Did You Know…that a certain “super fiber” from Japan can help you shed fat while protecting you from multiple serious diseases?
The fact that fiber is good for you is well established—as is the fact that most Americans simply don’t get enough fiber in our diets.
| FACT: Most Americans eat only about 8 grams of fiber daily, whereas our ancient ancestors consumed an average of 100 grams, and modern health experts recommend a whopping 30–50 grams! |
The good news? A certain Japanese “super-fiber” can help you up your fiber intake almost instantly.
How Fiber Keeps You Healthy
Dietary fiber promotes vibrant overall health in part because it supports a healthy “gut biome” by feeding the good bacteria you need to keep illness at bay.
| FACT: Dietary fiber is either insoluble, meaning it cannot be digested (such as wheat bran) or soluble (such as fiber found in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds). |
Insoluble fiber like wheat bran helps keep you “regular,” which is valuable. However, the truly impressive health benefits of fiber come from the soluble fiber, which is proven to:
Help lower cholesterol
Stabilize blood sugar and insulin
Prevent cancer
Balance hormone levels
Remove excess estrogen from the body
Reduce the risk of breast cancer
Promote the body’s production of vitamins and minerals
Provide food for the colon cells
Help maintain healthy body weight
The Impressive Benefits of Japan’s Ancient “Super Fiber”
Glucomannan is a soluble fiber that is fermentable and highly viscous, which means it absorbs many times its own weight in water, up to 50 times its own weight! Glucomannan comes from the root of the elephant yam, also known as konjac (Amorphophallus konjac or Amorphophallus rivieri), native to Asia.
Konjac has long been used in herbal medicine and traditional foods such as konjac jelly, tofu, and noodles. Today, purified konjac flour or glucomannan fiber is used as a food stabilizer, thickener, and dietary supplement.
Much of the excitement around glucumannan as a dietary supplement relates to its potential to help you shed fat. In many studies, doses of 2 to 4 grams of glucomannan per day resulted in significant weight loss in overweight and obese individuals.
Natural health expert Dr. Mark Hymen explains that glucomannan not only promotes a sense of fullness, but it also pushes more calories out through your colon rather than letting them be absorbed. Glucomannan also lowers the energy density of the food you eat by adding bulk to the food you ingest as it travels through your digestive tract. This means your food contains fewer calories per ounce than it would without the added glucomannan.
| FACT: Studies show that the weight of food controls your appetite. Fibers such as glucomannan increase the weight of food without increasing calories—a critical factor in weight control. |
Benefits for Your Whole Body
Some whole-body benefits of glucomannan include its ability to:
Slow the rate of food absorption from the gut to the bloodstream. This means your body produces less insulin after a meal, thereby helping to reduce your appetite. It may also help reverse insulin resistance.
Increase level of hormones in the gut (such as cholecystokinin), another means of appetite control.
Lower triglycerides and total cholesterol
Lower low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol, without affecting your levels of high-density lipoprotein, or “good” cholesterol, according to a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Keep fasting blood glucose levels stable: In one study, diabetic patients were given glucomannan for 90 days and their fasting glucose levels dropped an average of 29%.
Delay the effects of aging: In one study, rats fed glucomannan for 18 months delayed cell aging, arteriosclerosis, and brain deterioration.
Glucomannan supplements are available in powder and capsule forms. Remember, however, that you should always speak with your doctor before taking glucomannan supplements, as they can interact with certain medications.
