Dieting Hints

How Do You Know If A Supplement Works?

(NAPS)-Contrary to what many people think, weight loss supplements are regulated-and that's good news for anyone looking for a safe way to slim down. One reason people think they are not regulated is that weight loss supplements are regulated in a different way than food and drugs are. The testing, however, is just as thorough.

Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed. Manufacturers can make certain "structure/function," claims and the FDA is responsible for taking action against any misleading or false claims. Companies must submit rigorous scientific data to the FDA to support claims.

For example, the supplier of a weight control ingredient, Phase 2 Carb Controller, had to deliver results of over a dozen studies conducted over the past several years in order to make structure/function claims. Tests showed that the highly concentrated extract can delay the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. As a result, the manufacturer was permitted to make two separate structure/function claims: may aid in weight control when used in conjunction with a sensible diet and exercise program; and may reduce the digestion of dietary starches. The ingredient is an extract of the white bean, which has been tested for its ability to control weight since the 1940s.

The Mayo Clinic began to investigate this extract in the 1980s. Studies that followed in the next decades showed that those who took the product did lose body weight, body fat ratio, abdomen fat ratio, BMI, waist-hip size and triglycerides in the blood. Metabolism also increased. The most recent study took place in 2005.

"The study demonstrated a reduction of the Glycemic Index (GI) of white bread with the addition of adequate amounts of Phase 2," said Jay Udani, M.D., medical director of Pacific West Research, which conducted the study. "The GI of white bread was significantly decreased by the addition of 3000mg of the Phase 2 brand white bean extract in powder form. At that dose, the GI was reduced by 20.23 points or 39.07 percent."

And, Harry G. Preuss MD, professor at Georgetown University Medial Center, has performed both laboratory and clinical studies on carb blockers, including Phase 2. In his upcoming book (coauthored with Bill Gottlieb) called, "The Natural Fat-Loss Pharmacy," he says, "Taking carb blockers can result in weight (fat) loss and prevent or lessen many of the metabolic disturbances of aging." For more information, visit www.phase2info.com.

Did You Know?

Phase 2 Carb Controller is a highly concentrated extract of the white bean shown to delay the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. It may aid in weight control when used in conjunction with a sensible diet and exercise program.

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