Originally published September 8 2005
Chitosan supplements may aid in weight loss
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A review suggests the dietary supplement chitosan may help people lose weight and lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, although further are needed.
The dietary supplement chitosan shows some weight-loss promise, according to a review, but better trials are needed to conclusively determine its benefit to people who are overweight or obese.
The systemic review encompassed 14 randomized controlled trials that included 1,131 overweight or obese adults.
It found that people receiving chitosan lost on average nearly four pounds more than those on placebo in the short term.
Additionally, their cholesterol and blood pressure levels decreased more than people in the placebo group.
There were no side effects noted in the chitosan group.
"This review has indicated that chitosan may be an effective aid to weight loss but many of the included trials have been limited by poor methodology and reporting," says study lead author Cliona Ni Mhurchu of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
The average age of participants in the chitosan study was 44 years.
Eleven of the studies included both men and women while three included women only.
Study subjects received either chitosan (from a quarter of a gram to 15 grams a day) or placebo for four weeks, less than six months or six months and up.
Ni Mhurchu concludes, "better trials of chitosan will not necessarily show positive results, but I think they will show more clearly if the product does or does not have an effect on body weight."
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