Carb blocker supplements are fairly new on the market and they have really gained in popularity over the past few years. This is largely thanks to famous diets such as ‘The Atkins Diet’ and the ‘Dukan Diet’ which focus on restricting all carbs from the body. This has led many people to believe that carbs are a leading cause of gaining fat. While lowering your carb intake can really help you to lose weight, you do actually need some carbs to function healthily. So what does this mean for carb blockers?
Understanding Carb Blockers
Carb blockers are also referred to as starch blockers and they contain something known as Phaselous vulgaris. This extract typically comes from white kidney beans. The supplements are designed to block the alpha-amylase enzyme which is responsible for digesting starch.
The main thing to remember with this type of supplement is that they are not proven to work. There’s been very little research into whether carb blockers can work or whether they are safe. This is largely due to the fact that they’re so new on the market. This has given them a ‘fad’ image.
The studies that have been carried out into carb blockers originally came from Diabetes research. There’s a prescribed carb blocker medication which can help with Diabetes. However, carb blocker supplements are different to this prescribed medication.
It is thought that most carb blockers will help the complex carbohydrates to go through the small intestine without being digested. However, there’s a high chance that they will cause bloating and diarrhoea.
Things to Consider
Before taking a carb blocker, take into consideration that carbs are the body’s main source of energy. The supplements should also never be taken long term. They can be useful for those looking to lose weight in the short term only. If you continue to sue a carb blocker for a long period of time, it could really damage your health and lead to all kinds of problems.
If you tend to struggle resisting foods like fries and white bread, carb blockers can be ideal. However, it would be much healthier if you simply switched to eating more complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and wholegrain bread.
There are no quick fixes to losing weight. Some supplements can be great for aiding with weight loss. However, you need to be careful that you aren’t damaging your health. Think about the amount of carbs that you eat. If you tend to have quite a low carb diet anyway then carb blockers shouldn’t be necessary.
Providing you do your research, carb blocker supplements may be able to help you to lose weight. However it could be worth chatting to a doctor first. It could be that appetite suppressants are a healthier alternative. As there’s no real research been done into these supplements, it may be worth waiting a few years to see what the results are. If you do decide to try them remember they are simply for short term results.
Carb blockers are dietary food supplements that contain extracts of wheat germ. Vitamin Grocer providing Carb blocker supplements that have shown far more promising results in helping people lose weight.