Konjac Foods

Experience has shown that rural African dwellers who feed largely on plant-based diet rich in fiber rarely come down with various colon diseases which have now become prevalent in the western world today. In fact, the incidence of lower gastrointestinal tract disorder is almost unheard of among these people just because of their dietary choice. Fiber-containing foods have always been around us but unfortunately, they have been slightly cherished. Fibers are also known as roughages. According to the American Association of Cereal Chemist, Dietary fibers are “the edible parts of plants or analogous carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion or absorption in the human small intestine, with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine. Such include polysaccharides, Oligosaccharides, lignin and associated plant substances.” They are special kinds of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. As opposed to other carbohydrates whose end product of digestion are glucose, fibers pass through the body and goes to the large intestine undigested.
According to WebMD, It is estimated that about 20 to 30 grams of fibers are needed every day by both children and adult for a healthy bowel but most Americans and other westerners get less than 15 grams of this very important food component per day. It should be noted that not all fibers are edible, hence the name dietary fiber.
Dietary fibers are of two varieties namely soluble and insoluble. The basis for this classification is the ability of one to dissolve in water whereas the other cannot. Insoluble fibers are in addition, not fermentable by colon bacteria but soluble ones are. Both are beneficial to man and virtually all plant foods rich in fibers contain both types of fiber only that the proportion may vary. Very good sources of both are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Soluble Fibers
Soluble fibers are normally broken down by the body into a viscous byproduct that are later fermented by bacteria in the colon to release gases and acids which only permits beneficial bacterial to grow in the lower part of the gut. Foods rich in this category of fibers include beans, oatmeal, nuts, apples, Konjac Noodles, Konjac fruit fibers and blueberries. The advantages of consuming soluble fibers are differs some of which include:
Protection from Diabetes
If fibers constitute a large stock of your diet, you are less likely to come up with diabetes especially the type 2. This is made possible because the soluble fibers are not well absorbed by the body and as such, do not constitute any risk of increased body sugar. Should you have been diagnosed of either types of diabetes, consuming fibers can even help keep it under control.
Weight Loss
Soluble fibers if regularly consumed leaves you with the feeling of being full and hence, you eat less. This eating less is a great weight-loss strategy. You aren’t starving yourself neither are you eating more than necessary.
Heart Protection
Soluble fibers in your digestive tract attach themselves to cholesterol particles in there and by so doing, get rid of them. This action reduces the overall cholesterol level of your body which has been identified as a major threat to the well-functioning of the heart. Of the various soluble fiber sources, oatmeal presents the most viable protection in this regard.
Healthy Movement in the Bowel
Because of its ability to soak up water, soluble fiber bulk up your stool and prevent you from developing diarrhea or constipation
Short-Chain Fatty Acids
When soluble fibers are fermented, short-chain fatty acids such as propionate, butyrate and acetate are produced. A lot of physiological health benefits have been associated with these short-chain fatty acids some of which include
• Stability of blood glucose level
• Provision of nourishment for colonocytes
• Stimulation of gene expression of transporters of glucose in the mucosa of the intestine
• Suppression of the production of cholesterol by the liver
• It aids in the production of T-helper cells.
How to Ensure You Get Enough Soluble Dietary Fibre in Your Body
You cannot leave getting enough soluble fiber in your body to chance. You have to be determined about it. The right quantity is the key if you must get all the attached benefits. Here are some tips to ensure this important food component is not deficient in your system
• Consider eating the whole of an orange instead of just going for the juice
• Instead of settling for white rice, pasta or bread, consider whole grain foods and brown rice
• If you must snack, let it be on raw vegetables instead of chocolates or chips
• Reduce your meat intake and replace the reduction with beans or other legumes
Conclusion
The numerous benefits of fiber-containing food items in ensuring overall bowel health of every human being calls for concerted effort in ensuring that it is not missing or deficient in our diet.

