MANAGING HEALTHY LEVELS OF BLOOD GLUCOSE AND CHOLESTEROL WITH KONJAC FLOUR

摘要

Konjac flour is a partially acetylated glucomannan polysaccharide used as an ingredient in food both for its unique water-binding properties and well-documented nutritional benefits. In the Far East it has been prepared from the tubers of the Amorphophallus konjac plant for well over a thousand years. Konjac flour, which has been freshly prepared from tubers that have been grown for three years, has a molecular weight in the range of 1-2 million Daltons. The high molecular weight results in very high viscosity at very low concentrations. The viscosity of a dispersion made with 1% commercial konjac flour can vary from 30,000-100,000 mPa.s, depending on the preparation.1 In addition to its function as a powerful water-binding agent in food, konjac flour has been proven in numerous published clinical studies to significantly lower glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood, when consumed in modest amounts.2' Studies have shown that the reduction in blood glucose levels caused by various hydrocolloids is proportional to their viscosity.4 Thus, increasing the viscosity of the intestinal fluid limits mass transport of glucose to the bloodstream. The mechanism of action of konjac flour in lowering blood cholesterol levels is less well understood, but it is generally assumed that the reduction is related to increased bile acid secretion.5 Konjac flour therefore appears to have significant value when formulated in foods for diabetics, or for those individuals who want to maintain healthy levels of glucose or cholesterol in the blood.