The product, called Carb Counters, is made from the Phase 2 starch neutraliser, an extract of the common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), already used in a variety of weight control supplements sold worldwide. It is to be distributed by health food specialists Dixie USA.
According to its producer, Pharmachem Laboratories, Carb Counters can be sprinkled directly onto high-carbonate foods, allowing consumers following low-carb diets to eat a wider variety of products.
Pharmachem claims that, according to in vitro tests, Phase 2 starch neutraliser can inhibit the digestive enzyme alpha-amylase, which in turn is thought to prevent the digestion of complex carbohydrates. This, it suggests, can decrease the number of carbohydrate calories absorbed, potentially promoting weight loss.
A study published in the Alternative Medicine Review (2004:9(1):63-69) appears to back up Pharmachem's claims. A double-blind placebo-controlled human trial was performed on 50 obese adults, who received either 1500mg of Phase 2 or an identical placebo twice daily with their meals. The participants taking the Phase 2 supplement were shown to lose an average of 3.79lbs each after an eight-week period, compared to 1.65lbs for the placebo group.
Jay Udani, chief researcher and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Program at Northridge Hospital Medical Centre, Los Angeles, said: "There was a 26-point drop in triglyceride levels, on average, for patients taking the starch neutraliser, while those on placebo averaged only an 8 point drop in triglyceride levels."
Udani added that the effect of the starch neutraliser on energy levels was also surprising.
"Those patients on the starch neutraliser reported a 13 per cent increase in energy, while those on placebo reported no improvement in this area. This is important because the starch neutraliser is not a stimulant."
The concept of carb blockers such as Carb Counters as a nutritional supplement is a controversial one, not least because of doubts over their efficacy. A number of similar products have been launched on the US market in recent months, with names such as Fatblocker, Lean Image Carb Blocker and Chitoblock 2000, but Pharmachem stresses that these products do not include the Phase 2 extract and have, as yet, no research to substantiate their claims.
The market life of products which cannot substantiate the claims they make tends to be short, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined to crack down on such products. But with no formal approval procedure from the FDA for starch blockers or neutralisers, companies are obliged to use FDA guidelines which are more open to misinterpretation.
Sarah Clark, media specialist for PR company Media Relations said: "Pharmachem have ensured they constantly keep within the FDA's guidelines for this type of product [to avoid the risk of fines for making unsubstantiated claims]. Phase 2 starch neutraliser's beneficial effects are continuously being validated by clinical science."
A study performed at the University of Scranton in 2001 demonstrated that Phase 2 had significantly lowered plasma glucose absorption and metabolism in human subjects by 66 per cent when compared to a control group.