Starch Blockers: Scam or Hoax?

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Starch Blockers Scam or Hoax?
ISMD Award 1R25GM086761-01

• Xiaomin Jing and Keats Shwab

INTRODUCTION Starch Blockers and Weight
Loss Starch is a major source of calories in the
average persons diet. Because starch is a large
molecule, it must be broken down by amylases
before it can be absorbed by the body. Because of
this, Starch Blockers, which are meant to inhibit
the activity of alpha-amylases, are a popular
dieting tool. However, there is doubt concerning
the effectiveness of such dieting aids.
Production of amylase inhibitors by bean
plants Beans and other high-starch plants are
known to produce amylase inhibitors. We
investigated the reasons why production of such
compounds may be beneficial to these plants.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS Perform testing of newer
generation Starch Blockers, which the WholeHealth
company suggests are more effective than the
inhibitors previously tested in published
studies.? Examine link between copper and zinc
uptake and amylase inhibition. Why do starch
blockers lead to deficiencies in these elements?
REFERENCES Starch Blockers and Weight
Loss Commercial soybean starch blocker
consumption impact on weight gain and on copper,
lead and zinc status of rats.?J Umoren and C
Kies?Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht,
Netherlands) 42 (2), 135-42 (Apr 1992)? Starch
blockers their effect on calorie absorption from
a high-starch meal. Bo-Linn, G.W., et al., N Engl
J Med, 1982. 307(23) p. 1413-6. Partially
purified white bean amylase inhibitor reduces
starch digestion in vitro and inactivates
intraduodenal amylase in humans. Layer, P., G.L.
Carlson, and E.P. DiMagno, Gastroenterology,
1985. 88(6) p. 1895-902. Function of Bean
Plant-Produced Amylase Inhibitors Structural
basis for the inhibition of mammalian and insect
alpha-amylases by plant protein
inhibitors.?Fran?ise Payan?Biochimica et
biophysica acta 1696 (2), 171-80 (12 Feb
2004) Advances in food research?Emil Marcel
Mrak, C. O. Chichester?Academic Press, 1982