White Kidney Bean Extract Induces Weight Loss

KEARNY, N.J.--Phase 2, a concentrated starch neutralizer extracted from the white kidney bean, proved effective for weight loss, according to final results of a clinical trial released by Pharmachem Laboratories Inc. on Dec. 10. The study, which the company noted is being considered for publication, involved 50 subjects who were randomly assigned to receive Phase 2 or placebo for eight weeks. Subjects taking Phase 2 lost an average of 3.8 pounds, which was approximately 200-percent more than the loss experienced in the placebo group, according to the company (www.pharmachemlabs.com). And, subjects taking Phase 2 also lost 1.5 inches from their waists, which was 43-percent more than the reduction seen in the placebo group.

"One of the most surprising results of the study was the impact that the starch neutralizer had on triglycerides, a form of bad cholesterol," said Jay Udani, M.D., medical director of the Integrative Medicine Program at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles. "There was a dramatic 26-point drop in triglyceride levels, on average, for patients taking the starch neutralizer, while those on placebo averaged only an 8-point drop in triglyceride levels."