| How
They Work: The main ingredient of most carb blockers
is phaseolamin, or white kidney bean extract. Phaseolamin reduces alpha amylase,
an enzyme in the body which breaks down carbohydrates into sugar. With less enzymes
to break down carbohydrates for absorption in the intestines, less calories are
consumed and your body is less likely to store excess calories as fat. The
discovery of "alpha-amylase inhibition" by phaseolamin was marketed
as so called “starch blockers” in the 1980’s. But low potency led to inconclusive
studies and inconsistent results. In 1982, the FDA banned these products from
the market. Most of the new products, however, use a refined, more potent
extract of the white kidney bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris). And in recent studies at
the Mayo Clinic, researchers found that higher doses of phaseolamin slowed carbohydrate
digestion. This has been supported by smaller studies as well, and it has been
shown that 1000 mg (1 gram) of purified kidney bean protein, under laboratory
conditions, can inhibit enough alpha-amylase to block the digestion of 2250 calories. Our
Conclusion: Today, phaseolamin carb blockers are considered "nutritional
supplements", available to all consumers. While there remains doubt as to
how effective phaseolamin is for weight loss, if you have tried and failed to
lose weight with conventional weight loss programs, you may want to give carb
blockers a try. However, for the best results, remember to combine carb blockers
with a healthy diet and exercise program. Complete
list of Carb Blocker Products >
| 
Carb
blockers, or starch blockers, have been around for many years. Until recently,
these products were unproven and considered ineffective. While no major clinical
studies have proven carb blockers work, poplular carb cutting programs like the
