Konjac paste is not as good as you think

Despite the efforts of experts to spread the word about the importance of good nutrition education, there are still many people who think that counting calories and eating little is enough. The rest doesn’t matter. For this reason, in recent years, rice and konjac paste. They are made from flour extracted from the root of the plant Southeast Asian and they are characterized, at first glance, by two great virtues: very low calorie consumption and excellent satiating ability.

A lot of influencers joined the fashion for konjac paste. They tout it as a panacea. It has no taste, so the sauce is important, which you can go a little overboard with if you like; because in the end you save a lot of calories. But you won’t be able to overdo it too much, because you don’t want to eat a lot of sauce. You will be satisfied sooner.

These all seem like benefits, but the truth is that both consuming konjac paste and glucomannan supplements, derived from the same plant, have risks that are not usually discussed. Their benefits are heralded from the rooftops, but the dangers that have led to the banning of some of these products in countries such as Australia They are not that famous.

What is Konjac paste?

Both konjac paste and the other products mentioned are derived from a plant called Amorphophallus konjac. It is a tuber that primarily uses the root, which is ground to produce a flour rich in a highly soluble fiber called glucomannan.

The plant is typical of Southeast Asia, where its root It has been used for centuries both as food and in traditional medicine. However, in recent years it has also reached the West with many applications. It can be used to make pasta and rice, which are widely used as they have much fewer calories than regular rice. Also in the food industry as a thickening agent and in vegan cuisine to replace gelatin. Additionally, it can be consumed in the form of candy or supplements in the form of glucomannan tablets.

Its benefits are real

It is true that konjac paste, like other products of the same plant, has certain benefits proven by science.

For example, its high fiber content gives it its characteristic benefits. Among them, its enormous satiating power stands out. This is mainly due to his ability absorb water. This leads to bloating and therefore less space for consuming other foods.

What is a virtue is also considered the main reason for its risks, but we will see this later. Other studied benefits of konjac include its role in lowering cholesterol levels. This is due to the fact that the excretion of this substance in feces increases and, in addition, its intestinal absorption.

Finally, what is interesting is that there is a study that observes some benefits of konjac for preventing and improving acne.

Eating Konjac Paste Isn’t as Healthy as You Think

Indeed, the benefits of konjac paste can also come with great risks.

To begin with, your high fiber levels They can cause symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain, gas, nausea or diarrhea, especially in people who are not used to eating fiber. But it is not important.

Cases have also been recorded suffocation, especially in people with swallowing problems or changes in the esophagus. This is because it can swell prematurely, causing esophageal obstruction. This was observed more often than with konjac paste, with candies and tablets. However, this can happen with any product. For this reason, it is usually recommended to take them with plenty of water so that they reach the stomach as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even people without esophageal problems may suffer from some of these risks.

On the other hand, just as konjac absorbs cholesterol, it can absorb other nutrients. This is a problem because konjac paste no longer contains enough nutrients. They have a much poorer nutritional profile than any other type of pasta and tend to make you feel full, so they are not usually paired with other, more nutritious foods. As if that weren’t enough, konjac can minimize the absorption of the few nutrients that reach the intestines, so the consequences are dire.

And this doesn’t just happen with nutrients. This can also happen with certain drugs, so its effect was reduced. This applies to any drug. But above all, people taking diabetes medications should be careful as it has been observed that konjac can lower blood glucose levels; something that, when combined with the effects of these drugs, can be harmful.

What should we do then?

It’s not a bad idea to want to replace regular wheat pasta with something healthier. But, without a doubt, konjac paste is not something more useful. If we need fiber, we can always choose wheat pasta. But legume-based pastas are even more interesting because they have the exact opposite effect of konjac pasta: they have a very rich nutritional profile. This is what we should be looking for and this is why nutrition education is so important. Because watching your diet is very important. The problem is that sometimes when we think we’re caring for her, we end up hurting her.