why konjac noodles are bad?

Glucomannan being highly absorbent may present a danger for children and adults of choking, intestinal blockage, or throat and esophagus blockage if glucomannan expands before reaching the stomach. Glucomannan has also been found to cause bloating, flatulence, and soft stools or diarrhea.

Shirataki noodles can be a powerful weight loss tool.

Their viscous fiber delays stomach emptying, so you stay full longer and end up eating less (7, 8).

In addition, fermenting fiber into short-chain fatty acids can stimulate the release of a gut hormone that increases feelings of fullness (9).

What’s more, taking glucomannan before consuming a lot of carbs appears to reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin (10).

One review of seven studies found that people who took glucomannan for 4–8 weeks lost 3–5.5 pounds (1.4–2.5 kg) (1).

In one study, people who took glucomannan alone or with other types of fiber lost significantly more weight on a low-calorie diet, compared to the placebo group (11).

In another study, obese people who took glucomannan every day for eight weeks lost 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) without eating less or changing their exercise habits (12).

However, another eight-week study observed no difference in weight loss between overweight and obese people who took glucomannan and those who did not (13).

Since these studies used 2–4 grams of glucomannan in tablet or supplement form taken with water, shirataki noodles would likely have similar effects.

What if I told you there was a gluten-free, zero calorie, zero carbohydrate noodle that was a great alternative to traditional pasta noodles (for those who aren’t fans of veggie noodles)?

Turns out there is and while I was skeptical at first, I’ve come to love these incredible noodles:

As you may guess from the name, shirataki noodles originated in Japan. They are made from the Konjac root, also called White Yam or Devil’s Tongue. They have a gelatinous texture and are a good source of the dietary fiber Glucomannan.

To make the noodles, the Glucomannan fiber is extracted from the Konjac root and mixed with water and limewater. This creates a gelatinous substance called konnyaku which is made into noodle-like or rice-like substances.

The finished noodles are 97% water and 3% indigestible fiber, making it a zero calorie noodle.

These noodles have gained the nickname “Miracle Noodles,” and are completely paleo and calorie-free.

They have virtually no taste on their own but have a slight fish-like smell when packaged wet. This is due to the water they are packaged in and can be easily rinsed off.

Some versions of these noodles have added soy or other ingredients so it is important to read labels if using these noodles. They can be found both wet (like these) and dry (like these) and can be used in many dishes in place of wheat-based noodles.

It would seem like a product like this is too good to be true, but Shirataki noodles live up to their hype.

These noodles are a high-fiber food yet have no calories and no carbohydrates. The Glucomannan fiber in the noodles is a type of viscous fiber (soluble fiber). This is similar to what is found in chia seeds why they can absorb up to 50 times their weight in water.

The viscous fiber in Shirataki noodles is known as a prebiotic, meaning that it is indigestible to humans. It provides no calories or nutrients to human cells, but nourishes good bacteria in the digestive system.

This fiber also moves through the digestive system slowly and offers digestive and gut health benefits.

Certain beneficial gut bacteria function by fermenting this insoluble fiber in Shirataki Noodles and other fruits and vegetables. Gut bacteria feeds on the byproducts of this fermentation. This is one of the many reasons why vegetables and fruits are so beneficial and Glucomannan fiber is another source of this viscous fiber.

As Authority Nutrition explains:

Shirataki products and other Glucomannan containing foods are sometimes recommended for weight loss. These foods are no-calorie and high-fiber and are recommended on various types of diets.

Though the fiber itself is indigestible to humans, it feeds gut bacteria and moves through the gut slowly, leading to a longer feeling of fullness and satiety. Studies have shown that daily consumption of Glucomannan fiber can help with weight loss.

This are several potential reasons for this:

Resistant starch is another name for a starch that doesn’t feed the human body directly but that increases fermentation in the gut and creates beneficial byproducts like butyrate (an important compounds linked to cell health).

Think of resistant starch as food for your gut bacteria because as the name suggests, it resists digestion in our guts but provides several benefits in the process.

Resistant starch may have many benefits for gut health and we aren’t consuming as much of it in modern times as we have historically.

While research has revealed the importance of probiotics and this is a booming industry of supplements, yogurts and beverages, prebiotics are also very important but not as trendy.

Glucomannan is a great source of resistant starch and an incredibly easy way to incorporate this into the diet.

The one potential downside of Shirataki noodles containing Glucomannan (and other forms of resistant starch) is short term digestive discomfort.

