Glucomannan is a dietary fiber becoming more popular in Western countries. Peoples in East Asia have used this fiber for more than a thousand years. This dietary fiber is the main polysaccharide obtained from the tubers of the Amorphophallus konjac plant. Glucomannan fiber has a extraordinarily high water holding capacity, forming highly viscous solutions when dissolved in water. It has the highest molecular weight and viscosity of any known dietary fiber. This supplement has studied in the treatment of obesity due to the satiety sensation that it produces; as a remedy for constipation, because it increases the feces volume; as a blood cholesterol lowering agent, interfering in the transport of cholesterol and of bile acids and as blood sugar lowering supplement for those with diabetes. The use of a glucomanna supplement delays gastric emptying and slows glucose delivery to the intestinal mucosa.
   If you would like to eat less, consider Diet Rx natural weight control product and get a free bottle. See below for details. In November 2010, Dr. Mehmet Oz, of the Oz show health program on TV, mentioned glucomannan as his best diet pill source. I am not sure it is the best, but this substance has many health benefits.

Glucomannan root supplement, 500 mg
Diet Rx for appetite suppression

Amorphophallus konjac is a 100% dietary fiber source obtained from the root of the konjac plant. It is an excellent addition to a sensible weight control program. This product is especially grown and prepared to Japan according to exacting specifications.

Glucomannan root has the ability to absorb up to 50 times its weight in water. It can be taken the same day as Diet Rx.

Supplement Facts
Glucomannan root 500 mg per capsule

Buy Glucomannan supplement, FREE bottle Diet Rx effective appetite suppressant

Diet Rx with glucomannan root for better weight control management
This natural appetite suppressant works without stimulants. Diet Rx has no added caffeine, ephedra, ephedrine alkaloids, synephrine, hormones, guarana, ginseng, or stimulating amino acids. 

Benefits of Diet Rx
All natural appetite suppressant, decreases appetite so you eat less
Helps you maintain healthy blood sugar levels
Helps you maintain healthy cholesterol and lipid levels
Provides a variety of antioxidant from two dozen herbs and nutrients
Provides healthy fiber with glucomannan fiber which helps you eat less.
 

Cholesterol
It appears that it may be a natural herb for cholesterol management in adults and children.

Effect of glucomannan on plasma lipid and glucose concentrations, body weight, and blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2008.
The objective was to perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of glucomannan to better characterize its impact on plasma lipids, fasting blood glucose, body weight, and blood pressure. Glucomannan appears to beneficially affect total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body weight, and fasting blood glucose, but not HDL cholesterol or BP.

Effect of plant sterols and glucomannan on lipids in individuals with and without type II diabetes.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006.
Subjects were supplemented with plant sterols (1.8 g/day), glucomannan (10 g/day), a combination of glucomannan fiber and plant sterols, and a placebo, provided in the form of bars. Overall plasma cholesterol concentrations were lower after combination treatment compared to control. Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations were decreased after glucomannan and combination treatments compared to control. The results suggest that glucomannan fiber and a combination of glucomannan and plant sterols substantially improves plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations.

Konjac glucomannan supplement alleviated hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic subjects--a randomized double-blind trial.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2003.
The present study was designed to evaluate effects of konjac glucomannan supplement (3.6 g/day) for 28 days on blood lipid and glucose levels in hyperlipidemic type 2 diabetic patients and the possible mechanism for the reductions in blood lipid levels. Twenty-two diabetic subjects with elevated blood cholesterol levels, but currently not taking lipid-lowering medication, were recruited to participate in a two 28-day period, randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical trial. Compared with placebo, konjac glucomannan effectively reduced plasma cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, total/HDL cholesterol ratio, ApoB and fasting glucose. The supplement improved blood lipid levels by enhancing fecal excretion of neutral sterol and bile acid and alleviated the elevated glucose levels in diabetic subjects.

Effect of dietary supplementation with glucomannan fiber on plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic children.
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2005.
This paper evaluates the effect of the adjunct of the hydrosoluble fiber glucomannan to a Step-One-Diet in 40 children with high cholesterol, during a randomized controlled trial, to reduce plasma cholesterol. Glucomannan treated group showed decreased values in plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol vs. control group after 8 weeks of treatment. These results suggest that this plant fiber may represent a rationale adjunct to diet therapy in primary prevention in high risk hypercholesterolemic children.

Glucomannan and weight loss
Many weight loss products contain this fiber.

Chronic use of glucomannan in the dietary treatment of severe obesity
Minerva Med. 1992.
Two groups of 25 severely obese patients underwent 3 months of hypocaloric diet therapy either alone or associated with a glucomannan based fibrous diet supplement (approx. 4 grams per day in 3 doses). The diet plus glucomannan group had a more significant weight loss in relation to the fatty mass alone, an overall improvement in lipid status and carbohydrate tolerance, and a greater adherence to the diet in the absence of any relevant side effects.

Breast feeding
I was wondering if is ok for me to take glucomannan fiber now then I'm breastfeeding my 2 months old baby.
   We have no reason to believe that this fiber supplement would have any side effects, but this is something you have to clear with your doctor who can read this page.

Constipation in children
At least one good study shows glucomannan is helpful in relieving childhood constipation.

Fiber is beneficial in the treatment of childhood constipation.
Pediatrics. 2004
We evaluated the effect of fiber glucomannan and placebo in children with chronic functional constipation with and without encopresis in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study. Glucomannan fiber and placebo were given as 100 mg/kg body weight daily (maximal 5 g/day) with 50 mL fluid/500 mg for 4 weeks each. We found it to be beneficial in the treatment of constipation with and without encopresis in children.

Glucomannan side effects, safety, risk, danger
Glucomannan side effects may occur but are minor. If the fiber is used in very high amounts, it may increase the production of flatulence, or cause abdominal pain. High amounts may also modify the bioavailability of other drugs.

Biochemistry
The chemical structure consists, mainly, of mannose and glucose in the ratio 8:5 linked by beta (1-->4) glycosidic bonds. Glucomannan is a soluble, fermentable, and highly viscous dietary fiber derived from the root of the elephant yamor konjac plant, native to Asia. It consists of a polysaccharide chain of beta-D-glucose and beta-D-mannose with attached acetyl groups. Human pancreatic and salivary amylase cannot split the beta-1,4 linkages, and hence it reaches the colon without being broken down. In the colon, it is fermented by the bacteria. The molecular weight averages about one million daltons.