How Does Chitosan Work?

Crustaceans, such as prawns, crayfish, shrimps, crabs, lobsters and other shellfish may not seem an ideal natural remedy that will help you lose body fat. But you need to give this a second thought before you throw out the shells of those lobsters, crabs or shrimps. These shells contain chitin - a compound that occurs naturally and has been named as a ‘fat magnet’ by a lot of researchers. Chitosan emerged from chitin, which is a natural preparation that is available commercially and used by a lot of people across the globe to lose weight. It is a dietary supplement that is in use as an important tool in weight loss programs.

Chitosan made from crustaceans contains molecules of chitin that are strung together. Chitosan is completely indigestible as it is chemically like plant fiber or cellulose. Unlike other fibers, chitosan works miracles in weight loss. How chitosan helps weight loss is that it binds the fat molecules to your bowels, hence preventing the fats from being taken in by the body. The chitosan accompanies the fats that you eat through the bowel and both are eliminated through the stools. Chitosan has the capability of absorbing six times the weight in fat. So there is very little fat that is absorbed by the body itself, which leads to fewer calories and weight loss.

A lot of people have claimed that though chitosan is very effective in weight loss, it must be accompanied with exercises and a proper diet. Chitosan by itself may not be able to help you lose weight over a long period of time. If you want positive results then you should follow a proper diet and an exercise regime. Experts suggest that one must take chitosan for a period of twelve weeks to experience the results of weight loss.

Certain studies have shown that chitosan functions in the same way as other prescription drugs like Xenical or Orilistat - two weight loss supplements. Orilistat and chitosan work in the same way as Orilistat too stops the absorption of fat by the body and if it is used with proper exercises and diet it helps in weight loss and in obtaining very quick results.

It is important to remember that the functioning of chitosan and importance of chitosan is not limited only to weight loss claims, its benefits go far beyond this. Latest researches have proved that chitosan has the power of controlling cholesterol. Other popular cholesterol lowering drugs bring with them a lot of side effects like chest pains, hair loss, itchiness and sleep problems whereas chitosan has no side effects and is much gentler.

Chitosan is known to be very effective in increasing the powers of insulin. Latest experiments have shown that this fiber has helped in the prevention of diabetes in mice, the diabetes that is caused due to obesity. Chitosan brings down the blood sugar and balances the cells that mainly produce insulin. It helps the insulin to work effectively in bringing down the blood sugar.