Fat Bloc

Fat Bloc is a weight loss supplement by Ultimate Nutrition that claims to be able to block the absorption of fat from the food that you eat into your body. If this supplement works, it could mean that we would never have to feel guilty for eating all those foods that we’re genetically hardwired to love.

The Good

Fat Bloc relies on the naturally occurring fiber, chitosan, to bind to the lipids and fats from your foods, creating a molecule that is much too large to enter your body through the membrane of the intestinal wall. Although no conclusive evidence has been drawn as to whether this theory really results in weight loss, all the studies done on chitosan have revealed very minimal side effects. In fact, the only serious side effects it has is that in people with shellfish allergies because it is derived from the shells of shrimp, crabs and other shellfish. If you do happen to suffer from shellfish allergies, stay clear from Fat Bloc as it can cause a reaction as mild as hives, but as serious as a difficulty in breathing.

The Bad

Even though chitosan has been proven to react with oils in a model of the stomach, there hasn’t been as promising results in a living, breathing body. When tested on human beings, weight loss supplements that use chitosan like Fat Bloc haven’t been shown to be much more effective than the placebo. Researchers agree that there is some sort of interaction between chitosan and oils in the body, however, there is no conclusive proof that this leads to weight loss.

The Skinny

Despite its natural origins and its seemingly safe approach to weight loss, we just can’t justify spending money on a product that isn’t guaranteed to work. We think you’re better off choosing a different weight loss supplement that has more solid research to back up its claims.