A health food store near my house in Houston is selling a product that is supposed to block up to 1200 carbs a day in your diet, plus some fat. Has anybody used these products?

Interesting coincedence! I just found them at store near me as well. Was reluctant to buy them, and was going to post a message asking for personal experiences! Anyone?

Wa'il

I was having a hard time with ketosis and was very discouraged, but yesterday I bought a product at Great Earth Vitamin Store (they say they are in US and Canada)called Carb Arrest Great Shape. It is supposed to block 1600 calories from carbs, and some fat, per day. I took it yesterday and put it to the test. My husband and I went to dinner and I actually ate a mini-muffin--my first bread in weeks--and instead of going out of ketosis, my ketosis stick turned a lovely shade of deep pink. So far, no ill effects. Good luck to everybody out there--I can hear the thin clothes in my closet calling me!

Not a lot of information about these products out there, except of course, from the companies that are pushing them. What few scientific articles there are about any of the ingredients, are either inconclusive, or flat out show they don't work and don't live up to the claims.

Trying to read through the ads for this stuff though, is mind-boggling to say the least. Convoluted, misleading, vague, inaccurate and downright false! ..

The main ingredients for these "carb blockers" is a combination of any or all of the following :

• phaseolus vulgaris (or some "patented" name derived from it)
• gymnema sylvestre
• garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitrate)
• chromium
• chitosan
• possibly other vitamins or minerals

Phaseolus vulgaris is yer garden variety of white kidney bean. An extract of the raw bean has been shown to inhibit the production of alpha-amylase, an enzyme required for the breakdown of starch molecules into glucose. It's this same principle that makes ya FART when you eat baked beans. As the "undigested" starch moves throught the bowel, however, it is acted upon by normal bacteria, which brings about the conversion to glucose, and ends up being absorbed anyway. Another problem is that the pill likely gets acted upon by hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and the effect is diminished or even totally negated. Also, enzymes in our saliva begin the starch-breakdown and glucose-conversion process, long before the food ever reaches the small intestine. (Beware of claims that digestion takes place in the stomach - it DOES NOT)

Gymnema sylvestre has a slightly more favourable reputation. It has been widely used in Ayurvedic medicine for blood sugar control and diabetes. However, for this purpose, it needs to be taken in fairly high doses, and requires the supervision of a trained health care professional. One of its benefits seems to be that it might reduce sugar cravings, possibly by inhibiting the sweet-taste sensors in the tongue (??)

Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitrate) is widely touted as being able to prevent glucose from being converted to body fat. Again, this has been demonstrated in the lab setting, but no studies on humans have shown it to be effective for either reducing body fat, or for weight loss. That being said, there are testimonial reports that hydroxycitrate may have some appetite suppressant effects.

Chromium is a mineral which plays a role in insulin production and function. It's often called "glucose tolerance factor" or GTF. However, it also has NOT been shown to enhance weight loss, fat-burning or lowered blood sugar in any human study.

Chitosan is derived from the shells of crustaceans - shrimp, crayfish, etc.... It is supposed to bind with fat in the digestive tract, thus preventing absorption; there are claims also that it can reduce blood cholesterol levels. From what I could read, chitosan MAY be able to do what it claims in the lab setting, but the dose required is very high, and supplements only provide a fraction of the effective amount. Caution is advised for those with allergies to shellfish. Recent studies in Britain have shown no weight loss or lowered cholesterol levels from taking chitosan.

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Checking around the lowcarb message boards, a few folks have had "positive" experiences with these, but most found them not worth the money. And a lot of uncomfortable gas, bloating, gas, diarrhea and GAS ...

The whole notion of being able to eat pasta, potatoes, carbs, and sugary desserts goes against the principle of a lowcarb WOE or WOL. If you want to eat all kind of carby foods every day, then you are not lowcarbing. Some of the more experienced lowcarbers felt the products were vaguely helpful for occasional carb splurges, such as a wedding or holiday celebration. The general consensus is that the lowcarb diet itself should be the mode relied on for weight loss.

It's worth noting also that the carbs these pills are supposed to block are complex starches only. Not sugar, not highly refined, quickly digested starch such as white flour or white rice. Kind of defeats the purpose, I think.

This is just my opinion, of course, but seems to me the only thing getting slim here, is yer wallet.

hope this is helpful,
Doreen

[Edited by doreen T on 04-02-01 at 16:55]

Well, so far, so good on the carb blockers. I learned I have not lost weight due to a needed change in my thyroid medication. Since I went on the low carb diet, all I have wanted to do is sleep and I couln't understand this because everybody else says they feel great on this diet.

