How do Carb Blockers Work?
What are carbohydrates?
When we talk about carbs we really mean the natural sugars contained in the food we eat. Starches consist of chains of these sugars and are otherwise known as Complex carbohydrates.
Pure starch is not in a form that can be used by the body as energy. It first has to be broken down into it’s individual parts before it can be used to fuel the bodies processes such as making new cells. When carbohydrates are broken down into their constituent parts, namely glucose, the body either has to immediately use it up or it will be stored as fat.
How do carb blockers prevent carb absorption?
The enzyme responsible for breaking down carbohydrates is known as alpha amylaze. A type of diet pill known as a carb blocker works for weight loss by inhibiting this enzyme. In this way it prevents a proportion of your carb intake from being converted into glucose. Less glucose available means less chance of new fat being produced from glucose.
The carbohydrates that are not broken down are simply passed through the digestive system. Simple Carbohydrates are notorious for affecting blood sugar levels which often lead to hunger pangs after the initial sugar level rise has crashed. Carb blockers prevent this from happening to some extent so in theory these pills should help with appetite suppression too.
Are carb blockers the best choice for me?
If you struggle with sugary foods such as cakes and sweets, carb blockers will not be the best diet supplement for you. This is because they only prevent the breakdown of carbs to sugars, and so not prevent the absorption of sugars themselves.
If you have a sweet tooth, these foods can still make you put on weight, however if you crave carb laden foods like pasta and most cakes a carb blocker will be helpful. Low carb dieters such as those following the atkins diet have often turned to carb blockers if they struggle to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat.
Are there any negative side effects?
There are two potential problems to note when it comes to taking carb blockers. Firstly, there are numerous enzymes and bacteria contained in the digestive system that contribute to breaking down carbohydrates. Taking a carbohydrate blocker is no guarantee that all carbs will remain undigested, some will still be digested.
The second issue to note is that some users experience an increase in gas when taking carb blockers, but this side effect tends to lessen over time.
Of course, some carb blockers are better than others. Some such as Decarb, used by Gail Porter to lose a stone, claim to reduce carbohydrate absorption by up to 66%.
Click here for our in depth Decarb review
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Tags: atkins, carb binder, Carb blocker, carbohydrates, complex carbs, decarb, low carb, starch В· Posted in: Carb Blocker Reviews, Weight loss advice
