You may have heard of glucomannan or konjac – the plant that it is extracted from. This is an increasingly popular ingredient in weight loss supplements thanks to its fairly unique properties. We’ve written this article to introduce glucomannan, explain its properties, how they contribute to weight loss, and outline side effects that can arise from taking the extract.
If you’re considering taking a weight loss supplement, we think it’s very important to have a good idea of what each ingredient is, and where it comes from. Knowing about the risks involved empowers you as a consumer, and positions you better to make a good purchasing decision.
What is glucomannan?
It’s a naturally occurring, soluble fibre found in the root of the konjac plant.
Konjac grows in tropical regions of Asia, and has been used in cooking for generations. Popular serving methods include thin noodles (thread konjac), jelly (snow konjac), and as a vegan seafood alternative thanks to its texture and salty flavour.
Glucomannan, the fibre that is extracted from the root of the plant, has gained attention in recent years as a weight loss supplement thanks to its ability to expand when it soaks up water. This effect is used in various fat burning products as a way to stimulate feelings of fullness with lower amounts of food than would usually be required.
How does glucomannan help you lose weight?
Weight loss occurs when your body burns more calories than it consumes.
Calories are burned by your body during its day to day activities (the brain takes around 400 calories a day to power, for example!), and additional calories can be burned through exercise. Calories are gained primarily through the diet. If you ingest more calories than you burn you will gain weight, and vice versa.
Glucomannan is a popular ingredient in weight loss supplements thanks to its expanding properties, which we mentioned earlier. When you ingest glucomannan – either as a powder in a fat burner capsule, or stirred into a liquid – it makes its way through your digestive system, where it expands slightly.
The extra space taken up by the expanded glucomannan pushes on the walls of your digestive system to create feelings of fullness. As long as you’re still eating the amount of calories required for healthy body functioning, the reduction in appetite caused by glucomannan can be a great boost for weight loss.
It is also an ingredient with very low caloric content, and one that reduces the absorption of fat and protein. Combined, these three things explain why glucomannan is popular in weight loss supplements.
What weight loss results can you expect from glucomannan ?
It’s hard to say how much weight you will lose if you take a fat burner in general, let alone trying to estimate for a specific ingredient. There are so many factors at play: your activity levels, your physique, your starting weight, and so on.
Your weight loss results will depend on the size of your caloric deficit: how many more calories you burn than you consume. The idea behind taking a supplement that contains glucomannan is to help your body along its weight loss journey. By ingesting something with low calories that reduces your appetite and fat absorption, you make it easier on yourself to eat less.
Fat burner supplements often combine glucomannan with other ingredients to bolster weight loss results. As an example, if you check out the Leanbean ingredients, you’ll see that this female fat burner a big dose of glucomannan alongside ingredients like natural caffeine (to give you energy to work out harder and longer), vitamin B6 (to boost energy-yielding metabolism), and choline (to boost fat metabolism). In tandem with other ingredients, you may see weight loss more quickly than if you just took supplementary glucomannan.
Does glucomannan actually work?
If you think it sounds good to be true, it’s always worth digging deeper. Glucomannan has been the subject of plenty of scientific studies in recent years, especially as it began to increase in popularity as a supplement ingredient. While results vary between studies – depending on methodology, demography, and other factors – European health safety authorities have determined that a 3000mg daily dose of glucomannan is effective for weight loss, in the context of an energy restricted diet.
Does konjac root have any side effects?
Stomach ache and gastrointestinal discomfort was experienced by some participants taking glucomannan in scientific studies (source). Diarrhea has been reported by some users (source). It is worth noting that in these instances, the dosage may well have been higher than the recommended daily allowance.
When used in supplements, it is most often the case that the daily recommended amount of glucomannan will not be exceeded in a daily supplement dose (although where this is not the case, it may be prudent to look at another product..!).
There you have it…
Glucomannan is an increasingly popular ingredient in fat burner supplements, thanks to its ability to suppress appetite and stimulate feelings of fullness. The resulting need to eat less means fewer calories are ingested, making it easier to achieve a caloric deficit that may lead to weight loss.
We always recommend talking to a doctor or health professional if you have questions about ingredients, how they work, and whether they have side effects. The information in this article does not constitute medical advice.
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