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Konjac

Konjac, English name: Konjac, also known as konjac, is a perennial Araceae herbaceous plant, slightly poisonous and widely used. Konjac is a large family, with about 130 species in the world , there are more than 30 kinds in our country. Konjac is the only economic crop discovered so far that can provide a large amount of glucomannan. The application value of konjac in food and medicine will continue to be developed and demonstrated. The edible value of konjac makes it popular among people. The main ingredient of konjac is glucomannan, which not only contains more than 10 amino acids and various trace elements needed by the human body, but also has low protein, low fat, high fiber, and water absorbency. Strong, high expansion rate and other properties, medicinal efficacy. It has various effects such as lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, weight loss, beauty, health care, laxative and so on.

[Edit this paragraph] The history of konjac

As early as 250~306 AD, the "Ode to the Capital of Shu" of the Jin Dynasty in my country mentioned that "there is konjac in its garden." Konjac is recorded in famous works such as "Xiyang Zu" of the Tang Dynasty, "Jiahu Bencao Tu Jing" of the Song Dynasty, and "Compendium of Materia Medica" of the Ming Dynasty. The earliest record of konjac in Japan, "Wa Ming Le Ju Chao", mentioned in the note of "Shu Du Fu": The root of konjac is white, boil it with ash juice, and it will condense. It can be soaked in bitter wine and eaten. The Shu people "Konjac is treasured". Konjac was introduced to Japan along with Buddhism. It was only used for medicinal purposes at first, and was occasionally eaten later. Today in Japan, konjac is still called konnyaku, and the Japanese-English translation is "Konnyaku". The health food made from konnyaku is highly praised. Favored by the Japanese

[Edit this paragraph][1] Introduction to Konjac

The name Konjac may be unfamiliar to many people. It is a rhizome plant, also known as konjac. Glucoside. After more than ten years of research in Sichuan Province, hundreds of foods made from konjac have been proven to have lipid-lowering properties. Sugar has many functions such as preventing cancer and laxatives. Konjac contains glucoside, which is a polymer compound that has strong water absorption. It can expand 80-100 times in volume after absorbing water and is not easily digested and absorbed after eating. Adsorbing cholesterol and bile acids has a certain effect on lowering blood pressure and reducing cardiovascular disease. Konjac also contains soluble dietary fiber, which is very effective in inhibiting the increase in blood sugar after meals. Therefore, konjac powder and its products are suitable for patients with diabetes. An ideal hypoglycemic food. It can reduce the burden on pancreatic islets after application. What is particularly eye-catching and interesting is the gel it contains. This gelatin can form semi-permeable membranes with various pore sizes in the intestine and adhere to the intestinal mucosa. It forms a defensive barrier to prevent the invasion of carcinogens and plays a role in preventing cancer. Therefore, konjac has a variety of disease prevention and health care functions. Regular consumption of konjac food is very beneficial to the body.

Traditional eating of konjac. The method is to make konjac tofu. Nowadays, konjac powder is sold in grocery stores in Japan and South Korea. Generally, a bag of konjac is mixed with a bag of gypsum and konjac tofu is made at home and eaten as a regular dish.

Since the bonding method of konjac glucomannan monosaccharides is similar to that of cellulose, it cannot be degraded into monosaccharides for absorption in the small intestine, so it is suitable for people with diabetes who cannot consume too much sugar. Because of this, konjac can be used as a raw material for weight loss foods

[Edit this paragraph] How konjac works

1. KM, as a soluble dietary fiber, can be formed around food. A protective layer to prevent digestive enzymes from interacting with food

2. KM can absorb water and expand (80-100 times), which can suppress appetite, produce a feeling of fullness, and reduce food intake. .

3. KM can delay and prevent the absorption of nutrients such as cholesterol and simple sugars, thereby reducing the synthesis of lipids and acids in the body.

4. KM can moisturize the intestines. It has a laxative function and can increase the amount of defecation, so it has the effect of intestinal cleaning

Simple way to eat

Make 5g of konjac powder in the morning, add 5g of honey, and porridge (it contains: Red beans, mung beans, diced sweet potatoes, lotus seeds, etc.) Take half a spoonful of porridge and put it into the filled konjac flour. It doesn't taste bad at all. At noon, I added half a spoonful of porridge to the brewed konjac powder, and then added an appropriate amount of diced lychees, peaches, and apricots. Then I put the prepared "konjac fruit porridge" into the refrigerator at a constant temperature and took it out. I added 5g of honey when I ate it, and it tasted great!

