased fluid intake, to avoid side effects. 

Second, glucomannan is one of the most viscous dietary fibers and supplementation can pose a choking risk and risk of bowel obstruction if not ingested with an adequate amount of water. 

An official statement by Health Canada notes that^[15]: 

Natural health products containing the ingredient glucomannan in tablet, capsule or powder form, which are currently on the Canadian market, have a potential for harm if taken without at least 250 ml or 8 ounces of water or other fluid. The risk includes choking and/or blockage of the throat, esophagus, or intestine, according to international adverse reaction case reports. It is also important to note that these products should not be taken immediately before going to bed.

Ultimately, the science holds: glucomannan can help you lose weight, especially when integrated into a balanced and healthy calorie-restricted diet. Similar to other weight loss supplements, however, it must be utilized safely. 

Recommended Dosage And Preparation

Alongside Health Canada’s recommendations, it is also necessary to consider what is an effective — and safe — dosage (alongside working out how much glucomannan supplements you need to take for weight reduction to effectively occur).

In 2010, The European Food Safety Authority officially recognized^[16] glucomannan as an effective supplement for the reduction of body weight in overweight adults at a 3-gram daily dose. That’s why we would recommend 3 grams daily. 

While there is no universal consensus on glucomannan dosage, a recent systematic review^[17] and meta-analysis studying the beneficial effects of konjac glucomannan on lowering cholesterol reported similar dosages of 3 grams per day for benefits to occur. A slightly higher dosage of 4 grams per day was also reported in a recent clinical trial^[18] which reported a notable decrease in body weight, fat loss, body mass index, and waist circumference in subjects who had replaced dietary carbohydrates with glucomannan noodles for four weeks.

Interestingly, it appears that statistically significant weight loss effects can occur at an even lower dosage than that recommended by the European Food Agency. For example, a recent 14-day study^[2] observed that taking daily 250 milligrams of konjac glucomannan dietary supplement shortly after breakfast and dinner in the form of gummy candies resulted in a reduction in waist circumference, a lowering of hunger, and an increase in postprandial satisfaction. The authors of the study theorized, however, that increasing the dose could lead to even better fat loss-related outcomes.

The Takeaway

While this article focuses on glucomannan as an effective weight-loss supplement, there is a whole range of fat-burning supplements out there to choose from. It can be confusing to know which one will suit you best — but ultimately, the key is to always speak to your doctor before embarking on any new dietary plan, especially if you have a pre-existing health condition. And always consider the science behind the glucomannan supplement, as we have done in this article — that’s how you know you’ll obtain the most valid and effective — and safest — outcomes.

Ultimately, while the CDC recommends that your rate of weight loss should max out at around 1-2 pounds per week,^[19] it’s only natural to look for the fastest route to drop that dress size. We don’t always feel as if we see the results of our diets as quickly as we might, perhaps, deserve to. Happily, when dosed safely, glucomannan can certainly help us to^[20] achieve the fat-burning results that we seek — faster and more effectively — while gaining many other benefits along the way.  

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