It is an established fact that the human gastrointestinal system is occupied by millions of microorganisms known as bacteria. Their presence in our gut is never for aesthetic purpose but they play immense role in every human being’s total health. Health conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), constipation, heart attack, obesity and diabetes have all found their links one way or the other to these tiny organisms. Not all bacteria present in the gut are actually harmless. However, for a gut described as being healthy, the total number of harmful bacterial remains insignificant to the harmless ones. Again, a healthy gut would be one that has microbial diversity of even the beneficial bacterial.
Gut Bacteria Protects against Diabetes and Obesity
A recent report made public in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, it was stated that one of the paramount bacteria in the mucus layer of the gut filled with nutrients, A. muciniphilia may be very instrumental at discovering the effective treatment for obesity, diabetes and their related metabolic disorder. Their experiment on some groups of mice revealed that mice which are obese and with type 2 diabetes had an abysmally low level of A. muciniphilia in their guts. This, according to the researchers suggest that the bacterium plays an important role in both conditions. When fed with probiotics, those mice that were at risk of the two conditions showed appreciable increase in the number of A. muciniphila in their guts which gave birth to an improved functioning of the lining of the gut and reversal of earlier symptoms such as fat mass, insulin resistance and inflammation.
Gut Bacteria May Be Connected With Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune condition that results in improper digestion. It is a hereditary disease condition triggered by a special protein called gluten. However, not everyone with the gene that predisposes to celiac eventually develop the symptoms. This reason account for a research conducted by some Canadian scientists to identify what factor makes individuals with the gene for celiac disease manifest the symptoms or not. For this work, a group of mice having the gene for celiac disease were used. Their guts were first made germ-free by clearing all the bacteria there after which gluten was introduced to them. These mice were reported to have reacted sharply to gluten thereby manifesting symptoms of celiac disease. However, when probiotics were introduced to those mice, it was observed that the earlier manifested signs and symptoms were reversed.
Although the specific kinds of bacterial responsible for this gluten tolerance action may yet remain unknown, it is incontrovertible that microbial population of the gut is connected with whether a celiac predisposed person will manifest the symptoms or not. The issue therefore is how to increase the diversity of these beneficial bacteria that prevent manifestation of celiac disease symptoms.
What Determines Your Gut Bacteria Diversity
The diversity of the microbial population in your gastrointestinal tract depends largely on the quality of food you feed them with. As it goes, not all food are good for these microorganisms. The best choice are food items highly rich in fiber, particularly fibers that are soluble. Fiber food sources include whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables and oatmeal. Howbeit, the soluble fibers remain the best way to increase the microbial diversity and population owing to their fermentable nature and their ability to release short-chain fatty acids.
Konjac Glucomannan is A Highly Soluble Fiber
One notable challenge often faced by individuals predisposed to celiac disease is the choice of diet. They have to stay away from food items that contain gluten. That in a way reduces their options as many who love bread, Noodles and the like would not be able to eat them anymore. Even the food that are said to be gluten-free has to be well prepared because of its high tendency of being cross-contaminated with gluten during their preparation.
One food item that has come to be a solace to everyone whether predisposed or not, is Konjac glucomannan. Konjac is a plant with shelf life of about three years mostly found in the mountainous region of Southwest China. The root is highly rich in fibers which are extremely soluble in water. The fiber has the highest water-holding capacity out of the numerous fiber food sources making it the most soluble fiber. This is exactly what gut bacteria needs. In addition to its great solubility, below are some of the advantages of settling for Konjac Glucomannan
• It contains no calories or carbohydrate
• It is wheat and gluten free
• When stored in room temperature, it can still retains its taste and viability for up to a year without refrigeration
• It comes in variety of size and forms to suit your need
• It is a pure vegetable making it vegan-friendly
Summary
Going by the numerous benefits the tiny organisms in our gut offer for our overall health, it is critical for everyone to take the consumption of fiber serious particularly those who have genes that predispose them to celiac disease. One sure-bet dietary option is konjac glucomannan which is not only soluble but wheat and gluten free.

