Dynamic Hydration\nand Viscosity Control of Konjac Glucomannan Enhance Long-Term Antiobesity\nEffects by Reducing Food Intake in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice

The purpose of this study was to investigate the necessity\nand importance of dynamic hydration rate and ultimate viscosity control\nof konjac glucomannan (KGM) for long-term antiobesity effects in C57BL/6J\nmice on high-fat (HF) diets. KGM supplementation effectively attenuated\nHF-diet-induced increases in body and tissue weights. The hydration\nrate and viscosity changes of KGM in the digestive tract were found\nto have marked impacts on antiobesity effects. KGM with medium hydration\nand viscosity slowed gastric emptying and intestinal transit, leading\nto prolonged presence in the lower ileum, increased satiety-related\nhormones (GLP-1 and PYY), and an 18.27% reduction in daily food intake\nover 10 weeks (<i>p</i> < 0.05). This resulted in the\ngreatest reduction in weight gain among HF-fed mice. In contrast,\nKGM with faster hydration and higher viscosity provided only short-term\nsatiety due to rapid dilution. Furthermore, KGM improved metabolic\nhealth and altered glycolipid metabolism gene transcription while\nenriching beneficial gut bacteria; however, no significant differences\nwere observed among the KGM groups in these effects. These findings\nhighlight that synchronizing KGM’s hydration rate and viscosity\nwith digestive processes is crucial for regulating satiety and achieving\nlong-term weight loss.