When obesity and related diseases are becoming increasingly popular, starch blockers have undoubtedly become a huge commercial bright spot. It is worth mentioning that some glycoproteins in the protein of white kidney bean can inhibit the activity of α-amylase, which are called "α-amylase inhibitors."
How Does White Kidney Bean Help You Lose Weight?
Because alpha-amylase inhibitors are inactivated under high temperature and gastric acid conditions. Therefore, direct consumption of white kidney beans does not play a role in blocking starch. So the active ingredient is extracted into White Kidney Bean Extract Powder for weight loss health care products. It also produced the popular white kidney bean extract products on the market.
So, is white kidney bean extract reliable for weight loss? First, the inhibitory effect of alpha-amylase inhibitors on starch does exist.
The α-amylase inhibitor in white kidney beans can specifically inhibit the activity of salivary and intestinal α-amylase in humans and other animals, and hinder the decomposition and digestion of carbohydrates such as starch. Non-competitive inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase activity prevents amylase from decomposing starch into maltose normally. So that it cannot be converted into glucose and absorbed by the body. It does not affect normal secretion and is highly safe. Meanwhile, the substrate concentration did not affect the inhibitory effect of non-competitive inhibition on the enzyme. Therefore, the increase of starch concentration did not attenuate the inhibitory effect of white kidney bean extract on small intestinal α-amylase.
Summary
In short, white kidney bean extract prolongs the digestion time of starch in the intestine by reducing the absorption of starch by the digestive system, allowing more starch to reach the large intestine. At the same time, it may also play a role in helping blood sugar control by changing intestinal flora's structure, significantly reducing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar and postprandial blood sugar.