Chitosan is derived from chitin, a protein that provides structure to the shells of crustaceans such as crab. Chitosan is a charged protein that attracts and binds fat and carries it out of the digestive system. In other words, it stops the fat you eat in your meals from being absorbed by the body and stored as bodyfat.
One recent study from Bangladesh found that rats given varying amounts of chitosan gained less weight and had lower cholesterol levels with increasing dosages. In addition, researchers found that chitosan reduced only the levels of the LDL (bad) cholesterol without affecting the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. And chitosan appears to be useful for helping not only rats but humans lose fat.
