Chitosan: benefits, dosage, contraindications
Family or group:
Amino acids
Indications
Scoring methodology
EFSA approval.
Obesity ✪✪✪✪✪
Chitosan is being studied for its potential in obesity management, with results that vary across studies. A 2008 Cochrane systematic review, evaluating 15 clinical trials involving 1,219 participants, found that chitosan led to significantly greater weight loss than placebo, with a weighted mean difference of -1.7 kg. This analysis also noted a reduction in total cholesterol and improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, despite these positive findings, the clinical importance of these effects remains uncertain, and the suboptimal quality of many studies limits the reliability of these conclusions. More recent meta-analyses indicate that consuming 1 to 3 g of chitosan per day for up to one year may produce a small to modest reduction in body weight compared with placebo, with average weight loss not exceeding 1 kg versus placebo over one year. Chitosan also appears to slightly improve blood pressure as well as LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in overweight or obese patients. However, chitosan does not seem to be beneficial for weight loss unless combined with a hypocaloric (low-calorie) diet.
Posologie
Orally
1 - 3 g
Skin healing ✪✪✪✪✪
Chitosan is used in the treatment of burns and wounds in the form of films, bandages, cotton-like materials, and non-woven dressings. Its dressings, highly bacteriostatic, promote healing and are completely biodegradable within the human body. Topical application of chitosan improves tissue regeneration, particularly useful in plastic surgery for the regeneration of donor sites. Clinical studies show that chitosan accelerates the reformation of connective tissue, reduces healing time compared to other conventional dressings, and improves revascularization and nerve regeneration in wounds.
Posologie
Oral administration
gel
Chitosan membrane as a wound-healing dressing: characterization and clinical application
The effects of a topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin, and despanthenol on the wound-healing process following extraction of impacted lower third molars
Dyslipidemia ✪✪✪✪✪
Chitosan is being explored for its potential to reduce dyslipidemia, forming complexes with fats such as cholesterol. Reviews and clinical studies indicate a variable reduction in total cholesterol and LDL levels, with some results showing a decrease after 4 to 8 weeks of treatment with 1.2 g of chitosan per day. However, meta-analyses have not consistently demonstrated a significant effect on triglycerides or LDL, and some trials have shown no notable impact on cholesterol. A 2008 Cochrane review and a meta-analysis from the same year concluded that chitosan may reduce total cholesterol but not necessarily other blood lipids.
Posologie
Oral
1.2 g
Properties
Metabolic
Chitosan is promoted as a fat blocker, similar to orlistat. It is thought to act by binding to dietary fats and negatively charged bile acids in the intestine, thereby reducing their absorption. A study in adults with Crohn's disease showed that chitosan increases fecal fat excretion. nn
Usages associés
Antibacterial
Chitosan has antibacterial effects demonstrated in in vitro and animal studies. It shows broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, being more effective against Gram-negative bacteria and less so against Gram-positive bacteria. nnLow-molecular-weight chitosan can penetrate bacterial cell walls, bind to DNA and block DNA transcription and mRNA synthesis. High-molecular-weight chitosan, on the other hand, can bind to negatively charged components of the cell wall, altering wall permeability and limiting transport into the cell.nn
Hypolipidemic
Chitosan is recognized for its potential hypolipidemic effect, influencing the composition of bile acids and trapping lipids in the intestine. Positively charged chitosan polymers bind to negatively charged bile acids, thereby reducing cholesterol levels. nnLow-molecular-weight forms of chitosan, such as HEP-30, may be more effective at lowering cholesterol by adhering better to fats. nn
Usages associés
Wound-healing
Chitosan promotes wound healing. When applied topically, it acts as a hemostatic agent, accelerating granulation and the organization of the healing process. It stimulates the activity of inflammatory cells essential to healing, such as leukocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts. In addition, thanks to its antimicrobial properties, chitosan helps reduce the risk of infection, a factor that can significantly delay wound healing.
Usages associés
Safe dosage
Adult: 1.2 g - 4.5 g
According to clinical studies: - Weight loss: 3-4.5 g per day in divided doses, 30 minutes before meals. - Hyperlipidemia: 1.2-4.5 g/day in divided doses. - Insulin sensitivity: 750 mg three times per day.
Interactions
Médicaments
Acyclovir: moderate interaction
Concurrent administration of chitosan and acyclovir reduces acyclovir absorption, according to clinical research. This interaction is caused by acyclovir becoming entangled in chitosan complexes, which reduces its uptake.
Precautions
Pregnant women: avoid
Pregnant women should avoid taking chitosan with meals, as it may reduce the absorption of essential dietary nutrients.
Breastfeeding women: avoid
Breastfeeding women should avoid taking chitosan with meals, as it may reduce the absorption of essential dietary nutrients.
Contraindications
Allergies: contraindicated
People allergic to shellfish may be allergic to chitosan.
