A concentrated starch neutralizer extracted from the white kidney bean by Pharmachem Laboratories has been shown to reduce fat in a clinical trial.
Patients who took the supplement over a period of eight weeks lost nearly a half pound per week (3.8 lbs in total), on average, or 200 per cent more than those on placebo, according to the New Jersey-based company.
Patients on the starch neutralizer also lost 1.5 inches around their waists, on average, or 43 per cent more than those on placebo, Pharmachem reported.
"The results are encouraging, and look very promising," said chief researcher, Jay Udani, medical director of the Integrative Medicine Program at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Los Angeles.
"One of the most surprising results of the study was the impact that the starch neutralizer had on triglycerides, a form of bad cholesterol," said Udani. "There was a dramatic, 26-point drop in triglyceride levels, on average, for patients taking the starch neutralizer, while those on placebo averaged only an 8 point drop in triglyceride levels. The difference between the two groups was more than 300 per cent. The ability of this product to reduce triglycerides may be an important adjunct in maintaining a good cardiac profile."
Udani added that the effect of the starch neutralizer on energy levels was also surprising.
"Those patients on the starch neutralizer reported a 13 per cent increase in energy, while those on placebo reported no improvement in this area. This is important because the starch neutralizer is not a stimulant."
No significant adverse effects from the starch neutralizer were reported by the patients participating in the study, said the company.
Pharmachem Laboratories, supplier of the Phase 2 starch neutralizer, operates four processing and manufacturing facilities in Northern New Jersey, including the H. Reisman Corporation. It also owns American Ingredients, based in Anaheim, California.