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Session: Bioactives in Health and Disease (Oral 2)

(OR02-06-24) Effects of Konjac Glucomannans on Body Composition, Lipid Profile, and Gut Microbiota: A Randomized, Triple-Blinded, Controlled Trial on Subjects with Cardiometabolic Risk

Saturday, June 29, 2024
4:00 PM – 4:12 PM CT
Location:  W375C
Objectives: To evaluate the effects of konjac glucomannans on body composition (main outcome), blood biochemistry, blood pressure, and gut microbiota (secondary outcomes) in adults with high cardiometabolic risk under controlled diets and physical activity.

Methods: A parallel, randomized, triple-blinded, controlled trial with men and women with excess weight who consumed either a supplement of glucomannans (N=20) or a placebo (N=20) taken in three doses of 1 g during 12 weeks. In addition, individuals had to have at least two additional cardiometabolic risk factors among large waist circumference, elevated blood pressure, abnormal HDL, triglycerides, or fasting glycemia. All participants adopted healthy diets and followed physical activity recommendations during the intervention. Body composition (DEXA), blood pressure, blood biochemistry, and gut microbiota (16S rRNA) were measured at baseline and the end of the intervention.

Results: In both arms, participants experienced significant reductions in body weight (-2.12 and -2.77 kg in the placebo and glucomannan groups, respectively), BMI (-0.72 and -0.98 kg/m2), waist circumference (-2.45 and -3.12 cm), and visceral fat area (-13.65 and -18.61 cm2). Relative to the placebo, glucomannans contributed additional benefits, including muscular mass maintenance (-1.28 and -0.16 kg), body fat reductions (-0.71 and -2.28%), improved blood lipids via maintenance of HDL (-4.5 and +1.2 mg/dL), and reductions of LDL (-2.5 and -14.4 mg/dL), and total cholesterol (-9.2 and -15.9 mg/dL), with no changes in glycemia or blood pressure. While the response of gut microbiota was personalized, we found enrichments of beneficial bacteria with glucomannans, including Clostridium_Q and Dysosmobacter welbionis, while reducing Streptococcus pathogens.

Conclusions: This intervention confirmed the beneficial effects of konjac glucomannans on body weight, body composition, and blood lipids, and expanded its benefits to emerging cardiometabolic-risk factors, such as gut microbiota.

Funding Sources: This study was funded by Compañía de Galletas Noel S.A.S, Clínica Las Américas-AUNA, Vidarium and the Colombian Ministry of Science.