title: Effect of short-term ingestion of konjac glucomannan on serum cholesterol in healthy men. Experiences with three different fiber supplements in weight reduction. Childhood obesity treatment: double blinded trial on dietary fibres (glucomannan) versus placebo. Effects of a carbohydrate-restricted diet with and without supplemental soluble fiber on plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other clinical markers of cardiovascular risk. Effect of dietary supplementation with glucomannan on plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic children. [The use of highly purified glucomannan-based fibers in childhood obesity]. Effect of plant sterols and glucomannan on lipids in individuals with and without type II diabetes Konjac Supplement Alleviated Hypercholesterolemia and Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects—A Randomized Double-Blind Trial Effect of glucomannan on obese patients: a clinical study. Glycemic and lipid responses to glucomannan in Thais with type 2 diabetes mellitus. [Chronic use of glucomannan in the dietary treatment of severe obesity].
abstract: The effects of the soluble fiber konjac glucomannan ( GM ) on serum cholesterol concentrations were investigated in 63 healthy men in a double-blind crossover , placebo-controlled study . After a 2-wk baseline period , the subjects were given 3.9 g GM or placebo daily for 4 wk . After a washout period of 2 wk , crossover took place , followed by another 4 wk of treatment . The subjects were encouraged not to change their ordinary diets or general lifestyle during the investigation . GM fibers reduced total cholesterol ( TC ) concentrations by 10 % ( P < 0.0001 ) , low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) concentrations by 7.2 % ( P < 0.007 ) , triglycerides by 23 % ( P < 0.03 ) , and systolic blood pressure by 2.5 % ( P < 0.02 ) . High-density-lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) and the ratio of LDL-C to HDL-C did not change significantly . No change in diastolic blood pressure or body weight was observed . No adverse effects were observed . The results of this study show that GM is an effective cholesterol-lowering dietary adjunct BACKGROUND Fiber supplements added to a caloric diet have additional effects on weight reduction in overweight subjects . The aim of this study was to compare the effect of various commercial fiber supplements ( glucomannan , guar gum and alginate ) on weight reduction in healthy overweight subjects . MATERIAL / METHODS One hundred and seventy six men and women were included to receive either active fiber substance or placebo in r and omized placebo-controlled studies . The fiber supplements consisted of the viscous fibers glucomannan ( Chrombalance ) , glucomannan and guar gum ( Appe-Trim ) and glucomannan , guar gum and alginat ( Glucosahl ) . RESULTS All fiber supplements plus a balanced 1200 kcal diet induced significantly weight reduction more than placebo and diet alone , during a five week observation period . However , there were no significant differences between the different fibers in their ability to induce weight reduction , which was approximately 0.8 kg/week ( 3.8 + /- 0.9 , 4.4 + /- 2.0 , 4.1 + /- 0.6 in the Chrombalance , Appe-Trim and Glucosahl group , respectively ) . CONCLUSIONS Glucomannan induced body weight reduction in healthy overweight subjects , whereas the addition of guar gum and alginate did not seem to cause additional loss of weight Dietary fibres are frequently used for the treatment of paediatric obesity . The aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of glucomannan in the  child obesity management . This experimental design was double blinded with a block r and omisation , alpha = 0.05 , beta = 0.2 and delta = 50 % . The study involved 60 children under 15 years of age ( mean age 11.2 years , mean overweight 46 % ) , 30 of them under glucomannan treatment ( 1 g twice a day for two months ) and 30 under placebo and the same schedule . The drug and the placebo were indistinguishable both for the family and the physician . During the two months study period the children followed a normocaloric diet evaluated every two weeks by a dietetic record book . At the beginning of the study the drug and the placebo groups were comparable in regards to anthropometric data . At the end , the mean overweight of the drug group was decreased from 49.5 % to 41 % and that of the placebo group from 43.9 % to 41.7 % . Both decreases were significant ( p < 0.01 ) , but no significant difference was observed between the drug and the placebo groups . The only significant difference concerned the lipid metabolism . The children under glucomannan treatment manifested a significant decrease of alpha-lipoprotein and an increase of pre-beta-lipoprotein and triglycerides ; the children under placebo manifested only a decrease of triglycerides and apo beta-lipoprotein . We suggest that this metabolic alteration may derive from a primary decrease of alpha-lipoprotein , most likely because of an inadequate water intake . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS Carbohydrate-restricted diets ( CRDs ) promote weight loss , reductions in plasma triacylglycerol ( TAG ) levels , and increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) levels but may cause undesirable low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) responses in some people . The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of adding soluble fiber to a CRD on plasma LDL-C and other traditionally measured markers of cardiovascular disease . Using a parallel-arm , double-blind , placebo-controlled design , 30 overweight and obese men ( body mass index , 25 - 35 kg/m(2 ) ) were r and omly assigned to supplement a CRD with soluble fiber ( Konjac-mannan , 3g/d ) ( n = 15 ) or placebo ( n = 15 ) . Plasma lipids , anthropometrics , body composition , blood pressure , and nutrient intake were evaluated at baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks . Compliance was excellent as assessed by 7-day weighed dietary records and ketonuria . Both groups experienced decreases in ( P < .01 ) body weight , percent body fat , systolic blood pressure , waist circumference , and plasma glucose levels . After 12 weeks , HDL-C and TAG improved significantly in the fiber ( 10 % and -34 % ) and placebo ( 14 % , -43 % ) groups . LDL-C decreased by 17.6 % ( P < .01 ) at week 6 and 14.1 % ( P < .01 ) at week 12 in the fiber group . Conversely , LDL-C reductions were significant in the placebo group only after 12 weeks ( -6.0 % , P < .05 ) . We conclude that although clearly effective at lowering LDL-C , adding soluble fiber to a CRD during active and significant weight loss provides no additional benefits to the diet alone . Furthermore , a CRD led to clinical ly important positive alterations in cardiovascular disease risk factors AIM This paper evaluates the effect of the adjunct of the hydrosoluble fiber glucomannan to a Step-One-Diet in 40 plasma hypercholesterolemic children , during a r and omized controlled trial , to reduce plasma cholesterol . METHODS All the subjects recruited underwent an 8-week run in diet period ; a Step-One-Diet was prescribed . After that , they were r and omly allocated to one of two groups : Step-One-Diet only ( control ) , and Step-One-Diet plus glucomannan in gelatine capsules . After another 8 weeks of treatment , the results were compared within and between the two groups . RESULTS Glucomannan treated group showed decreased values in plasma total cholesterol ( TC ) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) vs. control group after 8 weeks of treatment . The percentage decrease showed a statistically significant difference between sex groups . Decreases were observed in favor of female vs. male children in TC ( 24 % vs. 9 % ) and LDL-C ( 30 % vs. 9 % ) . CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that glucomannan may represent a rationale adjunct to diet therapy in primary prevention in high risk hypercholesterolemic children To evaluate the effectiveness of highly purified glucomannan in childhood obesity a study has been carried out in 23 obese children ( 12 boys and 11 girls , aged 5.2 - 15.8 years ) , with excess weight of 51 + /- 16 % , treated with 2 - 3 caps twice a day of glucomannan fibres ( DICOMAN 5:2 - 3 gr/die ) , and in 30 obese children ( aged 5 - 18 years ) with excess weight of 51 + /- 10 % , studied as controls . After a three-days food recall , a balanced diet with adequate caloric intake was provided to all obese children . In all patients before and 2 - 4 months after the auxological data ( weight , height , weight excess ) and laboratory data ( serum levels of cholesterol , HDL , triglycerides , glucose , fructosamine , glycosylated hemoglobin , RBC , WBC , hemoglobin , iron , calcium , Cu and Zn ) have been determined . Excess weight and triglycerides levels were significantly decreased in treated obese patients than in obese controls 4 months after the beginning of the study . A decrease of cholesterol levels was also observed in treated obese patients , but not in controls , whereas serum iron , calcium , copper and zinc persisted unchanged . No important side-effects were observed in treated patients . On the basis of our results highly purified glucomannan fibres may be employed with effectiveness in obese and dyslipidemic children together with diet Objective : The purpose of this study was to determine whether supplements of plant sterols and /or glucomannan improve lipid profile and cholesterol bio synthesis in mildly hypercholesterolemic type II diabetic and non-diabetic subjects and to compare the response of these two subject groups to the treatments . Design : A r and omized , crossover study consisting of four phases of 21 days , with each phase separated by a 28-day washout . Setting : The Mary Emily Clinical Nutrition Research Unit of McGill University . Subjects : Eighteen non-diabetic individuals and 16 type II diabetic individuals aged 38–74 years . Interventions : Subjects were supplemented with plant sterols ( 1.8 g/day ) , glucomannan ( 10 g/day ) , a combination of glucomannan and plant sterols , and a placebo , provided in the form of bars . Results : Overall plasma cholesterol concentrations were lowered ( P<0.05 ) after combination treatment ( 4.72±0.20 mmol/l ) compared to control ( 5.47±0.18 mmol/l ) . Plasma low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol concentrations were decreased ( P<0.05 ) after glucomannan ( 3.16±0.14 mmol/l ) and combination treatments ( 2.95±0.16 mmol/l ) compared to control ( 3.60±0.16 mmol/l ) . The results of lipid profiles did not differ between subject groups . Overall plasma lathosterol concentrations , an index of cholesterol bio synthesis , were lowered ( P<0.05 ) after the combination treatment compared to the plant sterol treatment . Conclusions : The results suggest that glucomannan and a combination of glucomannan and plant sterols substantially improves plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations . Sponsorship : Forbes Medi-Tech Inc. , Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada Objectives : The present study was design ed to evaluate effects of konjac glucomannan ( KGM ) 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 . Methods : Twenty-two diabetic subjects ( age 64.2 + 8.4 years , BMI 25.5 + 3.2 kg/m2 ) with elevated blood cholesterol levels ( fasting glucose between 6.7–14.4 mmol/L ) , but currently not taking lipid-lowering medication , were recruited to participate in a two 28-day period , r and omized , double-blind , crossover clinical trial . Fasting blood sample s drawn on the initial and final days of each period were determined for plasma lipids and glucose levels . Feces collected at the end of each experimental period were analyzed for neutral sterol and bile acid contents . Results : Compared with placebo , KGM effectively reduced plasma cholesterol ( 11.1 % , p = 0.0001 , adjusted α = 0.006 ) , LDL-cholesterol ( 20.7 % , p = 0.0004 , adjusted α = 0.006 ) , total/HDL cholesterol ratio ( 15.6 % , p = 0.0005 , adjusted α = 0.007 ) , ApoB ( 12.9 % , p = 0.0001 , adjusted α = 0.006 ) and fasting glucose ( 23.2 % , p = 0.002 , adjusted α = 0.008 ) . Plasma triglyceride , HDL-cholesterol , LDL/HDL cholesterol , postpr and ial glucose and body weight were not significant after adjustment by the Bonferroni-Hochberg procedure . Fecal neutral sterol and bile acid concentrations were increased by 18.0 % ( p = 0.004 ) and 75.4 % ( p < 0.001 ) , respectively , with KGM supplement . Conclusions : The KGM supplement improved blood lipid levels by enhancing fecal excretion of neutral sterol and bile acid and alleviated the elevated glucose levels in diabetic subjects . KGM could be an adjunct for the treatment of hyperlipidemic diabetic subjects An eight-week double-blind trial was conducted to test purified glucomannan fiber as a food supplement in 20 obese subjects .  Glucomannan fiber ( from konjac root ) or placebo was given in 1-g doses ( two 500 mg capsules ) with 8 oz water , 1 h prior to each of three meals per d. Subjects were instructed not to change their eating or exercise patterns . Results showed a significant mean weight loss ( 5.5 lbs ) using glucomannan over an eight-week period . Serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly reduced ( 21.7 and 15.0 mg/dl respectively ) in the glucomannan treated group . No adverse reactions to glucomannan were reported OBJECTIVE To evaluate the benefits of glucomannan supplement on glycemic and lipid controls in type 2 diabetic patients . MATERIAL AND METHOD A single-blind , placebo-controlled , crossover trial with two treatments separated by a 2-week washout period was performed in 10 men and 10 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus . Two separated protocol s of experiments were sequentially followed . Initially , purified glucomannan ( 1 g ) or placebo was ingested 30 min before 75-g glucose load to evaluate their effects on glucose absorption and insulin secretion in oral glucose tolerance test ( OGTT ) . Later , the glycemic and lipid changes after 4-week intervention with 3 g/day glucomannan comparing to the placebo were determined . The st and ard OGTT was performed before and after ending of each intervention . RESULTS Glucomannan taken before performing the OGTT can lower the rise of blood glucose and insulin from 1 to 2 hour in comparison with the placebo , though a statistically significance of insulin was not achieved . Long-term glucomannan supplement significantly reduced the 120-min glucose area under the curve of OGTT . Glucomannan also decreased the rise of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) . Reductions of HOMA-insulin resistance index and body mass index were detected in glucomannan-treated group though the former was shown only in females . No within- and between-group differences of insulin , fructosamine , and other lipids were observed in glucomannan- nor placebo- treated groups . CONCLUSION In type 2 diabetes , pre-pr and ial glucomannan ingestion attenuated a rise of blood glucose without significantly affecting insulin levels . Long-term supplement of glucomannan to the regular diabetic regimen lessened post challenge glucose AUC and impeded the rise of LDL-C. Supplement of glucomannan may be beneficial to the glycemic and lipid controls in type 2 diabetes mellitus 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 g/die in 3 doses ) . The comparative analysis of the results obtained in both groups showed that the diet + 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 . Due to the marked ability to satiate patients and the positive metabolic effects , glucomannan diet supplements have been found to be particularly efficacious and well tolerated even in the long-term treatment of severe obesity
target: The use of glucomannan did not appear to significantly alter any other study endpoints .
  Pediatric patients , patients receiving dietary modification , and patients with impaired glucose metabolism did not benefit from glucomannan to the same degree .
  Glucomannan appears to beneficially affect total cholesterol , LDL cholesterol , triglycerides , body weight , and FBG , but not HDL cholesterol or BP
background: BACKGROUND Several clinical trials have investigated the impact of glucomannan on plasma lipids , body weight , fasting blood glucose ( FBG ) , and blood pressure ( BP ) , but have yielded conflicting results and had only modest sample sizes .
  OBJECTIVE The objective was to perform a meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials of glucomannan to better characterize its impact on plasma lipids , FBG , body weight , and BP .