[Edit this paragraph] The health properties of konjac

Studies have proven that it has many functions such as lowering fat, lowering sugar, preventing cancer and laxatives. Glucoside contained in konjac is a polymer compound with strong water absorption. After absorbing water, its volume can expand 80-100 times, making it difficult to digest and absorb after eating. It can also absorb cholesterol and bile acids, which has a certain effect on lowering blood pressure and reducing cardiovascular disease.

1. The medicinal ingredients of konjac can remove fat and cholesterol deposited in the cardiovascular system.

2. Konjac is rich in dietary fiber. In the intestine, dietary fiber can strengthen intestinal peristalsis, promote defecation, and shorten the residence time of food in the intestine. It takes about 12 days for meat food to be excreted from the body. hours, it takes about 7 hours from the time of eating to the time when konjac is excreted from the body. It can shorten the time that stool stays in the intestines by about 5 hours. This reduces the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine and also reduces the harm of harmful substances in the stool to the body.

3. The volume expansion coefficient of konjac powder after absorbing water is very large, which can reach up to 100 times of its own volume as a dry product. After konjac powder absorbs water and expands in the stomach, it will make people feel full, and naturally they will not want to Eat more other foods.

4. Long-term consumption of konjac powder products is not only beneficial to obese people. It is also beneficial to people with constipation, hyperlipidemia and those who want to prevent stomach and intestinal cancer. Generally speaking, konjac should not only be described as a weight loss food, but should be positioned as a health food.

Konjac also contains soluble dietary fiber, which is very effective in inhibiting the rise in blood sugar after meals. Therefore, konjac powder and its products are ideal hypoglycemic foods for diabetic patients. After application, the burden on pancreatic islets can be reduced. What is particularly eye-catching and interesting is the gel it contains. This kind of gelatin can form semi-permeable membranes with various pore sizes in the intestine and adhere to the intestinal mucosa to form a defensive barrier to block the invasion of carcinogens. Play a role in preventing cancer. Therefore, konjac has a variety of disease prevention and health care functions, and regular consumption of konjac food is of great benefit to the body.

Konjac underground tubers can be processed into konjac powder for consumption. Konjac food is not only delicious and pleasant in texture, but also has effects such as weight loss, fitness, treatment and anti-cancer. Therefore, it has become popular all over the world in recent years and is praised by people as "Magic food", "miraculous food", "healthy food", etc.

Since the bonding method of konjac glucomannan monosaccharides is similar to that of cellulose, it cannot be degraded into monosaccharides for absorption in the small intestine, so it is suitable for people with diabetes who cannot consume too much sugar. . Because of this, konjac can be used as an ingredient in weight-loss foods.

[Edit this paragraph] Konjac powder recipe

Quote for flushing

1. For detoxification and laxatives: 5-10 grams of konjac powder, add about 200ml of boiling water Stir well and drink! 1-2 times a day!

2. Those who are overweight and losing weight: Take 5-10 grams of konjac powder on an empty stomach in the morning, add about 200ml of boiling water, stir evenly and drink! 1-2 times a day!

3. Diabetic patients: 5-10 minutes before meals, add 5 grams of konjac powder, add 100ml of boiling water, stir evenly and drink! 3-4 times a day!

Chopped pepper konjac

Vegetarian assortment

Vegetarian assortment Taste: light taste, bright color

Main ingredients: 300 grams of konjac , 50g soybean sprouts, 25g celery, 25g bamboo shoots, 10g fungus, 10g carrot, 10g enoki mushroom, 1 dried chili

Seasoning: 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp chili oil , 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp of refined salt, 1/2 tsp of sugar

1. Peel and wash the konjac and cut into shreds; wash the soybean sprouts and drain the water; wash and cut the celery segments; wash and shred bamboo shoots, fungus, and carrots respectively; wash enoki mushrooms, cut off the ends and tear them apart; wash dried peppers;

2. Boil the processed materials in boiling water until cooked. Put them together into a plate, then add all the seasonings and mix well.

[Edit this paragraph] How to consume konjac powder

1. For those who are obese and slimming, take 3-5 grams of this product on an empty stomach in the morning, add about 250ml of warm water and stir evenly, 2 times a day -3 times, 15 minutes before meals. (1kg can be taken for 2-3 months!)

2. Diabetic patients should take 5g of this product 15-20 minutes before meals, add 200ml of water, stir evenly and drink! 3-4 times a day!

