Health Benefits Of Chitosan

Health Benefits of Chitosan

Chitosan is a sugar that we get from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish, involving crab, and shrimp. We use it for medicines. There are numerous health benefits of using Chitosan like you can use it against obesity, high cholesterol, and Crohn condition. It is also utilized for issues sue to kidney failure, involving high cholesterol, "tired blood" (anemia), and feeling low or fatigued and loss of appetite, abnormal phosphorous levels (hyperphosphatemia), and sleeping disorder (insomnia).

Few individuals use Chitosan directly to their gums in order to reduce inflammation. Inflammation or swelling can cause tooth loss (periodontitis), or chew gum that comprises of Chitosan can stop "cavities" (dental caries). It is also beneficial for your eyes to treat dry eyes. In an attempt to aid "donor tissue" rebuild itself, doctors sometimes use it directly to places where they have taken tissue to be utilized elsewhere. 

Chitosan is also helpful to prevent bleeding after some surgeries.

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, you can use it as filler in tablets, to stimulate the way specific medicines dissolve and suppress or reduce bitter tastes. Another critical use of Chitosan is it can help make foods last longer.

In this article, we are going to take about the Chitosan and its practical benefits. Don't miss any important detail and red till the end!

What is Chitosan?

Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide primarily made up of randomly distributed β-(1-4)-linked D-glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (acetylated unit). It is a specific kind of fiber obtained from chitin. It is a substance that grows in the hard outer shells of crustaceans like crayfish, shrimp, and squid. Like other types of fiber, it is indigestible and moves via the gastrointestinal system without getting absorbed.  

This sugar is available as a dietary supplement to aid individuals loses weight and reduces cholesterol levels. Speak to a qualified health care provider or doctor before consuming its supplements.

It has an additional potential benefit than most other kinds of fiber. When traveling through the intestines, it attaches to a tiny amount of dietary fat and takes it along out of your body. It prevents this fat from being absorbed.

This action is incredibly essential and leads to Chitosan's theoretical effects on cholesterol levels and weight, but Chitosan may not attach with adequate fat to utilize substantial effects. As it is extracted from the shells of shrimp, lobster, and crabs, it is a fibrous substance that may block dietary fat and cholesterol absorption. When you apply on wounds, it helps blood to clot.

The fat-absorption activity also stops some absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, or other phytochemicals. These are helpful in getting rid of the risk disease. On the other hand, some medications like birth control pills are fat-soluble, and Chitosan may influence their absorption.

Chitosan is safe for most people when consumed by mouth for up to five months or when applied to the skin. When used by mouth, it may lead to mild stomach distress, nausea, constipation, or gas.

The properties of Chitosan

It has plenty of various properties that make it very interesting in almost all fields;

• Chitosan is biocompatible and does not has any antigenic behavior.
• It is biodegradable and shows anti-thrombotic (stops blood clots) and hemostatic (regulate internal equilibrium) characteristics.
• It is a cholesterol-lowering sugar and contains unusual healing activity.
• As all polysaccharides, it is also an excellent moisturizing agent because of its water retention capacity.
• Chitosan consists of immunological and anti-tumor features.
• It may suppress the development of many parasites and germs (among others, E.coli, or Candida albicans).
• This beneficial sugar is active against molds and yeast

Health Benefits of Chitosan

1. Improvement of dental hygiene

Due to the unique properties of chitosan, it has a variety of uses in dental hygiene. One of the significant features of chitosan is its antimicrobial activity and regeneration of tissues. It can help us in the improvement of dental health by

• Development of oral drug delivery
• Enamel repairing
• Tissues regenerations
• Dentine bonding
• Dendrites
• Antimicrobial activities
• Modification of glass ionomers
• Tissue engineering

Chitosan also helps our teeth in making firm grip win gums. Besides, it helps us in the enhancement of anti-erosive effects. It also protects our gums from anti-bacterial actions.

2. Minimizes the risk of Anemia

Chitosan deficiency is directly related to anemia. Anemia is a medical issue where Chitosan is not absorbed by your body adequately, resulting in overall adverse effects of deficiency.

The common signs of anemia are feeling low and exhausted, numbness and tingling in hands and feet, and a bright red tongue.

