- celiac-diseaseCeliac Diseaseceliac disease
- Autoimmune disorder where gluten damages the small intestine. Requires strict gluten avoidance; affects ~1% of US adults.
- glucomannanGlucomannanglucomannan
- Soluble fiber extracted from konjac yam — the structural ingredient in shirataki. Promotes satiety and slows glucose absorption.
- gluten-freeGluten-Freegluten-free
- Food containing no gluten — the protein in wheat, barley, rye. Required for celiac disease; some choose voluntarily.
- glycemic-indexGlycemic Indexglycemic index
- Measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar. Shirataki: ~0. Wheat pasta: ~50. White rice pasta: ~75+. Lower is better for diabetics.
- ketogenic-dietKetogenic Dietketogenic diet
- Very-low-carbohydrate eating (typically under 50g carbs/day) that shifts metabolism to burn ketones. Drives the keto noodle market.
- konjac蒟蒻konjac/ˈkoʊndʒæk/
- Asian yam (Amorphophallus konjac) whose tuber yields glucomannan. Made into shirataki noodles and konnyaku gel cake.
- net-carbsNet Carbsnet carbs
- Total carbs minus fiber minus sugar alcohols. Used for keto/low-carb counting; shirataki has near-zero net carbs.
- palminiPalminipalmini/pɑlˈmiːni/
- Brand of hearts-of-palm noodles. Real food, low-carb, more familiar pasta texture than shirataki.
- spiralizerSpiralizerspiralizer
- Kitchen tool that cuts vegetables into long noodle shapes — for zoodles, sweet potato noodles, and beet noodles.
- zoodlesZoodleszoodles
- Slang for zucchini noodles — spiralized fresh zucchini eaten as a pasta substitute.