Glucomannan (Konjac Mannan)
Glucomannan is used to alleviate constipation, reduce intestinal flora, lower blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and promote weight loss. Some studies indicate that Glucomannan may inhibit cancer.
Weight Reduction
Glucomannan is gaining popularity in weight reduction and is often included in "grapefruit diet" tablets. Some studies show that patients treated with oral glucomannan have decreased body weight compared with control groups. In one study involving an 8-week cardiac rehabilitation program, patients were given a 1.5 gram dose of glucomannan twice daily. Body weight among treated patients decreased by 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) after 4 weeks and by 2.2 kg (4.84 pounds) after 8 weeks. These losses are significant when compared with the placebo group.
Glucomannan in Tone Detox
Glucomannan in Tone Detox works with our other all natural active ingredients the lose weight and remove toxins the natural way. Tone Up and Detox today!
GI effects
Some Glucomannan studies report effective treatment of moderate constipation in 1 to 2 days and reduced fecal flora by a factor of 1000 in 10 days. Research on microflora in mice and rats suggests that diets including Glucomannan alter the microbial metabolism in the intestine. In animals bearing human microflora, the differences in microbial composition are subtle, despite the metabolic differences observed.
Blood sugar lowering effects
Several small studies have shown that diabetics fed a diet consisting largely of raw vegetables, uncooked seeds, fruits and goat's milk, were able to reduce or discontinue their insulin requirements. Similarly, Glucomannan has been reported to reduce the need for hypoglycemic agents. When 13 diabetic patients received 3.6 or 7.2 g of Glucomannan daily for 90 days, their mean fasting glucose levels fell by 29% and insulin or hypoglycemic agent doses were reduced in most patients. Five healthy men enrolled in the same study underwent a glucose tolerance test with or without a single dose of 2.6 g Glucomannan. The polysaccharide reduced mean blood glucose levels by 7.3% at 30 minutes with a concomitant decrease in serum insulin concentration. Another study of 72 type II diabetic patients showed a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose after consuming konjac food 30 and 65 days.
Cholesterol lowering effects
The activity of this polysaccharide cannot be explained by a simple interaction with bile acids since Glucomannan shows no in vitro or in vivo bile-binding activity. Rather, it appears to inhibit the active transport of cholesterol in the jejunum and the absorption of bile acids in the ileum.
In a study of 10 overweight patients, the daily administration of 100 ml of 1% solution of Glucomannan for 11 weeks resulted in decreased serum cholesterol levels of 0% to 39% (mean: 18%). In a separate double-blind crossover trial involving 63 men, total cholesterol was reduced by 10% among subjects given a daily dose of 3.9 g of konjac glucomannan for a 4-week period. No significant change in high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good cholesterol") cholesterol was observed as a result of the treatment. The diabetic patients treated in another study showed a reduction in mean serum cholesterol levels of 11% after 20 days of Glucomannan treatment. Several other studies confirm the effects of Glucomannan on lipid metabolism.
Water-soluble Glucomannan has been shown to reduce plasma cholesterol levels in rats. Rats fed high cholesterol diets containing 3% crude Glucomannan for 7 days exhibited plasma cholesterol levels 16% lower than control rats fed only the high cholesterol diet. Rats fed highly purified Glucomannan had plasma cholesterol levels 23% lower than the controls. Rats treated with Glucomannan that had been coagulated with cellulase had mean cholesterol levels greater than the controls.
Lung cancer
A Chinese study has investigated the ability of konjac powder to inhibit lung cancers in mice. Mice fed a diet of 8% konjak powder, mixed in with a common diet, showed a reduction in cancer rate from 70.87% in the positive control group to 19.38% in the group fed with konjac powder. Lung tumors were induced with MNNG. The study reported no adverse reactions to the konjak powder
| 
