As the keto diet has caught on, many people have started exploring alternatives to completely removing carbs from their diet. This is where carb blockers have recently started to come into play. They are marketed as supplements that help your body process moderate amounts of carbs without taking it out of ketosis. With such a bold claim, there’s of course some speculation that comes with them. In this article, I’ll break down how carb blockers work, how they should be taken on the keto diet, my favorite types of carb blockers, and provide the scientific research on them to help you decide if these supplements are right for you. Let’s get started.
What Are Carb Blockers?
Carb blockers, also referred to as starch blockers, are supplements that have been designed to help block the enzymes that are required to digest and process certain types of carbohydrates. They are scientifically known as amylase inhibitors, which means that they block the enzyme alpha-amylase, which is produced within your saliva to help digest carbohydrates. When this enzyme is inhibited, the food you eat (namely the carbohydrates from it) will move more quickly through your digestive tract, and your body won’t have the time it needs to absorb and break down those carbs. While these don’t entirely negate the widespread affects that carbohydrates have on the body, they do a great job at limiting the calories absorbed from them, and are a great source to stay in keto if you accidentally go over your carb limit.
The kinds of carb blockers that are sold as weight loss supplements often come from the extract of white kidney beans. These white kidney beans are known to influence your pancreas to stop generating that alpha-amylase enzyme, to further prevent your body from being able to break down starches. There are many scientific studies backing up the use of carb blockers as an effective way to stay in keto, which you’ll be able to find in our Resource Guide at the end of this article. Let’s look further into how carb blockers work.
How Do Carb Blockers Work?
All types of carb or fat blockers will work within your digestive system in either one of two ways: via indirect inhibition or via enzymatic inhibition, and direct inhibition. Indirect or enzymatic inhibition is the same that I mentioned earlier, where the carb blockers will target and stop the enzyme alpha-amylase from doing its job. Carb blockers that use direct inhibition will seek out the carbs within the digestive tract and bind to them, preventing them from being absorbed by the body. Most traditional types of carb blockers that come in the form of supplements usually operate via enzymatic inhibition.
Other types of enzymatic inhibitors will go after alpha-glucosidase. These AGIs primarily function by preventing alpha-glucosidase from doing its job. When alpha-glucosidase is inhibited from doing its job, carbohydrates cannot be broken down as easily and will eventually create a delay of glucose absorption, which helps keep to keep your blood sugar levels stable. While you can’t typically get ahold of AGI without a prescription, its most commonly seen in white kidney extracts and supplements.
With this, it is important to remember that carb blockers only work to prevent the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, but aren’t the best defense against simple carbs. This is vital for the ketogenic diet because it means that you can’t just continue to eat your favorite sweet treats and expect a carb blocker to save you from the calories, the sugar rush, and most importantly, getting taken out of ketosis.
Do Carb Blockers Help You Lose Weight?
Blocking the digestion and processing of complex carbs can have a variety of benefits for the body, including weight loss for many. As we all know, one of the many reasons the keto diet is so effective for weight loss is because carbohydrates make it incredibly easy to gain and keep weight on. When blocking these carbohydrates from being processed (or just when not eating a diet high in carbs at all), your body is able to stay in ketosis and burn fat more efficiently.
Low-carb diets in general have been connected not only to weight loss, but also control and prevention of type 2 diabetes, and a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and its correlated conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Additionally, people who switch from a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet to a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet will often report that they feel better almost immediately, with the exception of the keto flu adjustment period.
As I mentioned above, carb blockers also play a role in the hormones that affect appetite, which is one of the main components involved with weight loss – the less food you eat, the less likely you’ll be in a caloric surplus, which means the easier it will be for you to lose weight. Let’s look into appetite a bit deeper.
Carb Blockers and Appetite
Along with being able to affect the way that your body digests carbohydrates, carb blockers have also been known to influence your appetite. Carb blockers have been observed to affect some of the hormones that are involved with hunger and feeling full, and also can help slow down the process of stomach emptying after finishing a meal, which in turn curbs post or between meal cravings.
While the effects of carb blockers specifically haven’t been thoroughly tested in humans, one recent study did assert that a concentrated, uniform extract of a kidney bean did cause a decrease of feelings of hunger on patients. This is likely from kidney beans’ connection to the suppression of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for hunger and feeling full.
