Glucomannan

Glucomannan and Weight Loss

There is no scientific evidence that glucomannan supplements can aid in weight loss. However, since glucomannan supplements are high in fiber they can help you feel full longer. This may help you control your appetite if you are looking to lose weight through food control.

Unfortunately, although glucomannan supplements can help you feel satisfied you still need to eat right and exercise if you want to lose weight. The only way eating less can help you lose weight is if you are eating less of the unhealthy foods.

Otherwise, you need to eat in order to lose weight. Your body relies on food for fuel and if it does not get the nutrition it expects it will start to store up everything you give it for future use. As part of the storage process it converts everything to fat, which is not what you want if you are trying to lose weight.

Even if you are not trying to lose weight, you never want your body to store excess fat that it does not need. You need some healthy fat every day, but only small quantities for your body to process it correctly.

Glucomannan Side Effects

Since glucomannan is a natural fiber that has been used as a food source for centuries it is considered to be relatively safe. However, taking glucomannan supplements may pose a danger for some people. In some instances, glucomannan supplements may cause a blockage in the intestines. In other cases it may cause a blockage in the throat.

Although glucomannan supplements are natural, they can affect your blood sugar. This can be problematic in diabetics or for anyone else who needs to maintain control over his sugar levels. If you are going to have surgery you definitely need to stop taking glucomannan supplements at least a couple of weeks prior so that your blood sugar can be regulated.

The other problem with glucomannan supplements is in the way it may interact with certain drugs. The most dangerous drug interaction is for people taking medication for diabetes. Since it is possible that glucomannan supplements may lower your blood sugar, if you are already taking medication to lower your blood sugar your blood sugar levels can drop too much.

It is feasible that your doctor may prescribe glucomannan for you if you are diabetic. However, if you are taking different medication and want to try glucomannan for your diabetes you must first consult with your doctor. You should never stop taking your prescribed medication without permission from your doctor.

Glucomannan Supplements

As mentioned above, glucomannan supplements can help lower the blood sugar levels of diabetics. It can also benefit diabetics by helping to lower their cholesterol. Other than that, there are no steadfast studies to prove glucomannan supplements can help do anything but provide dietary fiber.

Of course, dietary fiber in itself has many benefits, including helping regulate digestion. If you suffer from constipation then glucomannan may be able to help you increase your fecal matter and relieve your bowels.

You can buy glucomannan supplements as tablets, but you should exercise caution when swallowing them. You can also find glucomannan as an ingredient in several diet and weight loss medications. These are typically sold over the counter but it is important to note that glucomannan has been banned in several countries such as Australia.

If you are looking to take a high fiber supplement you can ask your doctor what he or she recommends. For weight loss, fiber is only one part of the solution. You can only lose true weight with exercise and nutrition.

By true weight this means weight that comes off slowly and more likely permanently. You can always gain weight back, but weight that comes off from burning fat properly tends to stay off if you continue to live a healthy lifestyle. If you want to take glucomannan supplements you may want to consult with your health care professional first. Use the supplement finder to compare glucomannan and other nutritional supplements now!