Konjac plant is composed mostly of a polysaccharide called glucomannan gum. This dietary fiber, when broken down, changes the character of the inside of the gastrointestinal tract and also the way other nutrients and chemicals are absorbed in the body, it contains zero calories, zero gluten. This property is accountable for its many health benefits like tumor repression, detoxification, among many things.
This fiber binds at the bile pigments in small intestine, and making them very less likely enter your body, and reducing cholesterol levels in blood. It also slows down the absorption of sugar by keeping the food longer in the stomach, reduces sugar response after eating, normalizes the blood lipids levels, and triggers satiety a property that is helpful to people with diabetes type 2 and obesity. Konjac glucomannan acts as a natural probiotic, it helps the gut health and the overall well being of a person by feeding the friendly bacteria in the intestine. Glucomannan is a polysaccharide and cannot be metabolized by the human body, so it passes through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and remains undigested. It reaches the colon and gets fermented by the gut microflora this chemical reaction creates probiotics. Glucomannan increases the fecal concentration of probiotics like bifidobacteri and lactobacilli. These bacteria bring to bear protective properties on epithelial cells from damage caused by gliadin.
The health benefits of this magic fiber are so numerous that for thousands of years, the Chinese have used it as food and as traditional medicine. It has now begin to gain popularity in the western world for these uses;
• celiac disease: It produces bacteria that repairs the damage done by gluten.
• Weight Loss: By keeping the stomach full, people are less likely to eat often and it lowers the rate of fat absorption by binding to the fat in the small intestine.
• Treatment of Constipation: Its intake produces a larger bulkier stool that moves through the colon easily.
• Diabetes Type 2: By delaying the stomachs natural emptying process, it leads to a more gradual sugar absorption.
• Reduction Of Cholesterol: it binds to the bile pigments which allows the liver to convert more cholesterol to bile acid
• Skin Massage Accessories: It is used as a sponge, good for people with sensitive skin.
This fiber is magical, and should be added to everyone’s diet.

Konjac fiber permits the assembly of konjac sponges used to clean the face. Made from konjac roots, these sponges are often mixed with different natural materials like bamboo charcoal, clay (yellow, red or inexperienced betting on the case). The naturopath says Konjac sponge offers multiple advantages of cleansing and exfoliating the skin gently as well as boosting blood circulation. It conjointly possesses anti-bacterial virtues however no study corroborates this.
Made from the foundation of the konjac plant, these sponges are used in your cleansing routine to assist you effectively dislodge, dirt, blackheads, oil etc. Konjac sponges are made of a fiber that absorbs lots of water, thus it’s an awfully distinctive texture, reasonably sort of a thick piece of rubbery felt, However it’s softer than a loofah and features a finer texture than a flannel, thus it’s safe to use on your face. Your skin can feel terribly soft and sweet, and makeup can last a longer time.
While Americans are loyal users of washcloths, the thought of employing a sponge to cleanse could be a very little arduous for a few to just accept.
But, once you live through the “I’m to laundry my face like I wash my dishes” vibration, you will find yourself hooked on this weird very little squish. “Because of bouncy and rubbery texture, makes it very simple endless preparation than you’d commonly have with washcloth,” says one yankee skin doctor “It dries fast in between uses to prevent bacteria or mold from growing in it, whereas a washcloth may keep damp in between uses.” And, since you replace them monthly, there is no danger of employing a dirty, germ-infested sponge on your visage.
The dermatologist says she recommends konjac cleansing for anyone with skin problem or clogged pores and get results that a washcloth or simply your hands cannot get.
The first step is to soak your sponge in heat water for a minimum of 5 minutes. “Konjac sponges are terribly hard once they are dry, thus you want to wait till it softens so you do not injure your skin,” Splash face with warm water, and squeeze drops of this directly on sponge, Massage sponge in the circular motions, and concentrating on areas that have any blackheads and dry patches. You have to keep up an expensive foaming lather when you’re massaging, thus if your lather is weak add some cleanser. Avoid those areas with pimples, infections and abrasions and take care not press too arduous otherwise you may scratch your skin.
Once you are through with the cleansing, rinse the sponge with heated water, squeeze out the surplus water, and let your sponge air dry. If daily usage makes your skin feel too raw, sink to 2 or 3 times every week. If you’re employing different medicated cream, she says it’s in your best interest to see with your skin doctor initially before attempting this out.

