Shirtake noodles and Glucomannan...thoughts

VeganInTraining

Hey everyone!
I have seen these "mirical noodles" and generally I go with "if i can't say it I don't eat it." The first ingredient is Glucomannan (soluable fiber) do you know anything about this or have any thoughts on it? I googled it and couldn't find a whole lot about it that really sweys me one way or the other.
Thanks

patilee

My guess this is a similar product to the bread that was popular for the Atkins diet. It had cellulose as an insoluble fiber. Probably OK if you have a lot of weight to lose.....

VeganInTraining

I don't have alot (actually any now) weight to lose. i'm actually a little more interested in the *cough *cough fiber aspect of it it, supposedly it can help keep you regular:blushing:

patilee

From Wiki

Glucomannan is mainly a straight-chain polymer, with a small amount of branching. The component sugars are β-(1→4)-linked D-mannose and D-glucose in a ratio of 1.6:1.[1] The degree of branching is about 8% through β-(1→6)-glucosyl linkages.
Glucomannan with α-(1→6)-linked galactose units in side branches is called galactoglucomannan.
[edit]Natural sources

Glucomannan comprises 40% by dry weight of the roots, or corm, of the konjac plant. It is also a hemicellulose that is present in large amounts in the wood of conifers and in smaller amounts in the wood of dicotyledons.
[edit]Potential health risk

A health advisory was released by Health Canada stating the following: "natural health products containing the ingredient glucomannan in tablet, capsule or powder form, which are currently on the Canadian market, have a potential for harm if taken without at least 8 ounces of water or other fluid. The risk to Canadians includes choking and/or blockage of the throat, esophagus or intestine, according to international adverse reaction case reports. It is also important to note that these products should NOT be taken immediately before going to bed."[2]
[edit]Potential health benefits

[edit]Constipation
Glucomannan is a soluble fiber, and as such, has been investigated for the treatment of constipation. Glucomannan may relieve constipation by decreasing fecal transit time.[3] In the treatment of chronic constipation, glucomannan significantly improved symptoms of constipation while being well-tolerated and free of relevant side effects.[4]
[edit]Cholesterol and other lipids
Glucomannan has demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the total cholesterol of obese patients.[5] In healthy men, 4 weeks of taking 3.9 grams of glucomannan decreased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure; notably, triglycerides dropped by 23%.[6] Glucomannan has also been tested in children with high cholesterol in conjunction with a diet. Interestingly, greater decreases in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were observed in female children when compared to male children.[7] When used in conjunction with chitosan, glucomannan decreases serum cholesterol possibly by increasing steroid excretion via the feces.[8]
[edit]Type 2 diabetes
Glucomannan may be useful as a therapeutic adjunct for type 2 diabetes. It has been shown to improve the lipid profile and alleviate the fasting blood glucose levels of type 2 diabetics.[9]
[edit]Weight Loss
In one study involving 200 obese subjects, Glucomannan or a placebo were given for 16 weeks. They found that Glucomannan & fiber group lost 4.52 kg on average compared to 0.79 of control group. The Glucomannan group also had increased satiety compared to control group. LDL cholesterol was significantly reduced as well during the 16 week period. The study also reported that the treatments were well tolerated, and did not report any side effects.[10]
An 8 week double blind trial involved 20 obese patients. A placebo or a glucomannan fiber supplement of 1 gram was given to the subjects one hour before each meal. No changes were made to the diet or exercise habits of the patients. The study found that over the 8 week period, cholesterol levels were significantly reduced, and the Glucomannan group had an average weight loss of 5.5 lbs.[5]

VeganInTraining

yeah I had read all that....So i guess I'm not too concerned that it's harmful, i'm more wondering where it's coming from/is it natural. It says from the root of some plant or something like that but I've never heard of the plant. I guess I could just try them and see if it helps/if they are tastey

unsuspectingfish

If you're having issues with regularity, try some dried apricots or dates, or add some flax seed to your diet.

ShrinkinMel

The noodles may be fine but I think I'd spread fiber out from other areas sometimes. I find mangoes and sunflower seeds keep me regular.

Oh and seek out options in probiotics that should help too.

Pebble321

I just posted about these in another thread too... I worry about "zero calorie" foods.

For one thing, they probably aren't actually 0 cals, I suspect that is more about labelling and marketing than actual truth.

For another thing, it implies that calories are bad and that eating something with no nutrition that provides no energy is a good thing, whereas really, there is no value in eating them, except to satisfy a craving. I would much rather satisfy that with a reasonable sized portion of actual noodles.

I take the point that they might be a good source of fibre, but I think I'd rather have my fibre in a non-processed package like an apple or pear.

From a "clean eating" perspective,I don't think they are a winner either.
It seems like they have taken some organic matter that we don't usually eat (on the other thread, someone says it comes from tree bark) and turned it into a highly processed substance that resembles food. But, it has no energy value - so is it, by definition, food???

I'm sure they won't hurt you, but I'm not going to go hunting them out.