Cholesterol, High Cholesterol

Four weeks of treatment with glucomannan (3.6 g/day), a water-soluble dietary fiber that is derived from the konjac root, was found to help guard against elevated glucose (sugar) levels and improve cholesterol levels in diabetes patients. The study involved 22 diabetes patients with high cholesterol who were not taking cholesterol medication. Results showed that glucomannan was superior to placebo in significantly reducing LDL cholesterol by 20.7% and fasting glucose levels (a measure of blood sugar after not eating or drinking for at least eight hours) by 23.3%. (53)

Glucomannan may help control diabetes. In a study, 11 type 2 diabetes patients with hyperlipidemia (high lipid levels especially cholesterol) and hypertension ate either glucomannan-enriched biscuits (0.7 g/412 kJ [100 kcal] of glucomannan) or placebo wheat bran fiber biscuits every day for three weeks. Researchers found that compared to placebo, consumption of the glucomannan-enriched significantly improvement blood sugar control ( by 5.7%), decreased cholesterol, and decreased systolic blood pressure (6.9%). (54)