Carb Blockers to Lose Weight

What are Carb Blockers?

They are a new type of diet supplement but works differently from the ones you have been taking. There have been tons of weight loss pills on the market over the years, carb blockers are revolutionary.

The magic weight loss pill that we have all been waiting for is finally here. How about eating all the food high in carbohydrates that you like and not put on any more weight. Carb blockers pills will stop carbohydrates from being digested, thus allowing you to eat carbs without taking in all the unwanted calories.

Carb blockers are actually starch blockers that block the enzymes needed so that our body can digest certain carbs. Some of these enzymes are actually found in many weight loss supplements. They are made from a group of compounds called alpha-amylase inhibitors which is present naturally in certain foods such as pineapple, kefir and ginger, among others.

The carb blockers compound that helps to lose weight are extracted from beans and referred to as white kidney bean extract.

Carb blockers stop certain carbs from being digested thus helping us lose weight

How Does Carb Blockers Work?

The carbs that we get from our daily food intake can be split into two main groups, the simple and the complex carbs.

Simple carbs are found in fruits, dairy products and even sodas.

Complex carbs (the ones which we want to avoid) are found in pasta, bread, rice and vegetables like potatoes.

For us not to gain weight from the complex carbs, they need to be broken down before they can be absorbed. Carb blockers will be doing that for us, they contain the necessary enzymes that will break down these complex carbs. Thus, these "bad" carbs will pass through the large intestine without being absorbed as complex carbs which will not contribute any calories or increase blood sugar.

Do Carb Blockers Really Help Losing Weight

Most carb blockers on the market are being sold as weight loss aids. They are being advertised as a way to let you eat as many carbs as you like but not taking in any calories. How great that would be? Eating a big fat pizza and getting rid of the 1000 + calories!
But of course, it's not THAT magical, the effectiveness of carb blockers works up to a certain degree.

How effective are they?

Unfortunately, carb blockers will not block 100% of the carbs you are eating but can prevent up to 65% from being digested. In fact, some strong carb blockers could inhibit up to 97% but they can be bad for your own health. Also, the effect can be the opposite of what is expected as it turns out our body was built to function one way, we can't just change this complex mechanism as we like.

The best way to take carb blockers supplements is to avoid taking in too many complex carbs, decreasing sugar in your diet at the same time. This will be the most effective way to lose weight. Also, stay away from processed foods as carb blockers will not have any effect on the added artificial preservatives.

Carb blockers are not magic, but helps losing weight along with the proper diet.

Of course, you will not be seeing results right away. It can take from 4-12 weeks before you start noticing the changes. You will also be losing weight slower than other traditional diets but in the long run, the weight loss will be steady. E.g. if you are losing 1 kg per month, you'll end up losing up to 12 kg in a year.

Carb Blockers can Decrease Appetite

In addition, to help you losing weight, carb blockers also decrease your appetite as they may affect some of the hormones that make us hungry and the feeling of fullness. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as less food intake equals less weight gain. Food supplements also slow the digesting process that keeps us full for a longer time.

Extensive research about this has been done in laboratories with rats, showing how effective the card blockers are (no rat were hurt in the process). Though there is not enough result yet for humans to confirm, everyone who participated in early tests noticed a decrease in their weight when they begin taking carb blockers supplements without changing their diet.

It has also been found that the bean extract used in the pills actually did decrease the feeling of hunger by having an effect on the hunger hormone called ghrelin.

Studies have shown that carb blockers decrease appetite!

Control your Blood Sugar with Carb Blockers

Even if carb blockers are advertised mainly as weight loss supplements, they do more than just that. They also have a big impact on blood sugar control. In the process of slowing down the digestion of complex carbs, they also lower the spike in blood sugar levels. As the carbs are passed down to the large intestines the carbs are not absorbed into the body.

Carb blockers are also known to affect the hormones responsible for controlling blood sugar levels. Healthy people who have been taking the supplements have seen changes in blood sugar levels that are worth noting. Even when consuming meals that are very high in carbs, which caused a small rise in blood sugar; their blood sugar levels were back to normal much faster.

Benefits of Carb Blockers

Carb blockers have many benefits from what we have already reviewed above. One more benefit to add to the list is they increase resistant starch in the large intestine. This happens when the number of carbs that are absorbed in the small intestines is decreased, thus increasing the starch that continues its way through the gut.

Resistant starches are found in foods such as whole grains, potatoes, bananas and legumes. And similar to fibre, resistant starches cannot be digested in the small intestine. When the digestion of complex carbs is prevented in the small intestine by carb blockers, the carbs later function as resistant starches.

With more resistant starch in the body, there's decreased body fat, healthier gut bacteria and also better blood sugar levels. Resistant starches also help the amount of fat that the body burns after eating.

Carbs that are passed to the large intestine undigested will act as resistant starch which helps losing weight.

Side Effects of Carb Blockers

The supplements are considered very safe. Some isolated cases of side effects include diarrhoea, flatulence, bloating and in very rare cases, cramping. The side effects might be a result of the fermentation by bacteria in the large intestine, the gasses released to cause the side effects.

Even if none of the side effects is severe, many people stop taking carb blockers. The discomfort will go away with time, once the body gets used to the supplements.

Also, people who take insulin because of diabetes are advised to talk to a doctor before taking carb blockers as there's a chance sugar levels will be lowered and cause further health problems.

Are Carb Blockers for you?

From what we learned, carb blockers can help with weight loss, reduce appetite and control blood sugar levels. Carb blockers are helpful to those who don't want to change their high carb diet but still lose weight. 

It is important to note that carb blockers are just supplements that are in no way a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. And to achieve long-lasting results, a healthy diet along with exercise are still necessary.