Davichi's Kang Min-kyung Swears by Konjac Rice, But Does Glucomannan Actually Work?

Kang Min-kyung of Davichi has been eating konjac rice on her YouTube channel 걍밍경 for months, and now the fiber behind it is getting more attention than the meals themselves.

In multiple videos, the singer has shown herself mixing konjac rice into everyday dishes: braised kimchi on the side, or a yeolmu kimchi bibimbap where she noted she added two portions of konjac rice specifically to make it a diet meal. She hasn't made dramatic claims about it. She just keeps eating it, which is its own kind of endorsement.

So what is glucomannan, and does it do anything?

Glucomannan (KGM) is a water-soluble dietary fiber extracted from konjac root. When it hits water, it forms a thick, viscous gel in the stomach, which slows gastric emptying and is thought to trigger satiety signals earlier than normal digestion would. The idea is that you feel full on less food.

The research supports this, up to a point. A 2008 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by researchers at the University of Connecticut followed 531 participants and found that those who took glucomannan lost an average of 0.79 kg more than the control group. The researchers were careful to note the effect was modest and that both the benefits and the limits need to be weighed before using it for weight management.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has also weighed in. Their assessment: glucomannan can contribute to weight loss when taken at 3g per day alongside a low-calorie diet and adequate water intake. That last part matters.

A 2021 review published in Food Hydrocolloids by U.S. and Chinese researchers confirmed the gel-formation mechanism and noted it can influence satiety and appetite regulation. But the paper also flagged that results across randomized clinical trials have been inconsistent, with outcomes varying based on dosage, study length, and participant characteristics. In short: it works for some people, under some conditions, to a moderate degree.

What glucomannan is not

It is not Wegovy. GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide are prescription drugs that directly regulate appetite hormones and blood sugar at a pharmacological level. Glucomannan is a fiber that makes you feel full. The mechanisms are entirely different, and the effect sizes are not in the same category.

There is also a safety note worth keeping in mind. Glucomannan absorbs water rapidly, and researchers have flagged that taking it without sufficient liquid can cause it to expand in the esophagus before reaching the stomach, which creates a choking risk. It should always be taken with a large glass of water.

Kang Min-kyung's approach, folding konjac rice into regular meals rather than taking supplements dry, is actually one of the safer ways to use it. Whether it is doing significant work on its own or just helping her eat slightly less at each meal is a harder question to answer. The science suggests probably the latter, which is not nothing, but it is also not a shortcut.