NutrSlim with glucomannan
What is glucomannan? Where do you get it? Is it natural?
Glucomannan is a natural water-soluble fiber composed of glucose and mannose monomers. Glucomannan is found in Konjac’s root (Amorphophallus rivieri, synonym A. konjac). Konjac is a member of theAraceae) family, characterized by a strong (unpleasant) aroma that occurs during a short flowering period. (Figure 1)
Figure 1. (a) Konjac (Amorphophallus rivieri, synonym A. konjac); (b) chemical structure of glucomannan.
How does glucomannan help with a weight loss?
Glucomannan swells when it gets into a contact with water, i.e. its mass can increase up to 50 times. For weight loss, glucomannan should preferably be administered 30-60 minutes before a meal with a sufficient amount of water, so that the glucomannan has already swollen in the stomach by the time of eating. As a result, you should feel fullness faster (Figure 2). At least 1 gram of glucomannan three times a day is recommended to support a weight loss.
Figure 2. Amount of food consumed (A) without glucomannan and (B) with glucomannan. In contact with water, glucomannan swells and therefore helps to create a feeling of fullness faster with a smaller amount of food.
It must not be forgotten that lucomannan is not a "miracle ingredient" that will lose weight by itself. However, weight loss is ensured by a healthy, versatile diet and an active lifestyle.Glucomannan is an ingredient that supports satiety faster. In addition,glucomannan contains very few calories and, like other fibers, slows down gastric emptying.
Several studies have shown moderate weight loss in overweight people. As with other weight loss methods, glucomannan is most beneficial when combined with a reduced-calorie diet. Weight loss does not differ whether glucomannan is taken alone or with another fibers (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Weight loss in healthy overweight subjects with (blue) or without (orange) fiber supplementation in addition to a reduced-calorie diet (1200 kcal/day) after a five-week period. The fiber test group was further divided into three: glucomannan users, glucomannan-guar gum users, and glucomannan-guar gum-alginate users.
How does it help to lower cholesterol?
A meta-analysis has shown that, in addition to weight loss, glucomannan also influences the reduction of total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. The effect is because glucomannan reduces the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the intestine.
What other effects does glucomannan have?
Since glucomannan is a fiber, it also helps very well with constipation. In addition, glucomannan also reduces the digestion and absorption of food, which slows the absorption of carbohydrates. This in turn affects the amount of glucose circulating in the blood. Glucomannan has also been shown to have a positive effect on gut microbial diversity.
What should be known when taking glucomannan?
Glucomannan is generally well tolerated but may still cause mild abdominal discomfort such as pain and gas. However, it should be administered with caution. Namely, glucomannan swells when it comes into contact with water, so care must be taken to ensure that it reaches the stomach to avoid the risk of suffocation. In order to prevent glucomannan from getting stuck in the esophagus and starting to swell there, glucomannan must be administered with a sufficient amount of liquid.Therefore, it is recommended to swallow the capsule with 1-2 glasses of water. People who have problems swallowing (capsules) should also be especially careful. For the same reasons, capsules or tablets containing glucomannan are not recommended for children.
Those who use other medicines should also be especially careful. Namely, glucomannan can reduce the absorption and thus the effect of other drugs.Therefore, after taking glucomannan, it is worth waiting 3-4 hours between the use of glucomannan and medicines or take the medicine 1 hour before swallowing glucomannan. It is recommended to consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Glucomannan accelerates the feeling of fullness, slows down the emptying of the stomach and absorption of food. So, all this needs to be taken into account for patients who need to monitor the amount of carbohydrates they eat,such as diabetics.
Glucomannan should be used with caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding and should be consulted with your doctor or midwife because there is a lack of research.
Why is NutriSlim good?
In NutriSlim capsules 18:1 Konjac’s root extract is used. This means that compared to the dried plant, the extract is 18 times stronger. In other words, less extract must be administered to obtain the same amount of dried plant. Therefore, instead of several capsules, one should be administered at a time. In addition to Konjac’s root with glucomannan, acacia fibers have been added to the capsule, which have similar functions to fiber and also have a positive prebiotic effect on the digestive system.
Blog author is Liisa
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