Have your noodles...and eat them too!

I love Tuesday's posts.  They're so educational, and often quite humerous, as I plunge into current studies adrift the plethora of information highway we call the internet.  I am mind boggled at the different studies, and often wonder HOW people actually THINK about starting studies about their subjects...and how they effect me (or any common person).

Today's post is about noodles.  Noodles, that not only taste good, but have been recently shown in a study to help with weight loss.  Too good to be true?  You be the judge.  But, according to this report...now you can have your noodles...and eat them too!

As cited from the online Wall Steet Journal:

Konjac fiber, also called glucomannan, is extracted from the root of the Asian konjac plant. Besides being an ingredient in some Asian noodles, the fiber is sold as a dietary supplement in capsule form, an ingredient in a meal-replacement drink and as sprinkles you can put on your food before eating.


While fiber in general is well known to be good for you, glucomannan has caught the eye of scientists because it is particularly soluble in water, resulting in a viscous mixture that lingers in the intestines and slows digestion. A University of Connecticut meta-analysis of 14 studies involving capsules, biscuits and energy bars made with glucomannan found the fiber appears to help lower bad cholesterol, keep blood glucose under control and has a "mild" effect on body weight. The analysis, published in 2008 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that larger, longer-term studies are needed.

"We can say at this point that it is not harmful, but whether it is going to be effective over the long haul is up for debate," says Joyce K. Keithley, a professor at Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago and author of a 2005 review article on glucomannan for weight loss. A recently completed 50-person study at Rush, so far unpublished, found a modest weight loss over two months in patients taking two capsules with a glass of water an hour before each meal, but a longer-term study is needed to see if the weight loss holds up over time, Ms. Keithley adds.

For diabetics, fiber intake in general has been shown to help keep blood sugar under control. But so far there's insufficient evidence to show glucomannan is better than other fibers—particularly those you get by eating whole, natural foods, says Abhimanyu Garg, chief of the division of nutrition and metabolic diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "If you are eating papayas or apricots or dates, you are increasing soluble fiber while also getting vitamins and minerals," he adds.

And then there's the noodles with konjac fiber, often called shirataki or yam noodles, which is the way konjac is commonly translated. They are widely available in Asian grocers, usually refrigerated and packed in water. In an informal taste test, the noodles at first seemed clammy and fishy tasting. But after rinsing them in water and stir frying them with vegetables, they absorbed the flavor of the stir-fry sauce and tasted good. They did appear to be particularly filling. (The noodle importer, JFC International Inc. of Los Angeles, couldn't be reached for comment.)

Health claims for konjac noodles are generally based on tests of other forms of glucomannan. Strumba Media LLC, of West Hollywood, Calif., claims on its Web site that its Miracle Noodle product "prolongs the sensation of fullness" and will "dramatically lower calorie intake." While the company says it hasn't done any clinical trials on its product, it adds that the very low-calorie noodles, made entirely of water and fiber, expand in the stomach to make you feel full.

According to a recently published study, consumption of a proprietary fiber called PGX, made from glucomannan and other ingredients, before a meal was found to reduce pizza intake by 38 grams, or about 85 calories, in a test involving 31 adolescents, compared with a control group who had cellulose fiber before the meal. PGX is sold by Canada's InovoBiologic Inc., which funded the study. Published in September in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, the study involved test drinks consumed 90 minutes before eating. The PGX drink also outperformed an ordinary glucomannan drink. PGX, available as a capsule, a meal-replacement drink and food sprinkles, is sold under SlimStyles and other brand names.

Glucomannan has been found in several studies to improve digestion—specifically constipation. However, it can also cause gas, abdominal discomfort and sometimes mild diarrhea.

I was pretty interested in this article of "new information" because I myself have actually tried "Miracle Noodles", which fall into this category (study). They are basically a "free" food, having no calories, sodium, or cholesterol.  At first, they are a little scary, packaged in a fishy-smelling water, but once rinsed well (5-7 minutes) with hot water, the smell is gone, and they are a perfect last minute addition to stir-fry or any other flavorful dish (dry well prior to adding to food or they are a little bitter). They are a little like rice noodles with their texture, yet still unique to themselves. They do make me feel more full when I add them to my dish vs. eating vegetables by themselves!!  Give them a try & let me know what YOU think!


Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!


Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