Thursday, July 7, 2011

Glucomannan (Konjac Root) Side Effects

Glucomannan is a great herb for weight loss. It can have some side effects, which is what I want to address here. Glucomannan is a soluble fiber. If you are like most Americans, you don't get enough fiber in your diet. If you immediately add a lot of fiber to your diet (whether it's within recommended range or not) you will most likely feel some side effects.

It's great to take a fiber supplement, but if you plan to do so, you need to be slow about introducing it to your body. Do not begin taking the maximum amount right away. Work your way up over the course of a week or so. Go at your own pace. Another thing that will help is making sure you drink plenty of water.

Drinking lots of water will not only help fight side effects, but it will also help the glucomannan to work even better at helping you lose weight.

If you take too much glucomannan to begin with, you may experience the following:
  • Gas
  • Upset stomach
  • Bloating
  • Loose stools
Be sure to give your body time to adjust and take smaller doses until you are ready to move up.

If you can find glucomannan powder or capsules, these are the safest to use. Glucomannan tablets can possibly cause difficulty swallowing and, in some cases, choking. However, powders and capsules are just fine as long as you take at least 8 ounces of water with it.

Drink extra water if you feel like you need to. This will also speed up weight loss.

If you have diabetes, you may not need to take glucomannan. It has been known to stabilize blood sugar. If you choose to take glucomannan, monitor your blood sugar closely for changes.

Use of glucomannan is not recommended while pregnant and breastfeeding simply because not enough information is known about glucomannan in that aspect.

Remember, if you take prescription medications, you should take them at times when you don't take the glucomannan. For example, if you take glucomannan before lunch and dinner, take your prescriptions in the morning. This is because bulk fibers sometimes block the absorption of other things like medicine.

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