The Truth Behind Chitosan “I Lost…” Claims

Chitosan is a special fiber that has long been considered as a natural solution for weight loss. It has been around for ages though, but it is only recently that chitosan “I lost…” claims were raised in question. Makers of chitosan have done their share of work to create an image truly appealing to any and all that dream of losing that extra fat, while on the other hand, researches have exerted their efforts just to find out the real score of chitosan behind these chitosan “I lost…” claims.

The Basics of Chitosan

Chitosan is a natural fiber derived from the exoskeletons of arthropods and some fungi. It is specifically taken from chitin and is processed by removing the shells and grounding them into a pulverous powder. The powder is then deacetylated or basically stripped of specific chemical groups which allow the compound to actively absorb fats before it is absorbed by the body.

Prior to the emergence of a number of chitosan “I lost…” weight loss claims, the compound has been used in the past in the process of detoxifying water. It was simply spread over the surface of the water, where it would immediately absorb any toxic substances like oils, greases and dangerous heavy metals. As many reports have noted, the process is so complete that a scum forms over the surface of water and is then easily removed. It is for this reason actually that chitosan is extremely popular all over the world in water purification plants.

Today, more and more people are considering chitosan not only for water purification purposes. Chitosan is now deemed effective for cholesterol reduction and weight loss. As mentioned earlier, a number of chitosan “I lost…” claims have been emerging. And, I think the real reason for the emergence of such claims lies on the results of the studies conducted.

Benefiting Weight Loss?

Several studies were actually conducted to find out the real score of chitosan for weight loss. Many of these studies have revealed positive results, but despite of these results in small preliminary medical studies, the largest and by far best designed clinical trial conducted to back up the chitosan “I lost…” weight loss claims unfortunately failed to find benefits. This well-known study is the noted 6-month double-blind and placebo controlled study involving 250 overweight people who were required to use chitosan at a dose of three grams a day. The results of this trial, however, failed to improve weight loss to any meaningful extent as compared to placebo. Several other studies have supported this particular study, making those chitosan “I lost…” claims quite questionable.

Perhaps what makes those chitosan “I lost…” claims further uncertain is the fact that most of the studies conducted are done on animal model like rats. These studies did show effectiveness and did show some fat-absorbing abilities, however no studies have been done on the effects of chitosan on dietary fat absorption in humans.

Taken those studies together, the weight loss experts all agree that those chitosan “I lost…” claims you often read on some journals and advertisements are simply unreliable and unproven. Chitosan simply doesn’t work.