Properties: Cold, bland

Meridans Entered:
Primary: Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen

1. Regulates the Blood, reduces swelling, transforms Phlegm and resolves Toxicity
   Obesity, constipation, detoxification through the stool
   High blood sugar, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), hypertension (high blood pressure)
   Tumour suppression

Suggested Daily Dosage: 2-6g taken with plenty of water, or eaten as food. Often prepared into flour for noodles (Shirataki in Japan), or made into a jelly.

Cautions: Due to its ability to absorb water, excessive consumption with insufficient water can lead to a choking hazard or bowel obstruction. Avoid if you have pre-existing difficulties swallowing, especially in tablet forms. Caution in Spleen deficiency as it may increase symptoms of gas, bloating, abdominal pain and loose stool.

• Glucomannan
  Water-soluble hemicellulose polysaccharide, considered dietary fibre, that constitutes approximately 40% of the corm of this plant. It is legally marketed in Europe as a supplement for assisting weight loss

Notes:

Not much is written about the traditional properties of this herb but from its cold and bland nature, water absorbancy and laxative effects it can be considered to be working on the principle that obesity is fundamentally a problem of Yangming Fire causing increased appetite combined with Dampness from an overworked Spleen that forms Phlegm. Hence the Cold nature, which would usually harm the Spleen is instead cooling the Stomach Fire and purging it though the bowel while also leeching out Dampness. This eliminates the dual causes of obesity while gradually transforming the Phlegm that has already accumulated.

It can also be mentioned here that the Dampness is from over-taxation of a normal Spleen and not, as is often assumed, from Spleen deficiency. Hence instead of Tonifying the Spleen with sweet medicines, the approach is to purge the Stomach Fire causing the excess appetite that is overwhelming the Spleen. This approach should be considered more often as there is probably less deficiency involved in obesity than often claimed, at least prior to complications. If there was genuine malabsorption the effect would be weight loss, not gain, as in Wasting and Thirsting (Xiao Ke diabetic disorders).