Calorie blockers are a type of weight management supplement certain people find appealing. Do they work? Absolutely. However, some calorie blockers work better than others and there are plenty of poor-quality products that are unlikely to provide any benefits at all. You need to be careful when deciding which is the best brand to buy.
So, some calorie blockers work. Don’t take that as a reason to use this type of supplement. There are better options if you need help to lose weight. If you needed to dig a hole in your garden, you could do it with a spoon but you’d be better off using a spade.
There are several problems with calorie blockers. For one thing, they only offer a very limited level of support.
The other problem with calorie-blocking supplements is they encourage wrong thinking. People gain weight due to bad lifestyle choices and habits. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to make changes for the better by reducing and avoiding certain types of food and, where possible, getting plenty of exercise.
People who go looking for calorie-blocking supplements are generally looking for products that will allow them to keep eating too much of the wrong type of food without gaining weight.
You can’t have your cake and eat it.
Although calorie blockers work, that kind of thinking does not. There are no magic pills or potions that can make you lose weight without making sacrifices and putting in a little hard work.
Who Is This Article For?
I’m publishing this article to help people who are serious about losing weight and need a little help. People who have heard about calorie blockers, don’t know what they are or how they work, and are wondering if this is a good type of supplement to choose.
This article is not for people who are looking for a cheat pill that will allow them to eat what they want when they want, and not pay the price the next time they step on the scales. If you really think it’s possible to do that, go ahead, try it, and learn by experience.
Calorie Blockers: Things You Need to Know
Calorie blockers come in two different types—carb blockers and fat blockers.
Carb blockers restrict the number of calories you get from carbohydrates. Fat blockers do the same thing with the fat that’s present in your food.
The key word in the last sentence is “restrict.” Although some calories are blocked, most of them still get through.
Carb Blockers
Carb blockers first became popular in the 1980s. Back then they were generally referred to as “starch blockers.” Carb blockers is a more recent term.
Then as now, white kidney bean extract was the carb blocker that showed the most promise. All the best carb blocking products use it but it’s often added to the label under its scientific name—Phaseolus vulgaris.
Lots of food gives you carbohydrate. Fruit and vegetables are excellent sources that are rich in other nutrients too.
Potatoes, pasta, and bread are particularly good sources of carbohydrate and, as you are no doubt aware, eating too much of this type of food is a good way to pile on the pounds.
Carbohydrate provides four calories per gram, but you cannot obtain the calories until you digest it. That’s the thing to remember.
The body uses enzymes to breakdown food. The enzymes reduce the nutrients to small particles that can pass through the intestinal walls and enter the blood.
Most carb blocking supplements inhibit the abilities of alpha-amylase because it the enzyme that digests starchy carbohydrate.
However, the average carb blocker probably only reduces enzyme activity by around 50-65 percent.
That may sound good but were talking enzyme activity, not actual carb absorption.
In one study, involving a particularly potent carb blocker that inhibited enzyme activity by 97 percent, carbohydrate absorption only reduced by 7 percent. (Impairment of Starch Absorption by a Potent Amylase Inhibitor)
Some studies show better results, of course, but most of the carbohydrate is normally digested, meaning most of the calories get through. (A Review of the Effects of White Kidney Bean Extract on Body Composition and Metabolic Health)
Fat Blockers
Fat blockers began getting an increased amount of attention during the 1990s. Instead of affecting carbohydrate digestion, this type of calorie blocker interferes with the body’s ability to absorb fat.
Fat is higher in calories than carbohydrate. At nine calories per gram, the fat in food provides more than double the amount of calories you would get from carbs.
A good fat blocker typically blocks the digestion of around 30 percent of the fat you consume. Most of the calories get through. Therein lies the folly of trying to use fat blockers to compensate for overindulgence in fatty foods.
You may have heard the term “fat binder” and wondered if fat binders and fat blockers are the same. A fat binder is actually a type of fat blocker that works a little differently from the way other fat blockers do.
Normal fat blockers inhibit enzyme activity in a similar way to carb blockers. The difference is, instead of suppressing the activity of the enzymes that digest carbohydrates they work on the “lipase” enzymes that digest fat.