You can use Chitosan shots and supplements against this situation. There is a great opportunity that your body can be saved against anemia.

Protection and repairing of the nervous system

Chitosan is the best-considered tonic for our nervous system. Chitosan is the best agent that can prevent neuroinflammation and chronic inflammation. Chitosan takes necessary measures to prevent various nervous diseases like Parkinson's disease, Huntington disease, and Alzheimer's disease. It prevents us from self-started immune cells death that is called as glutamate.

Activities of β-secretase are also reduced to a great extent. Breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, is also inhibited from restricting any unusual obstruction in the nervous system. Chitosan is also recommended to the patients of Multiple sclerosis by regenerating myelin sheath fibers and improving their thickness.

3. Antimicrobial activities in our body

It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and has a variety of functions in our body. One of the significant features of chitosan is the inhibition of the production of biofilms in our collection. It can protect us from a variety of bacterias that are resistant to multi drugs. A feature that makes it unique from all is that it does this all without enhancement drug resistance further. 

However, N-acetyl-cysteine, if combine with chitosan it may increase its functioning against several bacterias. It stimulates mucous secretion in our nose, preventing us from nasal infections. It can also stop us from Urinary Tract Infections. Some studies even say that it can cure us of various fungal diseases. It can help in the case of HIV and H1N1 virus.

4. Regulates high blood pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension, as it is more commonly found, affects over one million people in India. It is one of the critical medical conditions that can lead to a stroke, heart attack, coronary heart disorder, heart failure, kidney failure, and other severe health issues.

The common symptoms of high blood pressure involve severe headache, restlessness, vomiting, confusion, vision alteration, and nose bleeds. Cardiovascular disorder is reaching epidemic proportions in the nation.

One of the essential health benefits of Chitosan is its affectivity against high blood pressure. So, it keeps it in check. People with high blood pressure who consume Chitosan supplements daily can see a significant improvement in their blood pressure.

Regular Chitosan intake aids reduce systolic blood pressure. When the heartbeats, it pushes and contracts blood via the arteries of your heart to the rest of your human body. This force produces pressure on the arteries.

It is known as systolic blood pressure. Thus it is essential to use its supplements to control your blood pressure. But for safety reasons, before going to start taking it, you should consult your doctor or medical health provider for better understanding.

5. May helpful against high cholesterol level

One can define Cholesterol as a way, a fat-like compound present in most body tissues involving the blood and the nerves.

Cholesterol immensely aids in making the outer coating of a variety of cells, forms the bile acids that continuously function as digesting the foods in your intestine, and permits your body to form Vitamin D and hormones. High cholesterol increases the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

There are two kinds of cholesterol- LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are called lousy cholesterol as they can carry the fat molecules' content into artery walls of the heart, leading to the clogged arteries and may maximize the chances of cardiovascular disorder and stroke.

Cardiovascular disorder is a medical condition that includes blocked or narrowed blood vessels that may cause heart attacks, chest pain, and strokes. It has been seen that it aids in reducing the levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

Chitosan immensely helps in regulating healthy low cholesterol metabolism and also promotes healthy lipid metabolism.

There is evidence regarding the efficiency of Chitosan for reducing cholesterol. Some studies indicate that consuming Chitosan can significantly reduce total cholesterol or "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in individuals suffering from high cholesterol.

However, other research indicates that it can lower cholesterol in people without adverse effects on the body. Certain joined products comprising of Chitosan may decrease cholesterol levels in obese people. Those combination products are a pill, including Chitosan or chromium and another supplement consisting of Chitosan, ascorbic acid, and other essential micronutrients.

6. Fight against Tumors

Chitosan is considered the best alternative to chemotherapy for patients of cancer. It improves the delivery of drugs and chemotherapy to cancer patients. If we deliver chitosan with the combination of the drug to which cancer cells resist, it can improve its functionality. It also inhibits tumor cell production. It also drops the metastatic potential of gastric cancer. Chitosan is highly sensitive against

• Bladder Cancer
• Brain Cancer 
• Leukemia
• Lung cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Melanoma

Chitosan inhibits the growth of tumors and chemotaxis by increasing IL-1 and IL-2 levels in our bodies. It also stimulates the expression of P53 that is a tumor suppressor gene.