3. For detoxification and laxatives: Take 5 grams of this product, add about 200ml of water, stir evenly and drink! 1-2 times a day

4. Make a paste for consumption (take 3-5 Put the gram powder in a container, stir it and rinse it with boiling water until it becomes a transparent paste that can be eaten)

5. You can drink soup before a meal and put konjac powder and vegetables in the soup.

6. Can be mixed with nutritional powder (milk powder, sesame paste, corn flour, buckwheat flour...) and added with water to drink

7. Processed food (konjac food) It has now been recognized as a "precious natural health food" by the United Nations Food Hygiene Organization)

[Edit this paragraph] The scientific properties of konjac

Summary: Konjac not only contains sufficient nutrients It also has health care functions. Its active ingredient glucomannan (KGM) is not only widely used in the food industry as a food additive, but also plays an important role in agriculture, medicine, and other industries.

1 Biological characteristics of konjac

Konjac is the underground tuber of the perennial herbaceous plant Amorphophallus Bl.ex Decne. of the family Araceae. Its main component is konjac. Glucomannan (KGM). Konjac belongs to the phylum Angiosperm and the class Monocotyledon. It is a perennial herb with bulbs. There are no less than 163 species of Konjac with scientific names. Most konjac grows in subtropical mountainous or hilly areas with an average temperature of 16°C and an altitude of more than 800m. There are 30 species of Amorphophallus genus that have been recorded in my country, and there are 8 species of Amorphophallus that are used both as medicine and food. The varieties of Konjac with the most research and development value are Amorphophallus flowera and Amorphophallus white.

2 The main chemical components of konjac tubers

2.1 Sugars

Glucomannan is the main component unique to konjac tubers, and its molecular formula is (C6H10O5)n, It is a heteropolysaccharide composed of d-glucose and d-mannan connected by β-1,4 glycoside bonds at a molar ratio of 1:1.6. Its content is about 44% to 64%. The other type is starch and other polysaccharides.

2.2 Protein and Amino Acids

The crude protein content in konjac tubers is 5% to 10%, and the total content of 16 amino acids is 6.8% to 8.0% (there are 7 essential amino acids) . There are 18 kinds of amino acids in flower konjac, with a total amount of 6.283%, of which 2.634% are necessary for the human body. The contents of white konjac tablets are 5.14% and 2.137% respectively.

2.3 Minerals

Konjac contains a variety of minerals. The tubers have high contents of K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Co, etc. According to Cui Xi et al., human body Konjac contains a variety of essential trace elements and macroelements in considerable amounts.

2.4 Other ingredients

The alkaloid content is 1% to 2%, which is toxic and contains a lot of calcium oxalate crystals, so konjac must be processed before it can be eaten. In addition, konjac can be processed to separate betulinic acid, β-sitosterol, melisane, xylose, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid and other substances.

3 Health functions of konjac

3.1 Weight loss

The main component of konjac is KGM, which is an edible plant fiber and is not easily digested. KGM has extremely low calories, and has the characteristics of strong water absorption, high viscosity and high expansion rate. After entering the stomach and absorbing gastric juice, it can expand 20 to 100 times, creating a feeling of fullness. It can fully satisfy people's eating pleasure without increasing the appetite. If you are fat, you can achieve a balanced diet without deliberately dieting, thereby achieving the ideal weight loss effect.

3.2 Anti-hypertensive and anti-cancer

Konjac can absorb cholesterol in the intestines and stomach and promote its excretion during its retention in the gastrointestinal tract. KGM has a certain influence on bile secretion, can prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol to a certain extent, and can also effectively interfere with the metabolic function of cancer cells. After konjac gel enters the human intestine, it forms a semipermeable membrane with varying pore sizes attached to the intestinal wall, which can prevent the invasion of harmful substances including carcinogens, thereby detoxifying and preventing and treating thyroid cancer, gastric cardia cancer, The role of colon cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer and other cancers.

3.3 Calcium supplementation

Experiments show that calcium in konjac food is relatively easy to elute, especially in acidic solutions, the elution rate of calcium is higher. When people eat konjac, the chewed konjac comes into contact with the acidic gastric juice, and the calcium begins to dissolve and is then absorbed from the intestines and stomach, thus achieving the effect of calcium supplementation.

3.4 Cleanse the stomach

Konjac is digested and absorbed slowly after being eaten. The large amount of soluble plant fiber promotes gastrointestinal peristalsis, which can reduce the retention time of harmful substances in the stomach, intestines and gallbladder, and effectively Protect gastric mucosa and clean stomach wall.

3.5 Detoxification and laxative

Its rich plant fiber helps activate intestinal function, accelerates the excretion of harmful toxins in the body, and prevents and reduces the occurrence of intestinal system diseases and lesions.