The prescription weight-loss drug, Orlistat, inhibits lipase in this way and the fact that doctors prescribe it proves it is not without potential as a weight loss aid. There’s also a half-strength version, called Alli, that’s available without a prescription.
However, as with all calorie blockers, Orlistat cannot do the work for you. The doctors who prescribe it provide their patients with strict dietary guidelines, along with exercise plans (where appropriate).
Fat binders are incapable of affecting lipase. They reduce fat absorption in a different way. They contain ingredients that are impervious to the actions of all the digestive enzymes. The body cannot process them at all.
However, fat binding ingredients attract the fat present in the stomach and “bind” with it. This makes the bound fat indigestible too.
Calorie Blocker Side Effects
Calorie blockers cause undigested food to pass through the intestines. Regardless of whether it’s carbohydrate or fat, the presence of undigested food can cause several unpleasant issues.
When intestinal bacteria ferments undigested carbohydrate it may cause an excessive build-up of gas. This can be painful. Not to mention embarrassing.
Carb blocking supplements cause some people to experience diarrhea as well.
Fat blockers can also cause minor stomach upsets and, due to their method of action, are likely to make your poop soft and slimy. If leakage occurs, there may also be a problem with greasy underwear stains.
If you try to use fat blockers as a cheat pill and keep on eating a lot of fatty food, things can take a big turn for the worse. Consuming more fat gives the fat blocker extra fat to block and increases the amount of fat heading for your “back door.”
Needless to say, your poop will become even softer and greasier, and please don’t lose sight of the fact that grease is slippery stuff.
When you eat a lot of fat while taking a fat blocker, things can start moving fast and, clench as you will, with all that grease, it’s going to be next to impossible to bolt the back door. Were talking soiled undergarments here folks and that rush for the back door can begin anytime, anywhere.
If you are going to use a fat blocking supplement, you can save yourself a lot of embarrassment by keeping your fat intake nice and low.
Additional Considerations
Although calorie blocker side effects can be unpleasant, they are not dangerous. However, carb blockers influence blood sugar levels so diabetics would do well to get expert medical advice before attempting to control their calorie intake with this type of supplement.
Fat blockers present a few extra issues too. There are two types of vitamins present in food: water-soluble and fat-soluble.
There are four fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). With the exception of Vitamin D, which your skin can manufacture in response to the sun, you get fat-soluble vitamins from the fat present in your food or by taking supplements.
Needless to say, your body requires all four of these vitamins. You also need to know Vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common.
By blocking fat absorption, fat blockers and cause deficiencies that can affect your immune system and cause numerous other health issues. So, if you do decide to use this type of calorie blocker, you may need to take a vitamin supplement as well. The best time to do so may be just before going to bed because this likely to be several hours after taking your last fat-blocking supplement of the day.
Will a Calorie Blocker Be the Best Option For You?
As you can see, calorie-blocking supplements have certain limitations. If you are making sensible efforts to lose weight and need a little help, even the best calorie blocker won’t be a big gun and the results are unlikely to blow you away.
If like many people who show an interest in calorie blockers, you were hoping to use a “blocker” as a cheat pill, hopefully you may have seen the error of your ways. Even the best blocker-type supplements only block a relatively small percentage of calories. If you try and have a “cheat meal” or a “cheat day”, the only one you will be cheating is yourself. You may also find there are side effects and, in the case of fat blockers, unpleasant consequences. Some lessons are hard to learn and there is no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.
That’s not to say calorie blockers are no good. If you use them alongside a sufficiently low-calorie diet they may help you to lose a little more weight than you were losing before. Just don’t expect to find yourself riding in the fast lane.
Most people who use weight-management supplements don’t only want to lose weight faster. They often need help with controlling their hunger as well and/or something to give their energy levels a boost. Calorie blockers can’t provide these benefits.
If you mainly need help to control hunger, I suggest using a basic glucomannan product. Glucomannan is a natural ingredient with, proven abilities, that’s endorsed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Good glucomannan supplements are very cheap and easy to buy. If you want to learn more about glucomannan and how to choose a good supplement, HERE’S A LINK TO AN ARTICLE THAT WILL HELP.
Alternatively, if you are looking for a supplement that to help you lose weight faster and offer a broader level of support, you may want to consider Phentaslim. HERE’S A LINK TO MY PHENTASLIM REVIEW.
