Phaseolin – The White Kidney Bean Extract That Became Known as a Starch Blocker
For many years, Phaseolin has been one of the more unusual products in the Ultimate Nutrition range.
Derived from the white kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), white kidney bean extracts became popular because of their interaction with alpha-amylase – an enzyme involved in the digestion of starch.
But what exactly is Phaseolin, and why did it attract so much attention?
What is Phaseolin?
Phaseolin is associated with the white kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris.
White kidney bean extracts have been researched for their ability to inhibit alpha-amylase, one of the digestive enzymes the body uses to break down starch into smaller carbohydrates.
This is why products containing white kidney bean extract became widely known as “starch blockers” or “carb blockers.”
The concept is straightforward: by reducing the action of alpha-amylase, less of the starch in a carbohydrate-containing meal may be broken down and made available for absorption.
Why did white kidney bean extract become so popular?
Carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes are an everyday part of many people's diets.
This led researchers to investigate whether an extract from the white kidney bean could influence the digestion of starch when taken with carbohydrate-containing meals.
White kidney bean extracts have subsequently been studied in relation to starch digestion, calorie intake and weight management.
It was this research that originally brought Phaseolin and similar white kidney bean extracts to the attention of people looking for additional support alongside a sensible approach to weight management.
A product with an interesting history
Phaseolin is certainly not a new idea.
Research into white kidney bean extracts and alpha-amylase inhibition stretches back many years, and the extraction and processing methods have developed considerably over that time.
Older Ultimate Nutrition literature described research carried out internationally, including work in the United States, Italy, Japan and Norway.
Starch blockers also attracted considerable media attention during the 2000s, when books and newspaper articles began discussing their possible role in weight-management programmes.
Today, we think it is more useful to look beyond the headlines and understand what the product actually does.
Phaseolin and your diet
Phaseolin is intended to be taken before meals containing carbohydrate.
It should not be regarded as a substitute for a balanced diet, nor as a reason to eat unlimited quantities of carbohydrate-rich foods.
Instead, it can be incorporated into a normal lifestyle by people who wish to include white kidney bean extract as part of their approach to diet and weight management.
As with any nutritional product, the best results come from looking at the whole picture – what you eat, portion sizes, activity and your overall lifestyle.
Ultimate Nutrition So Slim Phaseolin
Our So Slim Phaseolin provides 500mg of Phaseolus vulgaris per tablet.
The suggested use is:
Take 2 tablets approximately 10–15 minutes before a meal containing carbohydrate.
This makes it particularly easy to use before meals containing foods such as pasta, rice, bread or potatoes.
During the manufacture of Ultimate Nutrition So Slim Phaseolin, we do not use a tablet hardener simply to form the tablets.
We believe customers should know what they are buying and choose nutritional products from a company they can trust.
Part of the Ultimate Nutrition range
Ultimate Nutrition has supplied nutritional products by mail order for decades, and many of our customers have been buying from us for many years.
Phaseolin is one of those products with a particularly interesting history – beginning with research into the humble white kidney bean and developing into one of the best-known ingredients associated with starch-blocking supplements.
If you're considering Phaseolin, remember that it should form part of an overall balanced approach to eating rather than replacing good nutrition.
Ultimate Nutrition So Slim Phaseolin – 500mg White Kidney Bean Extract Tablets
Interested in trying Phaseolin?
So Slim Phaseolin - Starch & Carblocker – Ultimate Nutrition UK
