Dense fiber fills dieting bill

By Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 5, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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I've heard that something called glucomannan can help you lose weight. What exactly is this stuff? How does it work?

Glucomannan comes from the elephant yam, a plant used for centuries in Asia, where it goes by many names: konjac, moyu, juruo, konnyaku. But glucomannan by any other name would fill you up just as fast.

This very dense natural fiber can hold up to 100 times its weight in water, so if you mix it into your smoothie, it's going to keep you feeling full longer.

Research into its value as a diet aid has had mixed results, but one study of 20 women found that those who took one gram of glucomannan three times a day for eight weeks lost an average of 5.5 pounds, while a placebo group gained an average of 1.5 pounds. The glucomannan group also had a reduction of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Glucomannan is the secret weapon in the Women's Health magazine Perfect Body Diet developed by nutritionist Cassandra Forsythe, who recommends adding two grams of it to food three times a day.

According to Forsythe, glucomannan:

* promotes a sense of fullness

* makes you feel more satisfied

* makes your food last longer

* allows you to reduce the total number of calories your body absorbs

* lowers the energy density of food without increasing calories

* sustains the release of nutrients into your bloodstream

Glucomannan is available at health food stores and online, usually in capsule form. But Forsythe recommends cracking open the capsules and mixing it with a small amount of water to form a paste, which can then be added directly into food to get the proper filling effect.

Because glucomannan is heavy-duty fiber, it can cause excess gas, bloating or mild diarrhea in some people, but the symptoms usually abate by using it for a few days or reducing the amount ingested.

Ryckmanl@RockyMountainNews.com

Here's a glucomannan-laced smoothie from Women's Health magazine's Perfect Body Diet by Cassandra Forsythe.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Serves 1

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2/3 cup water

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

4 grams glucomannan

Ice cubes