Carb Blockers and Blood Sugar
When you take carb blockers and eat a meal that is rich in carbohydrates, the carbs that remain in larger units of your digestive tract won’t fully make it into your bloodstream because the small intestine can only absorbs single sugars. This process in turn helps to prevent spikes in blood sugar and can simultaneously make it easier to lose weight.
This spike is prevented because complex carbs usually spike your glucose levels shortly after they enter the bloodstream. Additionally, carb blockers have been known to help your blood sugar levels get back to a normal state much more quickly after it does spike.
Do Carb Blockers Work on Keto?
First and foremost, it’s important to maintain that the best and most efficient method to reduce your carbohydrate absorption is simply to cut back on eating them. The ketogenic diet was designed to help lower your overall carbohydrate intake to less than five percent of your daily calories, allowing your body to enter a state of ketosis that promotes blood sugar control, weight loss, and a variety of other benefits. However, carb blockers can be used if you have concern that you may be going over your carbohydrate limit, and need some supplemental assistance in avoiding losing your ketosis streak.
That being said, there’s no evidence that carb blockers do not work in conjunction with the keto diet. It’s up to you to decide how frequently you’ll need to use them. The most important thing to remember is that carb blockers only work with complex carbohydrates, with simple carbs and sugars there really are no shortcuts on the keto diet. I personally don’t like to rely on carb blockers too much, but they definitely have saved me in a pinch. Let’s jump below and I’ll show you what carb blockers are in my own medicine cabinet, and which ones I like to use when I truly need them.
Best Types of Carb Blocker Supplements
1. 95% HCA Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extracts by Vita Miracle
Vita Miracles has a popular Garcinia Cambogia supplement that is one of my favorites. It is supplemented with with 95% HCA (hydroxycitric acid), which helps with both digestion and works to curb hunger pangs. Each capsule is small enough so that they are easy to swallow and have a quick acting design that most people prefer, so you don’t have to wait too long to kick in.
What makes Garcinia Cambogia so effective is that it can both reduce your appetite and work in conjunction with keto to burn fat. Garcinia Cambogia has also been proven to be particularly effective when targeting belly fat.
I usually get mine off Amazon.com for the lowest prices.
2. Bodyprime Formulas Forskolin Carb Blocker and Appetite Suppressant
Recommended primarily for weight loss, Bodyprime Forumulas Forskolin Carb Blocker and Appetite Suppressant is a tested and reliable carb blocker that also doubles as an appetite suppressant. The high-grade forksolin (40%) that is used in these supplements works hard to release that fat that is stored in your cells, and allows it to be converted into energy. Forksolin has also been proven to compliment fat loss with preserving muscle mass simultaneously, which is one concern many bring up when getting used to ketosis.
It’s important to know that forksolin is also entirely safe as a supplement, and it has other uses outside of weight loss. It is often used to treat conditions such as heart disease, asthma, bronchitis and constipation too.
3. Arazo Nutrition White Kidney Bean Carb Blocker
Among the variety of carb blockers on the market that use white kidney bean extract as their main or singular active ingredient, Arazo Nutrition’s supplement reigns over them for me, largely because of the effective dosage concentration and design.
If you are looking to keep things minimal and easy to integrate into your daily routine, Arazo Nutrition’s White Kidney Bean Carb Blocker is a solid choice. With this supplement, you will receive 600 mg of white kidney bean extract that supports weight loss, blocks complex carbohydrates, curbs your appetite, is FDA approved and GMP certified, and most importantly, is completely allergen free.
5. Code Age Keto Carb Blocker
Code Age Keto Carb Blocker implements a three-pronged approach to effectively reduce complex carbohydrate absorption within your digestive tract. The first prong is characterized by the use of white kidney bean extract. The second and third are a combination of a cinnamon and green tea extract, which both have incredibly helpful metabolic effects when combined for weight loss purposes.
One of the reasons I included Code Age’s Keto Carb Blocker in this list is because it was designed with the ketogenic diet in mind. It was developed for ketogenic and low-carb dieters who often reduce the amount of carbs they eat to a minimum in order to get to a state of ketosis, and offers extra help when trying to block out complex carbs.