Soluble fiber is the famous food part that lowers blood cholesterol once you add to your diet. Foods high in soluble fiber facilitate forestall sugar from rising too high by keeping food within the abdomen forlongerperiod of time after meals. Sugar gets absorbed slowly, and preventing the free fatty acids & triglycerides from rising high behind meals. The free fatty acids will bind to the hypoglycaemic agent receptors and prevent these agent from doing its job of driving sugar from the blood into cells. Additionally, soluble fiber reacts in the following ways:

-It binds on fat within intestines, and preventing fat absorption. Many researches have proven this to be true and effective

-It dissolves the fluids within gut & forms gel that will bind with the gall acids within intestines. As a result, the liver converts a lot of cholesterol to gall acids, and blood cholesterol levels area unit reduced.

-It slows digestion and therefore the absorption of nutrients, leading to a slow and steady unleash of aldohexose from attendant carbohydrates.

-It soaks up excess gall acids found within the internal organ tract – equivalent acids that if left is changed into cholesterolof the blood.

-It delays abdomen relocation also known as remotion, triggering satiation (a feeling of fullness) that may be useful in folks with some sort of a pair ofpolygenic disease making anattempt to realize weight loss goals.
DIFFERENCES
The utmost difference between konjac fiber and other soluble fibers such as psyllium is their source. Glucomannan as konjac fiber is also known is gotten from the root of the konjactree, whereas psyllium husks are taken from the Plantago ovate shrub. Konjac Glucomannan is the most viscous soluble fiber in nature – it forms a particularly viscous resolution.
Konjac Glucomannan has the best mass of any dietary fiber better-known to science – mass is between two hundred,200,000-2,000,000 Daltons.
Konjac Glucomannan has the best water holding capability of any soluble fiber – up to a hundred times its own water weight.
Konjac Glucomannan becomes or makes either a reversible or a thermo-non-reversible gel.

Konjac glucomannan was 1st used and studied by the Chinese, and its medicative properties were 1st represented within the ShenNong pharmacology throughout the Western Han dynasty (ca 206 before Christ to 08 AD). Konjac flour has been historically created through process corms, the underground storage organs. when boiling with plant ash, the flour is consumed as cake or gel. Its therapeutic effects are believed to result to serotonin. Chinese have used konjac glucomannan for over a pair of thousand years to treat conditions like respiratory disorder, hernia cough, breast pain, burns, and diseases of the skin. The leaves have jointly been used as an insect repellant. within the sixth century AD, konjac glucomannan was introduced to Japan as a medicative product.

Glucomannan is usually utilized in foods, drinks, and cosmetics for its gelling properties. It’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1994 as an additive and since 1996 as a binder in meat merchandise. China is now the largest producer of konjac, and Japan is the second largest. In China, close to four hundred factories manufacture konjac flour.

Effects on lung cancer

Clinical result in animals

A study from China has investigated the flexibility of konjac powder to inhibit lung or respiratory organ cancers in mice. Mice ate a diet of eight percent konjaku powder, mixed in with a typical diet, showed a discount in cancer rate from 70.87% within the positive management set to nineteen.38% within the set fed with konjac powder. Lung tumors or cancers were lured with N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), the study reported no adverse reactions to the konjaku powder.

Clinical result in man

Research reveals no clinical knowledge concerning the employment or usage of glucomannan for lung cancer.

Toxicology
Glucomannan given to rats at dosages of five hundred mg/kg/day for eighteen months noticed no toxicity. Data proposes minor GI effects (eg, diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence) occur with dosages more thanfive g daily.

Interactions
Given the fact of reducing blood sugar levels, caution ought to be utilized in patients receiving oral hypoglycaemicagents, insulin, or various medicines that lower aldohexose levels. Plus, glucomannan could cut back the bioavailability of alternative oral medications. Thus, it’s counseled to require alternative medications one hour before or four hours before glucomannan administration.

