Hi Everybody:

A friend of mine has lost 105 lbs. on Atkins so far and swears by Chitosan - she says it eliminates 20 g of fat from her diet per day (or whenever she is concerned with excess fat in her diet, I suppose). Does anyone know about this or similar products? Do they work - is it something that is beneficial or not?

Thanks!
Di

They work against you . These products are made for low-calorie, not for low-carb. Fat is good, very essential to a healthy diet. It's carbs that are the problem.

Wa'il

My two cents:

Since most of us are trying to increase the fat in our diets this product really wouldnt be of much use to us.

Be leery of anything that promises results with no effort.

Nat

Also be aware that any substance that prevents your body from absorbing fat .... also prevents the absorption of the important fat-soluble vitamins -- A, D, E and K. As well, essential fatty acids such as the Omega 3 and 6 ... which help to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, among other vital functions.



Doreen

I find it kind of funny that she does not swear by Atkins.

20 grams of fat to a low carber is a mere blip. Start talking about, oh, 100 grams and your in low-carb business.

Sorry to say, but your friend would have been just as successful at weight loss without the chitosan.

Karen

I have taken Chitosan before for other reasons--keeps me nice and regular!! Before I started Atkins I was taking a diet pill (one of many) and noticed that I was much more regular--and it contained Chitosan. When I started Atkins I stopped taking it but I read something about Chitosan and how it's shellfish type fiber can benefit health. So the next time I was in my local health food store, I found it in just plain form by itself. And I took it for a while. It did keep me regular when I didn't have any luck with things like Flaxseed. However, I don't know if it aided in my weight loss any. On the other hand, it did not hinder my weight loss at the time. I had never read anything about it absorbing your fat though. The things that I read were all about the health issues, not weight loss issues.
I hoped some of this helped you!!