6. NOW Foods Phase 2
This powerful carb blocking supplement is characterized as a non-stimulant and is vegetarian too! It comes in intentionally vegetarian capsules that can be easily added to your daily routine. In total you should expect to require 3 capsules per carbohydrate-rich meal, varying depending on your net intake of carbs.
In my opinion, the NOW Foods Phase 2 is one of the best carb blocking supplements on the market. It utilizes a clinically tested ingredient known as Phase 2, and it also provides an extremely effective carb blocker dosage that is split into increments of 500 mg per capsule, allowing some room for customization if the dosage needs to be reduced for any reason.
7. Irwin Naturals Maximum Strength 3-in-1 Carb Blocker
Irwin Naturals Maximum Strength 3-in-1 Carb Blocker is a strong carb blocking supplement that uses a combination of white kidney bean extract, flax seed oil, chromium, cinnamon, lipase, protease, and BioPerine complex to help curb appetite, release fat cells to be utilized as energy, and improves overall digestion. For every serving of this carb blocker, you’ll get:
- 1000 mg common bean (white kidney bean extract)
- 1050 mg flax seed oil
- 125 mcg chromium
- 100 mg cinnamon
- 20 mg lipase
- 20 mg protease
- 6 mg BioPerine complex
I prefer to get mine off Amazon.com, which usually has the lowest price.
8. Pride Nutrition C-Gone
Pride Nutrition C-Gone is one of the best carb blockers for athletes because even when on the keto diet, some high intensity athletes require all of the carbs they can get, while staying in ketosis.
What’s in Pride Nutrition C-Gone:
- 500 mg acetyl L-carnitine
- 500 mg L-glutamine
- 200 mg alpha lipoic acid
- 100 mg gymnema leaf extract
- 15 mg vanadyl sulfate
There are some flaws with this product, which I want to make clear. While it does very well for a niche market (keto athletes), it still has some flaws. The amino acids that are included in these supplements come in very low doses, and because of the fact that it is meant for the athletic community, I’d say it is not the first choice for anyone who is not a rigorous and consistent athlete.
9. Pure Forskolin Extract
Pure Natural Forskolin is an extremely effective supplement that both helps to block carb processing and stimulate fat burning during Ketosis. What I like most about this supplement is that it’s derived from all natural materials, and have proven to provide lasting results with consistent, long term use.
Pure Natural Forskolin contains 1000mg of Pure Natural Forskolin extract. The supplement contains 100% pure extract, and the serving size is 2 Capsules per day. You can get yours here straight from the supplier for a cheaper rate.
Are Carb Blockers Safe? Are there Side Effects?
Generally, carb blockers are considered to be very safe in terms of unwanted side effects. Some side effects you may experience, depending on the type of inhibitor you use, can include bloating, indigestion, and changes in blood sugar levels.
In some cases they have also been known to affect your sleep cycles, and can contribute to keto insomnia. However this is more easily avoided with a balanced diet and by getting ample amounts of rest.
The frequently experienced side effects from carb blockers tend to be related to your gastrointestinal system. Side effects such as bloating, nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea take place when carbs are not properly absorbed within the small intestine. When this takes place, the carbohydrates travel to the large intestine and can become fermented by bacteria there, resulting in unwanted indigestion.
Depending on your blood sugar levels before taking carb blockers, and especially before starting the ketogenic diet, you may want to keep an eye on your glucose levels to make sure that carb blockers are not controlling your blood sugar too rigidly, especially for those with diabetes, hypoglycemia, or metabolic syndrome.
Ultimately, side effects from carb blockers will vary depending on the frequency and amount you use them, as well as depending on the individual user’s digestion, diet, and body type. Fortunately, the gastrointestinal side effects are short lasting, and your body does adjust if carb blockers become a supplement that you take more regularly.
Are Carb Blockers Right for Me?
Ultimately choosing to use carb blockers is going to depend on your own personal lifestyle, diet, and level of physical activities. Carb blockers aren’t some sort of magic key to hacking the keto diet, but they are great supplements to add to your regimen and protect your body from getting pulled out of ketosis. If you decide to use carb blockers, you should always read the full range of side effects and benefits, and always remember that they only truly work with complex carbohydrates.