T-people i have a lady friend who would like to lose a few extra pounds now i’ve advised the best i can with the diet and exercise but she keeps buying different supplements each week her new crase is a supplement called Chitosan powder 250mg capsules ( 80% Deacetylated - what ever that means) please can someone help explain what this is and if it helps with fat lose. I’m going to print the replys off and show her so she’ll stop wasting her money. Thanks.
This stuff is insoluble fiber. No special ingredients here. Have her eat a tub of oatmeal or jar of Metamucil for the same effect (and less cash). Steer clear of the bathroom.
Chitosan has been around for a while, and some people have had good results (with some unpleasant side effects). My understanding is that it binds to fats in the gut and carries them through the digestive tract, not allowing their absorption. That results in (no good way to say this) greasy shits. I’ve heard said that they’re nothing more than dried insect carcasss, but I haven’t looked into that.
People believed it would work because a similar substance is used in industrial levels to contain oil tanker spills. When I was starting, I used it too. It’s an excellent source of dietary fiber, but has little, if any, prominent effect on dietary fat. Furthermore, it seems to bond preferentially to fat-soluable vitamins like E, and can prevent the absorption of healthy monounsaturated fats, if it blocks fat at all. The bottom line is that she’d get more results if she’s used the money for a George Foreman grill instead, and ate healthier foods. And remind her that ironically, she’ll do better at losing pounds by cutting sugary carbs than by cutting fat!
He’s a very nice guy. Always friendly, had nothing negative to say about anyone…wait a minute, I thought you said Kato-san. Chitosan, I believe is just basically ground up seashells, and it is supposed to absorbe excess dietary fat in the stomach. Steve Garvey endorses that crap.
Just posted today. Los Angeles Times; A team of scientists at UC Davis’ Department of Nutrition and Internal Medicine studied the impact on male patients of chitosan dietary supplements. The unregulated products are touted as being able to trap fat and keep the body from absorbing it. The UC Davis researchers studied seven health men who consumed more than 120 grams of fat daily. Researchers analyzed the fat content of their feces, comparing a four-day baseline period-without the supplements-with a four-day period when chitosan supplements were consumed. " The bottom line is that chitosan made zero difference." The FTC has sued at least two companies producing chitosan-containing products for deceptive advertising, along with former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey, host of an infomercial for one of the products. Consumers spent about $6 million on “fat trappers” last year. Dietary supplements are not subject to the same standards as drugs under Food and Drug Administration regulation. They don’t have to prove their effectiveness, and the FDA can remove them from the market only if they prove dangerous. The FDA has no evidence that chitosan products are harmful, the agency said. Supplement makers are however banned from making false claims about health benefits. Hope this helps.
I remember several years ago hearing about a French doctor that was selling some very effective weight loss supplements. His claim, which all anecdotal evidence showed to be correct, was that you could eat whatever you wanted, as much as you want, and still lose weight. It was later found that these “supplements” were nothing more than tape worm eggs. Eeeuugh!!! Of course they worked, he just forgot to mention that you had to have surgery to remove the tape worms before you died of malnutrition.
Bodz, good freaking find! I always click on your name and a few others on the forum. Nice job.
Lew, I was on chitosan for about three months, and I dropped from 10% BF to 6% according to underwater weighing. I assumed chitosan was a valid part of a focused season of training and diet. Then, for financial reasons, I stopped taking it completely. I felt and saw no difference whatsoever. Mark Akicita's words well -- this fat intake issue is overstated. Carbs are more often the real problem.
Thanks steve. I always try to stay on top of things. Thanks for posting your feedback on this topic as well. We all learn from each other.