Effective against weight loss

One of the essential health benefits of Chitosan is to maximize fat loss. Supplement manufacturers often claim that Chitosan attaches to fat in your body and lets you sweat more of it, reducing the amount of fat in your body stores.

According to a report published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2008, scientists reviewed 16 clinical trials (with 1,221 participants) that tested the impacts of Chitosan on adults who were obese. Compared to participants who provided a placebo, study members who used Chitosan appeared to lose remarkably more weight and feel incredible changes in cholesterol levels or blood pressure.

A significant report (from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2003-2004) shows that this sugar may not be that useful for weight loss. Looking at four previously published reviews, the researchers found "no proof beyond a doubt that any particular dietary pill is efficient for minimizing bodyweight. Supplements indicated in the report contained Chitosan and yerba mate.

But overall, Chitosan has a decisive role in the weight loss process. You can take it after the advice of your physician.

7. Support for the Immune system

Chitosan is known as an immune stimulator in medical terminologies. A first and most crucial feature of chitosan is to protect the gut and intestine from bacterial infections as there are a lot of bacteria remain in the human gut. It helps in forwarding the immune response of TH1 towards TH2/TH3. It may help in arthritis. It also helps in the stimulation of antigens against several bacteria. 

During the process of vaccination, it also supports our immune system, enhancing antigens' working, and making our immune system more effective. It also prevents our body from allergic reactions by inhibiting the activity of mast cells and degranulation.

8. Helpful against chronic diseases

According to new scientific shreds of evidence, enhanced Chitosan levels may eliminate Crohn's disease by minimizing the levels of homocysteine in your body. It is a chronic disease of the small intestine.

The reason for Crohn's disease is still out of our knowledge. But it can lead to severe ulcers in your small intestine, colon, or both. Diarrhea, restlessness, vomiting, illness, fatigue, and weight loss are the primary symptoms of Crohn's disease.

This disease of the intestine may also be the triggering factor of severe obstruction of your small intestine. This condition is linked to reddish tender skin nodules, and swelling of your joints, spine, and liver.

It has been usually expressed that with each picomolar boost in the level of active Chitosan, the risk of Crohn's disease minimizes by 4 %.

9. Fights obesity, diabetes, and other health conditions

Chitosan may minimize your body weight and the ratio of fat to body weight. 

For example, according to one study, this sugar was able to minimize the patient's weight and reduce HbA1C levels. 

In the gut, it swells up and forms the feeling of fullness.

Chitosan may also reduce triglyceride, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, free fatty acid, and leptin levels while maximizing fecal lipid levels. 

It can also enhance high-density lipoproteincholesterol (HDLC) and reduce the potential risks of cardiovascular disorder. It may also minimize the total cholesterol (TC) levels.

In people with diabetes, the combination of selenium and Chitosan can promote insulin secretion, insulin receptor expression, and reduce oxidative stress. This sugar may also stop hyperglycemia by upregulating adiponectin and PPAR-γ in adipocytes.

In individuals suffering from high cholesterol levels, it can improve calcium, magnesium, and iron levels. When combined with fish oil (DHA/EPA) may minimize oxidative stress on the heart.

Chitosan has anti-coagulant properties and can help reduce high blood pressure as it can suppress angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE).

10. Improves wounds & burns (skin healing effect)

Chitosan is used for skin healing (like patients undergoing plastic surgery). 

It can act on skin stem cells, and aid wound healing. This sugar with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used to regulate meniscus, rotator cuff, and cartilage repair in preclinical models.

Chitosan has been efficiently utilized for the treatment of nerve graft repair. It aids with wound repair after surgery as it maximizes adipose stem cell formation in your skin. It may also get rid of diabetic ulcers. It may also aid in maximizing collagen formation in your skin and aids in preventing scarring (through the promotion of hyaluronic acid production).

Like in the combination of Chitosan and honey may amazingly enhance the rate of burn wounds in animal models. It can also reduce the bacterial load of skin infections. This sugar as an adhesive may also aid with air leakage from the lung and blood hemorrhages. This unique sugar is also beneficial for bone regeneration.