I was having hard time staying in ketosis but when I started to take the carb blocker, my stick glowed dark pink. I was even able to reintroduce a few items into my diet, like a Wasa high-fiber cracker yesterday and a few strawberries. I was not looking for a way to eat cake and ice cream, just a little more variety in my diet.

Anyhow, should have T3 added to the T4 I am now taking and this may make the difference.

Thanks for your input.

Ooops! Didn't mean anybody personally, and hope I didn't offend. I was just trying to provide accurate information about these products in general, so folks can make up their mind about them. As I noted, a few experienced lowcarbers have used them for infrequent "special" occasions, and like yourself, did not go out of ketosis or screw up their weight loss. Nowhere though, other than the ads promoting them, did anyone state the product helped them LOSE weight, only that it prevented weight gain after an occasional cheat.

One product includes a diet program to follow while taking these pills. The menu follows loosely the Zone format (40-30-30) - when I added it up, it averaged around 1,000 calories a day. I'm sure any weight loss would result from the low calories, not from the carb-blocking action of the pills. Again, just my opinion.

My big objection is to the advertising. So misleading. They say these pills are ideal for Atkins, the Zone and low carbohydrate diets, then proceed to boast how you can eat ice cream, spaghetti, pizza, apple pie, etc...... Well, that's not lowcarbing. And, since the product has only been shown to block digestion of certain starches, it's false to say it will block all carbs including sugars.

You sound like you've got a good handle on things, and if the pills work for you, bonus! ..

I guess I would be concerned about a newbie just starting Induction who might use them in hopes of being able to "cheat" and follow old eating patterns, without really giving lowcarb a chance. Or an experienced lowcarber who only intends to eat "just a bit" of forbidden treats which triggers cravings, which leads to bingeing and etc.....

Good work pinpointing your problem to thyroid, it gets missed a lot. Hope your doc. is more understanding than mine though. I believe I would also benefit from adding a small dose of T3 to the T4 I'm currently taking, and she will not budge, pooh-pooh's the suggestion. SIGH ..

take care, and continued success

Doreen

[Edited by doreen T on 04-02-01 at 20:55]

Doreen, my doctor did not listen either, so I had to find somebody who would. You may want to check this out if you have not seen it before--it has a wealth of info:

http://www.thyroid.about.com/health...library/weekly/
aa021199.htm

This is the address of a very good article about T3. The thyroid website promotes low-carb diet, also.

Best of luck and I won't push the carb-blockers too far!

Can you tell me the name of this product ... I have had a possitive effect with one called Carb blocker... but no mention about 1200 carbs, I actually had cake and ate it to.. *lol* I will do anything!!

I just wanted to add that there are 2 types of blockers one is a carb blocker and the other is a fat aborber which is Chitosan?? Doreen is it possible you are refering to the fat absorber in your last post, curious to know??

My two cents, I too found them at our Shoppers (carb block pills), in hopes of finding Ross's Chocolates! I looked at the bottle, but thought, nope...keep up what your doing now Wendy...LOL

Hey Sadai, we have two Shoppers here and while posting my posters, I was able to post at one Shoppers but not the other! (Go figure eh?)

Strick rules with the latter about sticking things on walls, and no boards allowed up. This brings me to the Ross chocolates you mentioned, about seeing if Shoppers would order them, as you feel they would have no problem since yours has been helpful. I may ask, if I don't get them first from the Ross's but why do I feel they won't be too concerned here....LOL

Wendy

hey Sandi,

Um, actually, I referred to both substances in my post, in that some of the products contain both phaseolin and chitosan.

I have been following these items with interest; hey, I would love if there was something out there -- preferably natural -- that would help my weight loss efforts, which are really NEEDING help let me tell you .. .. Anyway, from what I'm seeing, these products are still not the great dieter's panacea.

As I stated above, phaseolin, which is the carb-blocker, is effective for blocking STARCH carbs only, not sugar. And there are many processes at work in the human digestive tract, which effectively render the phaseolin useless. What I read around the web is that the larger percentage of folks who have tried it found it did not work. A few folks used it daily, and angrily defend the effectiveness of the product, but go on to say they followed a lowcarb program with only occasional starchy "cheats" -- hard to say if their weight loss resulted from the supplement, or from the diet ?? A number of long-term, serious lowcarbers have stated they use the product only occasionally, eg. a special celebration, or business meetings, where carbs are unavoidable. They are otherwise following a sound lowcarb program, and feel the product keeps them from going out of ketosis. Period.