4 Konjac gum and its applications

Konjac gum is a hydrogel polysaccharide extracted from the tubers of various konjac plants. It is a high molecular weight, non-ionic KGM . The particles of konjac powder swell when exposed to water, then rupture and release the KGM polymer. Konjac mannan gum is mainly composed of mannose and glucose, with a molar ratio of approximately 1.6:1.0.

4.1 Application in food processing

KGM has various properties such as hydrophilicity, thickening, stability, emulsifying, suspending, gelling and film-forming properties. Characteristics, it can be used to make various food additives and is widely used in the food industry. It is used as a stabilizer for ice cream to make the taste smooth and delicate; as an additive for baked goods such as biscuits and cakes, it makes the product smooth in appearance and loose in texture; it can increase the strength of the thread surface and increase the toughness of the noodles; it can be used as a beer foam stabilizer, which can be used in pouring cups. The final bubbles are small and even, and the cup hangs for a long time; used as a clarifier for juice and wine; as a food preservative, it can inhibit the reproduction of aerophilic microorganisms and extend the shelf life of eggs, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. Microcapsules can be made by utilizing the film-forming properties of konjac KGM. Products produced using microcapsule technology can protect the embedded particulate materials, avoid adverse reactions with other components, and isolate them from adverse environmental factors. While maintaining the original color, aroma, and taste of the materials, It reduces deterioration losses or extends shelf life, improves product quality, stabilizes some materials that are difficult to store or process, expands the scope of use of solids with good fluidity, and simplifies the production process.

4.2 Application in agriculture

After konjac glucomannan is dissolved in water, it forms a gel-like solution. After fruits and vegetables are coated with konjac glucomannan, a gel-like solution is formed on the surface. A colorless and transparent semi-permeable membrane can effectively prevent O2 from entering the inside of the fruit and slow down the outward diffusion of CO2 produced by the respiration of fruits and vegetables, thus effectively achieving the effect of preservation.

Konjac glucomannan can also be used as an animal feed additive.

The aquatic animal feed made from it has good water stability, the loss rate of pellets and crude protein loss are very small, and it can still maintain a certain hardness and elasticity in water.

4.3 Application in Medicine

The nutritional and health care function of konjac is to exert the regulatory effect of dietary fiber on nutritional imbalance, such as preventing and treating constipation, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar, weight loss and bodybuilding, etc. . In addition, it can also be used to make contact lenses and medical optical products; adding konjac glucomannan to eye protection solution can prevent eyes and contact lenses from drying out. Konjac glucomannan gel can be used to stop bleeding and promote wound healing after disinfection; it can also be made into medicines for lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar, losing weight, and laxatives.

4.4 Applications in other industries

Konjac glucomannan can be used as an adhesive additive for papermaking, printing glue, rubber, ceramics, and photographic films; it can be used in the petroleum industry It is used as a drilling mud treatment agent and pressure fluid injection agent to effectively improve project quality and construction progress; in bioengineering, it can be made into colloid for electrophoretic separation; in the textile industry, it is used as a slurry for wool, linen, and cotton yarn. It is used as a printing and dyeing paste for double-sided silk printing and as a softener for post-processing; used as a flavoring agent in tobacco processing; used as an additive in skin creams and shampoos in the cosmetics industry; used as an embedding material for fungicides in wastewater treatment , to slowly release the bactericide; it can be used as a dust-proof agent in construction. Mix it with alkali and surfactant and spray it on the surface of buildings and roads to be demolished to prevent dust from being generated during construction; in the chemical industry, it can be used by esters After chemical modification, molding, saponification and cross-linking, it can be used as a chromatographic filler for ion exchange chromatography; after chemical modification and activation, it can be used as a carrier for immobilized enzymes or cells.

5 Resource distribution, development status and prospects of konjac

my country’s konjac production areas are mainly distributed in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, southern Shaanxi and western Hubei, with konjac in the mountainous areas around the Sichuan Basin The most abundant resources. Sichuan konjac production areas are mainly distributed in the Daba Mountain mountainous area in eastern Sichuan. The Jinsha River Valley in the southwest is the most important white konjac production area in the country. White konjac is a very precious resource with good quality and high KGM content. A large part of the development of konjac in our country is still at the crude product stage. The refined product stage has created a situation, and its momentum is as dazzling as the rising sun. The production of high-purity konjac gum has begun, and it awaits further efforts by Chinese konjac workers. The konjac industry has broad prospects. Transforming konjac powder into dozens, hundreds, or thousands of new products will create more value and economic benefits.