August 2005

Dietary supplement shows some weight-loss promise

The dietary supplement chitosan shows some promise in treating overweight and obesity but has not been shown conclusively to be an effective weight loss aid, according to a new systematic review of current evidence.

The review assessed results of 14 randomized controlled trials that included 1,131 overweight or obese adults. Those who received chitosan had an average weight loss of almost four pounds more than those on placebo in the short term, and their cholesterol and blood pressure levels also decreased more than those in the placebo group. No side effects were noted in the group taking chitosan.

The review appeared in the current issue of The Cochrane Library. The average age of participants in the chitosan study was 44 years. Eleven of the studies included both men and women; three included women only. The study subjects were given either chitosan (doses ranged from less than a quarter of a gram to 15 grams a day) or a placebo for a short-term period of four weeks, medium-term period of less than six months, or a long-term period of at least six months.

According to the background information from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, chitosan (marketed also as chitopearl and chitin) was popularized as a weight loss aid by the 1997 book The Fat Blocker Diet. Chitosan is derived from chitin, which is found the in the shells of shrimp, lobster and crab.

Source: EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org

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