The inexpensive supplement that curbed my wine and chocolate cravings and slimmed my waist in weeks

Kate Donohoe had long been careful about what she ate and how much she drank.

In earlier years, the 44-year-old personal trainer lost 140 lbs by overhauling her diet and exercising regularly.

Even so, she says her appetite and weight still tended to rise and fall with the seasons.

After festive periods filled with sugary chocolate and alcohol-heavy meals, she found it easy for healthy habits to slip.

“I would always gain weight after Christmas,” she says. “My body would get used to all that extra sugar, carbohydrates and alcohol, and keep wanting more.”

At one stage, Kate even thought about weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro or Wegovy.

But a conversation with a friend who was using appetite-suppressing jabs made her think again.

Her friend suggested trying a natural supplement called glucomannan, which is said to mimic some of the effects of these newer medicines.

More natural slimming supplements are now available, but researchers say the evidence for glucomannan appears to be the strongest. European health regulators officially recognise it as a proven weight-loss aid.

Experts also say there is growing evidence that glucomannan may lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, both of which are linked to serious heart disease.

Kate admits she was doubtful at first, but decided to try it earlier this year.

“I had no expectations,” she says. “But I figured it couldn’t hurt.”

She bought a month’s supply from Amazon for about $14, or roughly 60 cents per pill.

Following the instructions, she took three to four pills a day, depending on how hungry she felt, before lunch and dinner.

She says she noticed a change almost immediately.

“Within two days I had no cravings,” she says. “There was nothing I hankered for, I could eat a balanced diet and I wasn’t obsessed or thinking about food.”

Kate, who runs her own UK business, Boom Weight Loss and Fitness, says the supplement also reduced her urge to drink so much.

In just one month, she says she lost more than an inch from her waist and returned to her pre-festive weight.

“It just made it really easy to get back on track with a healthy routine,” she says.

“Now, it’s become my crutch – I keep a massive tub of them in the cupboard to take whenever I find it hard to keep on track with my meal plan.”

So what is glucomannan, and why do people believe it helps with weight loss?

Prescription weight-loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy have transformed the lives of millions, with studies showing they can help people lose up to a fifth of their body weight in less than a year.

But the injections do not work for everyone. Research also suggests that around two-thirds of patients who stop taking them regain most of the weight.

That has led more people to turn to natural options such as glucomannan.

The supplement is made from powdered konjac, a root vegetable found in Asia.

It contains almost no calories, but it is rich in fibre, a nutrient that studies suggest can help reduce food cravings.

John Lukey, a registered nutritionist from King’s College London, says the body struggles to break down fibre, so it stays in the stomach longer, slows digestion and helps keep hunger at bay.

He adds that when fibre mixes with water, it forms a gel that can expand to as much as 50 times its size, taking up more room in the stomach.

“It’s this absorption that means glucomannan helps with weight-loss,” says Mr Lukey.

“It stretches the gut, which sends signals to the brain to say it is full, meaning you eat less.

“There’s now quite a lot of data that shows it helps with weight management.”

A Norwegian study published in 2005 found that people taking glucomannan alongside a reduced-calorie diet lost more weight than those who followed the same diet and took a placebo.

Over five weeks, the supplement group lost an average of around 8 lbs, compared with about 5.5 lbs in the placebo group.

“We also know that glucomannan helps with cholesterol,” says Mr Lukey, who is also the in-house nutritionist at health firm Nutravita. “This is something we see in all fibre supplements.”

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that can build up in the blood and trigger fatal heart attacks or strokes.

Experts caution, however, that glucomannan can cause mild but unpleasant side effects such as bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea and stomach pain.

These symptoms are most common when people first start taking it and often ease with time.

They also stress that glucomannan is no substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise.

In particular, they advise eating plenty of naturally fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains, along with enough protein from meat, dairy, fish, pulses and some vegetables.

“A high-protein, high-fibre diet is the best way forwards for those looking to lose weight,” says Mr Lukey.

Kate Donohoe says she would recommend glucomannan to anyone wanting to lose weight.

She stopped taking the tablets after her first month because she was happy with her progress. But after a later holiday period, when she again overindulged in sugar and alcohol, she used them briefly once more.

“I just wanted to make that week after the holiday easier for myself,” she says.

“Alongside diet and exercise, glucomannan could make weight-loss easier for anyone trying to give it a go. That’s why it would be my first port of call before trying weight-loss jabs.”