Though Glucomannan is generally considered safe, there are some potential short term digestive side effects like bloating and discomfort. (source)

To avoid these issues, it is generally recommended to start taking Glucomannan and other forms of resistant starch slowly and work up gradually.

Additionally, because of the ability of Glucomannan to absorb a large amount of water, care should be taken not to consume it dry or without adequate water. Intestinal blockages have been reported from consuming large amounts of the dried form of this root.

It is best not to take Shirataki noodles or other Glucomannan containing foods within a couple of hours of taking medication or supplements as it may reduce absorption.

These noodles and other products made from Konjac root are now available in many grocery stores and online.

I’ve tried the following types:

These noodles can be used in place of traditional pasta noodles in almost any dish, including Italian and Asian recipes. They are virtually tasteless and absorb flavors well, making them a perfect addition to stir frys, soups and pasta dishes.

Most brands come wet, or pre-hydrated in water within the package. They can technically be consumed this way, but it is recommended to drain them well and rinse under fresh water for a few minutes. This removes the slightly fishy scent that is a result of the storage in water in the package.

For best texture, I’ve found the following method helpful:

“If I ate three or four bags of this, I was still looking at around 100 calories, so how great is that?" Brodie told NBC New York. "And I was going to get to fill up!”

But Brodie says her diet dream became a gastric catastrophe — in a hurry.

According to a federal lawsuit filed this month, Brodie was hospitalized after eating four packages of Better Than Pasta last summer. The complaint says she developed a “congealed mass of noodles” that blocked her digestive tract, forcing her to remain on a liquid diet “consisting entirely of Diet Coke and soup for longer than a month.”

“Every time I felt like my body was trying to get rid of it, that big mass would just hit so nothing could come out,” Brodie said. “It felt like I was dying, like I was choking to death.”

Brodie’s attorney, Rosemarie Arnold, says the makers of Better Than Pasta, a Wisconsin company called Green Spot Foods, should have known the product carried a substantial risk of serious digestive problems – partly because there are numerous complaints on Amazon, the platform on which Brodie purchased the noodles.

“When you swallow it, it doesn’t dissolve in your stomach and that’s why it was able to keep you full for so long,” Arnold said. “This company knew that this product was not safe to consume but they put it on Amazon.”

Brodie’s lawsuit also accuses Amazon of putting consumers at risk by allowing Better Than Pasta to be sold on the platform. A spokesman for Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit. Better than Pasta has a 3.5-star rating on Amazon, but the I-Team found multiple consumers who wrote reviews echoing Brodie’s complaint.

“I was up all night (like many of the other 1 star reviewers) with severe stomach aches and pains,” wrote one shopper.

“It felt ‘stuck,’ like a rock, right at my epigastric area,” wrote another.

A third reviewer wrote, “this product caused some unholy levels of gastric upset and rage.”

The I-Team sent several emails and left several voice messages for Green Spot Foods, but did not immediately hear back.

Better Than Pasta noodles are made of organic konnyaku flour, also known as konjac flour. The ingredient is derived from a Japanese root that is not digestible by humans. The Food and Drug Administration considers konjac to be safe and even approved a petition last month allowing food producers to market the substance as a source of dietary fiber.

George Salmas, the food consultant who wrote the FDA petition seeking approval to classify konjac as dietary fiber, said the ingredient can help manage weight and cholesterol. But he acknowledged eating too much of it could cause problems.

“Any dietary fiber can provide health benefits but if you eat too much of it or almost anything there can be bad side effects,” Salmas said. “When you look at the amount of konjac that’s eaten in the U.S. and the number of problems that arise, I think the problems are a tiny, tiny percentage.”

An FDA spokesman sent the I-Team an email standing behind the health and safety of konjac.

“FDA has long regarded the konjac tuber, as well as the flour produced from it, as safe, with a long history of use,” the statement reads. “To our knowledge, the FDA has not received any serious adverse effects reports related to this ingredient.”

Though few official complaints about konjac have been registered with the FDA, there’s at least one other known hospitalization after a woman in Australia ate diet Konjac noodles two years ago.

According to Dr. Michael Ben-Meir, director of the emergency department at Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne, the middle-aged patient ate a single package of the noodles and suffered a 10-day bout of vomiting and nausea. It’s not clear what brand of konjac noodles the patient consumed, but Ben-Meir said they formed a hardened gastric obstruction that had to be surgically drilled into to break up.

“Her stomach was about seven times the size of a normal stomach,” Ben Meir said. “There probably needs to be some warnings for this.”