What are Miracle Noodles & Are They Good For You?

Maybe you’ve seen these Miracle Noodles in the store before and were curious what they were or maybe you’ve even tried them before, either way there is a lot to know about this special food!

This pasta is actually called Shirataki and is made out of “glucomannan” (a soluble fiber under the family of “gums”).

Used in Japan and Asia, glucomannan is a soluble fiber that is extracted from the konjac root (Amorphophallus konjac). Being that it is extracted from a whole foods source, it is not, or I should say I do not consider it a “whole food”. The whole food in this case is the konjac root, which most likely contains soluble and insoluble fiber as well as starch. According to wikipedia, “the dried corm of the konjac plant contains around 40% glucomannan gum”.

Is it possible for this pasta to claim zero calories, zero g of protein, zero g of fat and zero g of carbohydrates?

What is this, you may ask? What kind of food has no calories and no macronutrients (and no taste)? And why eat it then?

The way this may be possible is, by removing everything from the plant and keeping only the soluble part which is the glucomannan. A polysaccharide, non digestible by the human gut, highly fermented by the microorganisms found in our large intestine.

However, the way they word this on the nutrition label, is a little misleading (they being the pasta manufacturers) and I’ll show you what I mean.

Let me explain.

• The soluble fiber (glucomannan) cannot be digested in our upper digestive tract because we don’t have the digestive enzymes to break it down, so it ends up in our large intestine. Here it feeds the microorganism and it acts as a prebiotic, meaning it serves as food for the gut microbes, (probiotics), the healthy bacteria in our gut, and in the process of doing that, it generates some energy…in the form of short chain fatty acids (I know you don’t really care to know all that, but bare with me).
• So although theoretically fiber is non caloric, when it is fermented by the microorganisms in the large intestine it generates about 2 calories per gram! In other words, the bacterias are turning the fiber into short chain fatty acids, (butyric, propionic, acetic acids, just to name a few; butyric acid being one that provides energy for the colonocytes, while the acetate is metabolized by the skeletal and cardiac muscle). As cited directly from the Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, Third Edition, “No longer can the potential energy in fiber  be considered totally unavailable to the human body.”  So it is not really zero calories if we were to go by proper science and accurate reporting.

What are the health benefits of these noodles (aka glucomannan)?

Before we get into the benefits I want to share two small reminders:

• If you are strictly eating whole foods this is a PROCESSED food. It’s entirely up to you if you decide to make it part of your food intake. I would also argue, coconut oil is a processed food as well, as it is an extract from the coconut. As I’m saying this out loud and I’m putting it on this blog, I’m actually showing myself that my own “whole foods philosophy” is indeed not 100% whole foods, as I do consume coconut oil, butter and olive oil. These are all extracts from a whole food, so theoretically, processed foods:) Take what works for you, and leave the rest out to the universe!
• For people who have leaky gut and are following the GAPS diet this may not be a good choice at first. Here’s why, when it gets to the large intestine it feeds the good bacteria, but it also feeds the bad bacteria. This may continue to promote an imbalance in the gut flora. It is better to wait until you get rid of bad bacteria in your gut, and you re-establish healthy gut flora balance, and then introduce foods that are high in soluble and/or insoluble fiber. If you have been on the GAPS Nutritional Protocol for awhile you may be able to tolerate this food just fine. You will know if you are tolerating it by the gastric reaction you experience. If you don’t have gas, diarrhea, or bloating then you should be in the clear!

Now let’s get to the exciting stuff, the health benefits of glucomannan!

The four major health benefits that I will cover are: weight loss, glycemic control, cholesterol reduction, and gut health by acting as a prebiotic.

Weight Loss, Satiety & Food Satisfaction:

• It delays gastric emptying, meaning the food stays longer in your stomach. This will make you feel full for a longer time and as a result of that you will eat less.
• This food (the miracle noodles) is a good carrier for healthy fats and flavor as it is virtually flavorless and it takes the flavor of the spices and condiments you use to prepare it.
• It is a good food to fill you up, it will trick you, thinking that you eat pasta or rice, but you will not have to worry about the carbs, gluten or other foods you need to avoid for various reasons.
• It’s mentally satisfying! (that’s huge when it comes to compliance and long term success).
• It’s great for you if you are following a low carb plan and you miss pasta or rice!

Glycemic Control:

• This is a great food for diabetics following (or not following) a low carbohydrate diet. For the same reason as I mentioned above, it slows down gastric emptying, and the rate at which glucose (from a mixed meal) enters the bloodstream, which in turn leads to a reduced insulin response and that as we know is a good thing.
• Less glucose = Less insulin = Improved glycemic control.

Cholesterol Reduction:

• Because the Miracle Noodles is a soluble fiber it binds to cholesterol, fatty acids and bile acids and facilitates their excretion in the stool!  Although, cholesterol is losing popularity when it comes to being “THE” cardiovascular risk factor we need to focus on, it’s worth mentioning this benefit as well. We now know that there are many more things to worry about when it comes to your cardiovascular risk before you worry about the amount of cholesterol found in the blood.

Bowel & Gut Health: acting as a prebiotic with possible cancer preventive benefits:

• In regards to bowel movements, since this is a soluble fiber it increases fecal volume, due to its water binding capacity and decreases frequency of stools (beneficial if having loose stools). It helps absorb excess water in the colon and produces a well formed stool.
• Throughout the intestinal tract it binds to toxins and when it reaches the colon, is fermented by the microorganisms present in your gut. Those friendly microbes have multiple roles in our gut health and overall health. Making sure you consume adequate amounts and types of fiber is crucial to your health maintenance and disease prevention (including colon cancer).
• Glucomannan acts as a prebiotic, and it’s used by the microorganisms as their food. In the process of fermentation they produce short chain fatty acids, which in turn supply fuel for the colonocytes, and help keep a low pH environment in the colon (optimal pH~6-6.5). This may be in part responsible for the colon cancer preventive benefits.
• Having glucomannan in this form is a good option because it is already hydrated so it shouldn’t be a problem in regards to obstructions due to inadequate fluid intake, which can happen when taking soluble fibers in dry powder form. Keep in mind this fiber is soluble in water and it can absorb as much as 50X its volume. This can cause constipation if there is not adequate fluid intake. Because the noodles are already in the hydrated form, that prevents any such undesirable effect.
• 

My Final Thoughts:

I buy these primarily for my husband and my son because they like pasta and every so often I like to trick them into having a low carb meal like mine! I am 50/50 on these because it is not a 100% whole food but there are times when these can come in handy. I eat it occasionally and I enjoy it when I do it:) (HINT: garlic, salt and butter makes it perfect)!

How Do I Cook Them?

1. Rinse for 15-30 seconds, (heads up, it has an unpleasant smell, but it disappears quickly with rinsing)
2. Cook in boiling water for 2 minutes
3. Add to the cooking pan your favorite healthy fat, (I love cooking them in butter)
4. Add your favorite spices and condiments (I like things like garlic and turmeric)
5. Cook it long enough, until the noodles lose most of their moisture so they have a nice texture.

Use it as a bulking/volumizing agent, pair it with salad, prepared veggies, some protein and of course, plenty of good fat. When in my plate, I like to drizzle some truffle olive oil, to add truffle flavor!

You can find the Miracle Noodles online, at health food stores, and even some “conventional” grocery stores. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes for you to try!

If you try them let me know what you think. Just comment below!

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Hassle free healing,

Mihaela