Chitosan is one of the most popular ingredients in slimming preparations. But that's not its only use. Chitosan is used as a fertilizer in agriculture, as a material for dressings that accelerate wound healing, and perhaps soon it will also be used to produce everyday items.

Chitosanis an extremely versatile material obtained from chitin - a building component of the shells of sea crustaceans. As a result, a biodegradable polymer is obtained with a wide range of applications in medicine, veterinary medicine, cosmetics and environmental protection.

The chemical structure of chitosan is similar tohyaluronic acid . Thanks to this structure, it inhibits, among others, the growth of microorganisms and accelerates wound healing, which is the effect of stimulating the cells of the immune system. Preparations with chitosan create a delicate protective layer on the skin that protects against harmful external factors and effectively retains water in the skin. Strong moisturizing properties also make it readily used as an ingredient in skin care cosmetics. Due to its complete biodegradability and high nitrogen content, it is also used in agriculture as a fertilizer for seed dressing and as a biological plant protection agent that fights fungal infections.

Great hopes are also connected with the use of chitosan in the production of ecological everyday products. It has a biopolymer structure that allows it to be formed into three-dimensional shapes. It is already used in the production of drug coatings. And why is it used in slimming preparations?

Chitosan as a fat blocker

In the case of chitosan, the mechanism of action supporting weight loss consists in binding fats in the digestive tract. As a result, the degree of digestion and absorption in the small intestine is reduced. During the normal digestion process, fats are gradually broken down by enzymes secreted by the gallbladder and pancreas (called lipases). As a result, single particles of fatty acids reach the small intestine and are absorbed into the body.

Chitosan binds large fat molecules in the upper gastrointestinal tract, preventing them from being broken down by enzymes, and thus hindering absorption. As a result, they are excreted fromfeces. In other words, this substance does not accelerate the burning of fats, but eliminates them from the digestive tract.

Chitosan efficacy pending

The properties of chitosan supporting weight losse have repeatedly been the subject of research: both on humans and animals. Their results varied … One of them was carried out, among others, in Katowice under the supervision of prof. Barbara Zahorska-Markiewicz (regarding the Chitinin preparation). In the clinical setting, it was then found that patients using chitosan lost an average of 16 kg in six months. At the same time, the control group of diet-only patients lost 10 kg.

In another study, it was found that the addition of chitosan to the diet has a positive effect on the bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal tract. Research in rodents has shown that chitosan with a high degree of deacetylation inhibits the growth ofClostridium perfringens(bacteria most often responsible for food poisoning), while the survival of probiotic bacteria, includingLactobacillus spp.andBifidobacterium spp. , reached 90%.

In 2008, however, a team of scientists from the Cochrane Collaboration conducted a meta-analysis of all available clinical trials (lasting at least 4 weeks) on the effectiveness of chitosan in the fight against obesity. It turned out that the decrease in body weight and cholesterol (and, consequently, blood pressure) was observed only in low-reliability clinical trials - and in their case the effect was small. On the other hand, in studies that were carried out with greater care, no significant effect of taking dietary supplements with chitosan on body weight was found. So far, the mechanism of chitosan joining with fat particles, which is the essence of its slimming effect, has not been clinically proven.

Chitosan supplementation is recommended for people who consume significant amounts of fatty products.

As a result, the American FDA (Food and Drug Administration) prohibited domestic manufacturers of dietary supplements with chitosan from affixing their packaging with statements and slogans suggesting its pro-he alth effects. There are no such restrictions in Poland.

Chitosan supplementation is recommended for people who consume significant amounts of fatty products (fatty meats, pates, etc.). As fat is also an ingredient in many confectionery products, chitosan can prove helpful for people who eat sweets, which usually contain high amounts of saturated fat.

Chitosan - contraindications and effectsside

Not everyone can use preparations containing chitosan. The most important contraindication to taking it is … an allergy to shellfish. Since chitosan is obtained from quinine, which comes from the shells of crustaceans, it is possible to develop an allergic reaction after its consumption in people allergic toseafood . Preparations with this ingredient should also not be used by people taking anticoagulants. There is a risk that the mechanism of action of chitosan - which consists in binding fats - will also affect the absorption of these drugs, reducing their concentration in the body and thus their effectiveness.

Reducing the absorption of fats in the digestive tract may unfortunately also be associated with a smaller supply of vitamins soluble in them. As a result, people who use dietary supplements or medical devices with chitosan may suffer from deficiencies of vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as essential unsaturated fatty acids ( EFA ). When taking this type of preparations, it is worth taking care of supplementing the above-mentioned ingredients, e.g. enriching the diet with unsaturated fatty acids from marine fish, oil plants, olive oil, vegetable oils, and eliminating saturated fatty acids.

Compared to other substances in weight loss dietary supplements, chitosan is relatively safe. The side effects it can cause are mainly constipation, gas, nausea, and indigestion.

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How to use chitosan?

All slimming preparations that contain chitosan should be taken before or during meals (in the form of tablets or capsules). Only then is the chitosan able to bind to the fat molecules and prevent them from being absorbed. It is also important to drink such a preparation with plenty of water. In contact with it, Chitosan swells, increasing its volume - and thus the scope of its activity.

Chitosan is usually taken in amounts of 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams per day. Interestingly, some manufacturers do not provide the chitosan content in their preparations, but only the recommended dosage (see the table below).

Examples of preparations containing chitosan, available in Polish pharmacies

The vast majority of slimming supplements available in Poland are dietary supplements. There are also products containing chitosan. Nevertheless, its mechanism of action (physical, not biochemical) means that medical devices containing it are also available on the market. This information is important becausethe operation and safety control of medical devices is much greater than in the case of dietary supplements. Well, their action - similar to drugs - is confirmed by appropriate studies. This is because medical devices are admitted to trading after obtaining a permit from the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products. Each new product of this type must undergo clinical trials that prove its effectiveness and safety. There is no such control over dietary supplements.

Name of the preparationUseCategoryManufacturer
Calominal2 tablets twice a daymedical deviceAflofarm
Chitosan2 tablets 3-4 times a daydietary supplementOlimp Laboratories
Chitinin Extra1-2 tablets 3 times a daydietary supplementKrotex
Chitobon3 capsules 2-3 times a daydietary supplementBonimed
Redufat1 capsule 2-3 times a daydietary supplementASA

Category:

Slimming