KEARNY, N.J.–A supplement made from white bean extract can help dieters lose weight, according to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Research (J Appl Res, Vol.10, No.2 , 2010). A team of Italian and American researchers found the Phaseolus vulgaris extract produced significant decreases in body weight and waist size after one month of use.
Usng Phase 2 Carb Controller™, a specialized extract of a fraction of the white bean, the study found those in the supplement group lost significantly more body weight and waist girth at the end of the first 30 days and at the end of the trial than did those in the placebo group. Additionally, the body mass index (BMI) decreased significantly more after the first and second month in the supplement group compared to the placebo group.
The 101 subject, 60-day protocol included an active group of 51 subjects who consumed the supplements, which contain 445 mg of Phaseolus vulgaris extract, and a placebo group of 50 subjects. The volunteers in both groups were slightly overweight, but the weight had been essentially stable for at least six months.
After 30 days, almost all (47 of 51) of the subjects in the supplement group lost weight (92 percent) after two months, compared to 31 in the placebo group (62 percent). The average weight loss in the supplement group was 1.9 kg compared to a 0.4 kg loss in the placebo group. Subjects receiving Phaseolus vulgaris extract with a carbohydrate-rich, 2,000- to 2,200-calorie diet had significantly (P<0.001) greater reduction of body weight, BMI, fat mass, adipose tissue thickness and waist/hip/ thigh circumferences while maintaining lean body mass compared to subjects receiving placebo.
According to the researchers, the mechanism behind the weight loss associated with consuming this bean extract is due to its ability to block starches. “Theoretically, they may promote weight loss by interfering with the breakdown of complex carbohydrates thereby reducing, or at least slowing, the digestive availability of carbohydrate-derived calories and/or by providing resistant starches to the lower gastrointestinal tract,” they wrote.