11. Improves the gut microbiome

Chitosan can improve your gut microbiome. The reason is that it is a dietary fiber and may promote the diversity of the gut microbiome. It can minimize swelling and inflammation in your gut without creating any damage to the other part of your body.

It maximizes anti-inflammatory cytokines in your gut (like T-regs and IL-10). 

This sugar, with the combination of collagen, may enhance oral tolerance. It may also aid with dry mouth. So, don't ignore this critical information and use Chitosan supplements after consulting with your doctor to improve your gut microbiome.

12. Maintaining health

It can prevent us from various diseases. Significant from them could be diabetes, cardiac disorders, or obesity. It can decrease our body weight. It maintains the ratio of fat to body weight. 

Along with weight reduction, it also reduces the HbA1c level in the human body that has been proven by the various clinical trial. Its Significant feature is that it can swell in the gut giving feel us to belly fill that causes the signal of no more eating. It destroys Triglycerides, Lowers fasting plasma glucose with an increase in faecal lipid level. 

It destroys high-density lipids in the human body that may lead to a reduction of risk to cardiac diseases. In some studies, it has been observed that a combination of chitosan with selenium boosts the secretion of insulin and insulin receptors in the human body. In patients of high cholesterol, it regulates the quantity of calcium, Magnesium, and Iron.

Side effects & precautionary measures in case of Chitosan

• Several studies highlighted that Chitosan might lead to particular serious effects involving fatigue, numbness or tingling in hands, constipation, and upset stomach. It may also minimize the absorption of essential nutrients like calcium and vitamins A, D, E, and K.
• On the other hand, Chitosan may also cause allergic reactions in individuals suffering from shellfish allergies.
• Because of the insufficient research, little is known about the safety of daily or long-term usage of this sugar. You should speak to your doctor before you utilize a natural product. 
• Certain products may not combine well with other medicines or natural products.
• It may interfere with specific lab tests. You should be conscious of talking with your physician about this and all drugs you are consuming. You must be careful if you are allergic to shellfish (lobster, clams, or shrimp).
• Be careful if you are consuming medicines to thin your blood. These are medicines such as warfarin (Coumadin) or enoxaparin (Lovenox). Also, speak to your doctor or medical health care provider if you have stomach issues.

Dosage and Preparation

There is not adequate scientific data to offer a suggested dose of Chitosan. 

But different studies are conducted to check its dosage. For example, in studies examining the impacts of Chitosan on weight loss, subjects took one gram 2-3 times regularly with a calorie-restricted diet.

 In other trials, a dose of 3 fiber pills or tablets comprising of Chitosan, ascorbic acid, and other micronutrients has been utilizing twice daily for three weeks.

The adequate dose for you may rely on factors involving your age, gender, and medical history. You should consult your doctor or healthcare provider to receive personalized advice.

What to Look For

Because of insufficient scientific support for its usage, Chitosan cannot be suggested for weight loss. If you want to shed your unwanted fats, it's significant to follow a healthy diet (involving a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits) and do regular exercise.

Do workouts that join an aerobic activity with strength training on a daily basis. You should improve your sleep hygiene, and managing your stress levels may also aid in promoting weight loss.

It is also incredibly significant to keep in mind that diet pills haven't been tested for safety, and dietary pills are mostly unregulated. In a particular situation, the product may provide doses that differ from the specified amount for every herb. In other situations, it may be contaminated with other substances like metals.

In the end, the safety of pills in pregnant females, nursing mothers, kids, and those with medical conditions or who are consuming medications has not been designed.

You may obtain further tips on utilizing supplements. Still, it is critical to remember that self-treating a health issue and avoiding or delaying standard care may have severe consequences. If you are thinking about using Chitosan, ensure to speak to your physician first.

Summary

It is a sugar that is usually received from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish that includes lobster, crab, and lobster.

Chitosan benefits are widely utilized for medicines. It is a chemically processed type of the chitin. Chitin can also be present in yeasts and mushrooms. Squid pens are the waste shell by-products of squid processing and are a cheap and renewable source of Chitosan. Its uses are numerous.

Chitosan is a good source of fiber that immensely aids one loses weight due to its high content of the insoluble fiber. They are also available as Chitosan capsules in the market. You can try these pills after taking the advice of your doctor and medical health provider to avoid severe consequences.