Studies suggest that they can be used to control blood sugar. The effectiveness of these supplements may be limited.
How Do They Work
Digestible carbs include both simple and complex carbs. Complex carbs are found in fruits, starchy and non-starchy vegetables, nuts, beans, and grains. Enzymes must break down complex carbs.
Carb blockers contain substances called alpha-amylase inhibitors. They inhibit these enzymes. The alpha-amylase inhibitors in carb blockers supplements are usually extracted from beans. When complex carbs aren’t broken down, they pass into the large intestine without being absorbed. This means they don’t contribute any calories or raise blood sugar.
How Well Do Carb Blockers Block Carbs?
Studies suggest carb blockers prevent a part of the carbs you eat from being digested. These supplements may delay rather than block.
What About Weight Loss?
Some studies have shown that carb blockers can contribute to weight loss. Some other studies suggested there is no significant difference in weight loss between participants who took a carb blocker and those who didn’t.
The Two Main Types of Carb Blockers
White kidney bean extract (also known as Phaseolus vulgaris extract) and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are the two most common carb blockers available today (AGIs).
Both function by blocking certain enzymes required for carbohydrate digestion. White kidney bean extract acts by blocking amylase, an enzyme that breaks the connections that hold starch (long chains of glucose molecules) together.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) are prescription drugs used to treat high blood sugar in type 2 diabetics. These carb blockers function by inhibiting the action of an enzyme called alpha-glucosidase, which aids in the cutting of chains of sugar molecules into smaller pieces in the body. It is the most well-known and researched carb blocker, and it is available online or at a supplement store.
Limiting carb absorption could be advantageous to our health. Salacia plants are a natural source of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, which limit carb digestion by preventing the action of certain carb-specific enzymes. This implies that some carbohydrates will pass through the digestive system as fiber, improving blood sugar regulation and boosting weight reduction in those who get most of their calories from starchy meals and other complex carbs.
Why Bother Using Carb Blockers?
Carbohydrate digestion is a complicated process that necessitates the utilization of numerous mechanisms by the body to break down carbs before they enter circulation.
Mastication, stomach acid exposure, and breaking particular bonds with enzymes are examples of these methods. Understanding the principles of carb digestion is essential for understanding the possible impact of carb blockers.
The conversion of starch into simple sugars and fat is a natural and healthy process that allows us to utilize a rapid fuel source (sugar) while protecting our long-term energy reserves (fat). After we have burned off the sugar, we will begin to burn more fat and ketones for fuel, assisting us in maintaining a healthy weight.
Western culture has produced a hedonistic eating environment, which has resulted in increased calorie consumption and fat storage, resulting in type 2 diabetes and obesity. In Western civilization, this is becoming the new normal.
An Overview of the Research on Carbohydrate Blockers and Weight Loss
The majority of study on carb blockers and weight reduction has used white kidney bean extract, which has been shown to induce a small degree of weight loss. A meta-analysis found that the treatment groups lost 1.77 kg (3.89 lbs) more body fat than the control groups.
People who ate the most carbohydrates appeared to shed the most weight while taking these supplements, suggesting that the larger the number of complex carbs in their diet, the greater the effect carb blockers can have.
Most research on white kidney bean extract was tiny, poorly structured, and financed mainly by supplement corporations, indicating the need for additional independent, high-quality investigations. Salacia-based supplements appear to limit carbohydrate absorption and have an appetite-reducing impact in females, although there is no high-quality data to support this concept.
Carbohydrate blockers aid with weight loss, but only a little in people who eat starch-rich diets. To lose weight in the long run, it is preferable to avoid carb blockers and instead spend your time and money on a diet that allows you to maintain a calorie deficit. A low-carb diet, such as the ketogenic diet, might help you lose weight without knowing it.
Carb Blockers May Also Help Regulate Hormones
Carbohydrate blockers may have an effect on some of the hormones involved in appetite and fullness, resulting in enhanced satiety and better blood sugar management. In one rat trial, the phytohaemagglutinin in carb blockers induced a considerable reduction in food intake. However, this effect only lasted a few days.
After a week, the effects began to wear off, and the rats ate the same amount. Since the effect of carb blockers on human hunger has yet to be well studied, it is unclear if the animal results apply to people.
Recent research has discovered that a concentrated, standardized bean extract can reduce sensations of hunger, most likely by decreasing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Salacia-based supplements have also been researched for their appetite-suppressing effects in humans, with one double-blind, randomized controlled study suggesting that a Salacia Chinensis supplement might reduce hunger in women and other studies indicating that a more powerful dose could increase satiety in males.
This carb blocker’s total appetite-suppressing impact is unknown, as it may impede stomach emptying and alter hunger and gut hormone release. More effective ways to reduce hunger include consuming more protein and fiber with meals, avoiding calorie restriction, and minimizing sugar intake.
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