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Chitosan is a substance whose popularity is based on its slimming properties, Chitosan is one of the most common compounds in preparations that promise fast weight loss. What is chitosan and how does it work? Is it really an effective measure in the fight against kilograms?
What is chitosan?
Chitosan is a substance obtained from chitin, i.e. the shells of crustaceans such as crabs, shrimps and lobsters. When chitosan is obtained from chitin, a biodegradable polymer is obtained with a wide range of applications in medicine, veterinary medicine, cosmetics, and environmental protection. The chemical structure of chitosan resembles that of hyaluronic acid. Therefore, chitosan can be used as an auxiliary preparation in healing wounds or moisturizing the skin. Due to the fact that chitosan is completely biodegradable and contains a large amount of nitrogen, it is used in agriculture as a fertilizer for seed treatment and as a biological plant protection agent against fungal infections.
How does chitosan work?
Chitosan is also known as a fat blocker. It is commonly claimed that the use of chitosan accelerates fat burning. However, specialists conclude that this is not a correct and true assumption. Chitosan in no way affects the energy processes taking place in our body. It only prevents the breakdown of fats supplied to the body by digestive enzymes. As a result, most of the fat that is provided with food does not accumulate in the body, but is excreted with the faeces. Theoretically, this may be good news for people who want to lose weight very quickly without much sacrifice, but in practice the process looks a bit different.
Chitosan – effectiveness in weight loss
It is difficult to talk about a correlation between the use of chitosan and the effectiveness of a slimming treatment. Research related to the intake of chitosan is quite limited. Most of the studies conducted confirmed the effectiveness of chitosan, but in the case of people diagnosed with overweight and obesity. However, these studies only determined the ability of chitosan to accelerate chitosan relative to the placebo groups. It has been shown that the use of chitosan in appropriately selected doses may affect a more effective reduction of body fat. However, there are no precise data as to whether long-term use of this preparation may adversely affect the patient’s health. The overall conclusion from the studies indicated that although some effects of chitosan use were observed, they are too small to speak of clinical significance. The data we currently have about the slimming properties of chitosan are inconclusive and do not allow for a certain conclusion that it is a substance that accelerates weight loss.
Chitosan – correct dosage
Chitosan is usually taken in doses of 1500 to 3000 mg per day. The dose should be divided into two equal portions, e.g. 1500 mg. The doses separated in this way should be taken with the largest meals of the day, preferably those rich in fat. Other specialists recommending the use of chitosan say that it is much better to divide the daily dose into 3 equal portions and use them with the 3 main meals of the day, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Before use, read the leaflet, which contains indications, contraindications, data on side effects and dosage as well as information on the use of the medicinal product, or consult your doctor or pharmacist, as each drug used improperly is a threat to your life or health.