Trivedi VR, Satia MC, Deschamps A, Maquet V, Shah RB, Zinzuwadia PH, Trivedi JV. Single-blind, placebo-controlled randomised clinical study of chitosan for body weight reduction. Nutr J. 2016;15:3. doi: 10.1186/s12937-016-0122-8. PMID: 26747458; PMCID: PMC4706713.
In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 96 overweight and obese participants received either 2.5 g/day of fungal-origin chitosan or a placebo for 90 days. The chitosan group experienced a significant mean weight loss of 3.10 kg compared to the placebo group. Additionally, improvements were observed in body composition, anthropometric measurements, and HbA1C levels, with no significant changes in lipid profiles. Quality of life scores also improved, and the treatment was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events reported. These findings suggest that chitosan supplementation may be an effective and safe strategy for weight management in overweight and obese individuals.
Keywords: Chitosan, weight loss, obesity, body composition, HbA1C, quality of life