Introduction
Konjac is a type of herb, also known as glucomannan and it is a food supplement used to add texture and flavor to foodstuff. It is used as a gluten substitute, a type of protein mainly found in cereals such as wheat barley, rye, and others. Intake of konjac reduces the negative effect of gluten whose excessive consumption leads to celiac disease.
Celiac disease
Subsequent intake of cereals aforementioned is a common cause of this disease. Symptoms this disease comprise of digestive disorders arising from damage to the small intestines. Patients suffering from these diseases may experience anemia, osteoporosis or lymphoma. Other effects include pain around the stomach, diarrhea, frequent gas and dizziness. These effects are aggravated whenever foodstuff such as bread and pastries are taken. One major problem with this kind of a disease is the tendency for the patient to experience weight loss.
Weight loss
We have pointed out that this disease causes considerable damage to the small intestine. Remember, the responsibility of the small intestines in the body is too absorbed food nutrients. With the damage in place, it means that the body will not be able to absorb food nutrients that are very vital for the overall body function. Patients will then tend to lose weight because the there is no circulation of fats to all parts of the body that is crucial to the energy levels.
As time goes by, the patient becomes vulnerable to other ailments. This now varies from one person to another taking into consideration the diverse body characteristics and climatic conditions people live in. in addition to the ailments mentioned above, patients can suffer from itchy skins, epilepsy, dermatitis, arthritis and any other disease due to the weak immune system of the body.

Benefits of konjac
Intake of konjac plant also known as glucomannan is therefore very important in mitigating the effects of gluten in the human digestive system. It is used for the treatment of constipation, weight loss, type 2 diabetes and for reducing cholesterol levels in the body. Children suffering from this disease show signs of malnourishment, growth stagnation, vomiting, fatigue and general weakness in memory faculties. Early diagnosis of this disease is very important for treatment before extensive damage is done to the small intestine that may as well lead to cases of surgery to remove the destroyed part of the intestine.
Treatment
The best way to treat this type of a disease is to refrain from taking foodstuff containing gluten. This goes a long way to mitigate the damage to the stomach intestines hence absorption of food nutrients in the body. Any treatment must commence with cessation of any further intake of foodstuff laden with gluten failure to which any medical prescription may tend to be futile. Note that if a member of your family is suffering from this disease, then you may need to be checked by a medical practitioner because it was discovered that it is common along family lines.

Whenever the word ‘bacteria’ comes up, thoughts of evil, disease-causing germs and microbes come to mind. But that’s not always the case. In fact, our bodies actually need bacteria to stay healthy and protected.
At any given moment, our bodies host an average of 40 trillion bacteria. These are found in our mouths, skins and our gut. About 75% of these exist in our gut and digestive tracts. The ideal conditions of acidity, temperatures and nutrient supply make sure they thrive here.

Our bodies carry two kinds of bacteria; the good and the bad. The bad bacteria are the ones we should watch out for. If left unchecked, they could lead to potentially fatal conditions, ranging from salmonella, E. coli, inflammatory bowels, obesity, and autism to even cancer. Food poisoning is normally an indicator of their strong presence but if there are good bacteria present, quick recovery is assured. Even though they’re harmful, they’re still important in ensuring that our immune systems are all toughened up. That’s why we never seek to eliminate them but actually try to strike a balance between the levels of the good and the bad bacteria over the span of our whole lives.
While the bad kind bring all manner of illnesses, the good bacteria help with most of our gastrointestinal issues like digestion, water absorption, vitamin synthesis and fending off bad bacteria. They’re especially beneficial to people suffering from Celiac disease. They are capable of metabolizing the gluten that the digestive enzymes in the gut don’t.
The kind of bacteria a person has can actually raise or lower their chances of developing Celiac disease. That’s why managing the levels of good gut bacteria we harbor in our bodies is essential. Ingesting Konjac fiber is one way of tending to and preserving these probiotics.

Good gut bacteria can be boosted and the bad kind quashed with Konjac foods. The Glucomannan in the foods makes the conditions for existence of the good kind habitable while killing off the bad kind. This means that our bodies get to remain healthy without any good entities getting hurt in the process, unlike what most antibiotics do. When the good gut bacteria are killed off while killing of bad bacteria, the pathogenic bacteria get to adapt to antibiotics and that leads to a weakened immune system. That’s
Konjac foods come mostly in the form of tasty gluten-free Konjac noodles. With a host of other benefits like cholesterol reduction, weight loss, diabetes prevention, and anti-constipation features, you should really try these out.