Some of the websites for these products only guarantee results if you follow their recommended diet, and use their other recommended supplements (often a type of thermogenic stack, containing ephedra and/or caffeine). A quick look at the weekly menu plan, and you see a lowish-carb diet, very similar to "The Zone", with around 100 gm carbs and 1000 to 1200 calories a day. Hmmm, chances are good you'd lose weight (and save money) just by following the diet plan alone. Other websites absolutely insult the intelligence of serious lowcarbers, with big pictures of cake, ice cream, pizza, spaghetti .... then suggest you can follow Atkins' diet AND cheat and eat all these carby foods. Duh.

Chitosan is a fat blocker, and there was a discussion about it in another thread on this board recently. Click here to read it. The concensus is that fat-blockers are unnecessary and even work AGAINST the metabolic advantage of a sound lowcarb program.

However, two components of some of these products ARE showing some usefulness with carb metabolism, insulin and blood sugar control. These are chromium and hydroxycitrin (Citrimax, Garcinia Cambogia). They are NOT carb "blockers" though. Chromium improves the effectiveness of insulin, and could be very useful for persons with insulin-resistance, and may help with blood sugar surges and cravings when following a sound lowcarb program. Hydroxycitrin also has blood sugar levelling effects, and some studies suggest it may be useful for inhibiting insulin's effect of fat-storage. I'm following these products with interest.

So to answer your query, no, I wasn't confusing one product with another. My opinion, and it's just opinion .. .. is that the carb-blocker supplements MAY possibly (itty-bitty tiny possibly) be helpful to keep an otherwise serious and committed lowcarber from going out of ketosis after an occasional starchy carb-fest. Otherwise I remain a frowning skeptic ..

Doreen

Thanks Doreen shows just how much I know... I had no idea what the working ingrediant was called in the carb blockers, now I know...



I do not use it on a regular basis, but whenever I have planned a cheat such as a piece of cake on my son's birthday.. I took 2 pills 15 minutes before I ate my cake and checked my stick after with no change in the color. However, I will head your advice and not count on them as a rescue method to me weakness... I don't use the fat blocker as they cause my stomach too much duress..

I've had double the results in half the time taking Hydroxycut.
Although I'm never on them for more than two weeks at a time and I don't take them on the weekends either.
My energy has skyrocketed, which probably explains why I lost more fat.
Either way I still have a cheat day or two usually on the weekends just to "screw up" my metabolism.
Although I'm following what most would call a clean diet. Which means nothing made with flour, rice and or potatoes (rice & potatoes only occasionally).
So my cheat day for me consist of pizza and anything made with flour....pasta! mmmm!!
I don't crave sugar anymore!

I'm glad to say I'm almost down to where I want to be
and worked my butt off doing it, by not only eating clean but also exercising with free weights. As we all know that muscle burns more calories and gives us that lean and toned look we all love and of course some form of aerobics.
Even my bottom is nice and round like it was before I had my 3 children. And the cellulite almost all gone!!!
My abs are showing through! Which is something I haven't seen in more than 6 years!

Sorry for the long post...haven't been in for a while!
Good luck to all who are on their way to a better bod!

Susie

Hi Susie
I was wondering if you are Canadian?? if you bought the Hydroxycut in Canada or the US? Reason being that Canada has cut out the L-Carnitine and the Chrominum from their product. I was thinking of trying this myself, but need to know if the Canadian version stills works without those important ingrediants.....

I'm Canadian and buying the US version of Hydroxycut.
Just go to an independant Natural Food store (not a chain one as they won't carry it) and ask for Hydroxycut. They'll usually have it hidden behind the counter and not on the shelf with other products. Take a look at the ingredients list to make sure!!

Please follow the directions on the bottle for use and do not attempt and think that taking the maximum dosage is better! Because it's not. I can't go beyond two pills a day!

By the end of the first five days I'd lost "flubber" in my buttocks and back of my thighs that I had been having problems with.
You'll lose extra water first and then you'll see the fat starting to melt off all within days. Drink extra water as the caffeine content seems to dehydrate a little. And you'll probably sweat more when exercising. Take a break from them on weekends and every other week so that you'll always get maximum benefits from them.

Susie