JessicaR
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This was on the 11'oclock news last night. I don't think I'll run out and get some but it will be interesting to see if this proves useful for some!
http://cbsnewyork.com
The Skinny On Starch Blockers
Nov 25, 2003 11:58 pm US/Eastern
Atkins, South Beach Diet, most of us are familiar with the trend in low carb diets. There's no question they take weight off, but keeping it off is tough.
Now comes a food supplement designed to prevent most carbohydrate calories from turning into fat. Can you have your pasta and eat it too? CBS 2's Paul Moniz reports.
They're called starch blockers; pills and gum-like chews that promise to stop starch calories from ending up on your waistline.
Dr. Jana Klauer is a weight loss specialist and says, "and what that does is block the breakdown of starch in the body so that the starch passes through so that you do not absorb the calories from the starch."
Is it possible to eat bread, potatoes, and pasta without absorbing the bulk of their starchy calories? Two small studies suggest starch blockers, containing a potent extract of white kidney beans, may be part of the solution.
Results from one company's literature promoting the pill "starch away" suggest it can block 2/3 of carbohydrate calories. Let's say you ate 2 slices of bread, instead of ingesting 136 starch calories you'd only absorb 46, a savings of 90 calories.
In a study sponsored by Starch Away, 60 men and women lost an average of a half-pound per week by taking one or two chews before each meal.
"Americans want to eat, says Starch Away spokesman Suzy Cohen. We don't want to be on a diet, and I think carb blockers offer American's a safe effective way to lose weight.
Does this sound like a magic bullet for people? "There is no magic bullet, but if you want a safe and an effective way to lose weight, carb blockers are the way to go, says Cohen. "These products don't jolt the heart, they don't raise blood pressure, they don't react with your other medication and they are free of serious side effects, you can't beat it."
But not everyone is buying into starch blocker claims. Specialists we spoke with say current research is preliminary and results from the Starch Away study have not been peer reviewed.
"Whatever over the counter or dieter starch blockers there are, there is no evidence that those have any effect on body weight over the long term," says Dr. Stephen Heymsfield of St. Lukes Roosevelt.
The most common side effects of starch blockers are gastro-intestinal, associated with the bean extract.
It could be gaseous, even diarrhea, cramping, could be a lot of discomfort, says Sharon Movsas, a registered dietician.
Starch blockers may offer a glimmer of hope, but caution is advised. Proponents say they're useful as a weight loss tool, but critics point out they don't replace healthier eating and regular exercise.
They cost about $15-$45 for a one-month supply.
http://cbsnewyork.com
The Skinny On Starch Blockers
Nov 25, 2003 11:58 pm US/Eastern
Atkins, South Beach Diet, most of us are familiar with the trend in low carb diets. There's no question they take weight off, but keeping it off is tough.
Now comes a food supplement designed to prevent most carbohydrate calories from turning into fat. Can you have your pasta and eat it too? CBS 2's Paul Moniz reports.
They're called starch blockers; pills and gum-like chews that promise to stop starch calories from ending up on your waistline.
Dr. Jana Klauer is a weight loss specialist and says, "and what that does is block the breakdown of starch in the body so that the starch passes through so that you do not absorb the calories from the starch."
Is it possible to eat bread, potatoes, and pasta without absorbing the bulk of their starchy calories? Two small studies suggest starch blockers, containing a potent extract of white kidney beans, may be part of the solution.
Results from one company's literature promoting the pill "starch away" suggest it can block 2/3 of carbohydrate calories. Let's say you ate 2 slices of bread, instead of ingesting 136 starch calories you'd only absorb 46, a savings of 90 calories.
In a study sponsored by Starch Away, 60 men and women lost an average of a half-pound per week by taking one or two chews before each meal.
"Americans want to eat, says Starch Away spokesman Suzy Cohen. We don't want to be on a diet, and I think carb blockers offer American's a safe effective way to lose weight.
Does this sound like a magic bullet for people? "There is no magic bullet, but if you want a safe and an effective way to lose weight, carb blockers are the way to go, says Cohen. "These products don't jolt the heart, they don't raise blood pressure, they don't react with your other medication and they are free of serious side effects, you can't beat it."
But not everyone is buying into starch blocker claims. Specialists we spoke with say current research is preliminary and results from the Starch Away study have not been peer reviewed.
"Whatever over the counter or dieter starch blockers there are, there is no evidence that those have any effect on body weight over the long term," says Dr. Stephen Heymsfield of St. Lukes Roosevelt.
The most common side effects of starch blockers are gastro-intestinal, associated with the bean extract.
It could be gaseous, even diarrhea, cramping, could be a lot of discomfort, says Sharon Movsas, a registered dietician.
Starch blockers may offer a glimmer of hope, but caution is advised. Proponents say they're useful as a weight loss tool, but critics point out they don't replace healthier eating and regular exercise.
They cost about $15-$45 for a one-month supply.
Thanks for the post.
If it keeps me from doing something destructive then I don't know what the big deal is about something that comes from a BEAN. 
