Advanced Amylase Inhibitor™ (With White Kidney Bean)
How to Avoid Storing Carbs as Fat (1)Obiro WC, Zhang T, Jiang B. The nutraceutical role of the Phaseolus vulgaris alpha-amylase inhibitor. Br J Nutr. 2008;100:1–12. doi:10.1017/S0007114508879135. (PubMed) (Cross Ref) (could it be as simple as a few easy steps?)
Carbohydrates in most diets are our greatest source of calories, to be absorbed into the body, carbohydrates have to be broken down into monosaccharides, this breakdown occurs largely by two enzymes called amylase and glucosidase (1)Obiro WC, Zhang T, Jiang B. The nutraceutical role of the Phaseolus vulgaris alpha-amylase inhibitor. Br J Nutr. 2008;100:1–12. doi:10.1017/S0007114508879135. (PubMed) (Cross Ref). Carbohydrates are digested initially in the mouth by secreted amylase which accounts for about 5% of the breakdown, halted in the stomach due to acidic environment destroying amylase activity then carbohydrates enter the intestines, pancreas secretes amylase, (don’t you wish it didn’t) and the carbohydrates are further broken down and are primarily either used as energy, stored as fat or carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion enter the colon, ferment by colonic bacteria and primarily become waste.
One way of reducing carbohydrate absorption is by the use of “resistant” starches which resist digestion in the small intestine thereby being passed into the large intestine, and a then act like dietary fiber (2)Englyst KN, Englyst HN. Carbohydrate bioavailability. Br J Nutr. 2005;94:1–11. doi: 10.1079/BJN20051457. (PubMed) (Cross Ref). These wonderful starches are naturally found in seeds, unprocessed whole grains, legumes (3)Grabitske HA, Slavin JL. Low-digestible carbohydrates in practice. J Am Diet Assoc.2008;108:1677–1681. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.07.010. (PubMed) (Cross Ref) (4)Higgins JA. Resistant starch: metabolic effects and potential health benefits. J AOAC Int.2004;87:761–768. (PubMed). A way to slow the absorption of carbohydrates is through the use of alpha-amylase and glucosidase inhibitors Acarbose (Prandase®,Precose®) a prescription drug inhibits alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase. Alpha-amylase inhibitors are present in plants likely developed in order to strengthen their defense against predators.
Plants with natural alpha-amylase (polyphenolic compounds and glucoproteins) inhibitors (naturally reduce carbohydrate absorption) (5)Tundis R, Loizzo MR, Menichini F. Natural products as alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors and their hypoglycaemic potential in the treatment of diabetes: an update. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2010;10:315–331. doi: 10.2174/138955710791331007. (PubMed) (Cross Ref). For example raspberries and strawberries have been reported to inhibit alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase activity (6)McDougall GJ, Stewart D. The inhibitory effects of berry polyphenols on digestive enzymes.Biofactors. 2005;23:189–195. doi: 10.1002/biof.5520230403. (PubMed) (Cross Ref), as well as theaflavins, catechins present in green and black teas and alpha-amylase inhibitors are also present in grains (wheat, rice).
The greatest body of research has been gone into glycoproteins (alpha-glucosidase, alpha-amylase inhibitors) extracted from kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) with 3 isoforms of alpha-amylase inhibitor (alpha-A1, alpha-A12, alpha-AIL) (8)Anderson RA. Chromium. In: Mertz W, ed. Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition, Vol I. San Diego: Academic Press 1987. P 225-44.. The alpha amylase inhibitor prevents starch digestion by completely blocking access to the active site of the alpha-amylase enzyme. Yes I know that is a mouthful and rather complicated explanation but it’s important to us that you understand the scientific process of how our constituents and products work.


- Obiro WC, Zhang T, Jiang B. The nutraceutical role of the Phaseolus vulgaris alpha-amylase inhibitor. Br J Nutr. 2008;100:1–12. doi: 10.1017/S0007114508879135. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]
- Englyst KN, Englyst HN. Carbohydrate bioavailability. Br J Nutr. 2005;94:1–11. doi: 10.1079/BJN20051457. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]
- Grabitske HA, Slavin JL. Low-digestible carbohydrates in practice. J Am Diet Assoc.2008;108:1677–1681. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.07.010. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]
- Higgins JA. Resistant starch: metabolic effects and potential health benefits. J AOAC Int.2004;87:761–768. [PubMed]
- Tundis R, Loizzo MR, Menichini F. Natural products as alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors and their hypoglycaemic potential in the treatment of diabetes: an update. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2010;10:315–331. doi: 10.2174/138955710791331007. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]
- McDougall GJ, Stewart D. The inhibitory effects of berry polyphenols on digestive enzymes.Biofactors. 2005;23:189–195. doi: 10.1002/biof.5520230403. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]
- Moreno J, Altabella T, Chrispeels MJ. Characterization of alpha-Amylase-Inhibitor, a Lectin-Like Protein in the Seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 1990;92:703–709. doi: 10.1104/pp.92.3.703. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Cross Ref]
- Anderson RA. Chromium. In: Mertz W, ed. Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition, Vol I. San Diego: Academic Press 1987. P 225-44.
- Boyle Jr E, et al. Chromium depletion in the pathogenesis of diabetes and atherosclerosis. South Med J 1977 Dec;70(12):1449-53.
- Anderson RA, et al. Elevated intakes of supplemental chromium improves glucose and insulin variables in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes 1997 Nov;46(11):1786-91.
- Kaats G, et al. Effects of chromium picolinate supplementation on body composition: a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study. Curr Therapeut Res 1996 Oct;57(10):747-56.
- Kaats GR, et al. A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study of the effects of chromium picolinate supplementation on body composition: a replication and extension of a previous study. Curr Ther Res 1998;59:379-88.

