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Chitin
which is the structural element in the exoskeleton of
crustaceans as
lobsters, crabs, shrimp, etc.. is used for commercial production of
Chitosan, by chemical process named "Deacetilation".
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Primer
usage of Chitosan
is as a plant growth enhancer, and as a substance that
boosts the ability of plants to defend against fungal infections. Low
toxic potential of Chitosan makes it safe to use and is not
expected to harm people, pets
or wildlife.
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Water
processing engineering is another place where Chitosan
can also be used, as a part of a
filtration process. Fine sediment particles are binded together by
Chitosan and they are subsequently removed with the sediment during
sand
filtration. Fat binding abilities of Chitosan allows also
removal of phosphorus, heavy minerals, and oils
from the water.
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Chitosan
rapidly clots the blood, and it has recently gained
approval in the USA for use in bandages. The bandages with a thin layer
of Chitosan, when applied to a wound, cause rapid
clotting and effectively stops the bleeding. Chitosan as
hypoallergenic has natural anti-bacterial properties, further
supporting its use in
field bandages.
Chitosan
Review
Chitosan was
discovered in 1811 and since than scientists are studying its
properties and especially it's natural ability as "fat
attractor" or "fat binder". Chitosan, as a Fat Blocker, usually is sold in tablet form at health
stores. It's popular to think of Chitosan as it
have the capability of absorbing fat from the
digestive system and expelling it from the body, to
allow users lose
weight without eating less.
Chitosan
as Weight loss Supplement
Products based on Chitosan are
commonly promoted as proven, safe, and natural weight loss
products. They are relating to Chitosan some other health
benefits as reducing of cholesterol levels, fat neutralizing
and all that with minimal or no known side effects at all.
Chitosan
Research Results
Interesting fact is that all those are just
assumptions because up to date there is only one well-designed
study published about the effects of Chitosan on humans. Results of the
research confirmed that there is no evidence to
confirm any of the claims made by Chitosan promoters.
More than that latest research
suggests that these claims are likely without any substance. At best,
unmodified Chitosan would remove roughly 30 calories per day from a
person's diet. Modified Chitosan is claimed to absorb anywhere up to
three to six times its weight in fat and oils. Detractors claim that
using Chitosan may have the deleterious effect of rendering ineffective
certain minerals found in foodstuffs and required by the body in order
to remain healthy.
Chitosan
Side Effects
The claims about Chitosan as Weight loss
promoting supplement never had proven scientifically.
Other scientific research has indicated that using Chitosan
can lead to vitamin and mineral depletion. It may
cause to interference with the body’s natural ability to
absorb fat-soluble nutrients, including vitamin A and D, and certain
phytochemicals. As these nutrients are essential to the
normal function and well being of all body processes, a
nutrient depletion can have crucial consequences.
Chitosan has been proven as effective at
lowering cholesterol levels but there are more safe and
effective ways to achieve the goal. Human clinical
trials did not prove Chitosan as safe and effective
weight loss product too.
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