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Liquid Chitosan

Chitosan has been around for ages. It is known throughout the world as a simple substance taken from chitin, a polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans. Chitin has long been considered as the nature’s second most abundant polymer. This is for the fact that it is not only found in shellfish but also found in insect shells and fungi cell walls.

Chitosa, a refined form of chitin, is produced or processed by removing the shells from shellfish. The shells are then ground into a pulverous powder, which is deacetylated or stripped of specific chemical groups allowing the compound to actively soak up fats.

There are a number of applications linked to chitosan. Because of these applications, chitosan is now marketed as a dietary supplement and is used to thicken foods, paints and makeup, and it even has promising applications as an artificial skin for burn victims.

Chitosan is manufactured in two forms: the dry and flakey product, and the liquid chitosan. Both of these forms are marketed as dietary aids, but it is actually the liquid chitosan which gained a lot of interest from the people. Perhaps a reason for this is liquid chitosan is said to eliminate clumping problems or stomach pains as it causes the fat to form into hundreds of tiny calorie-free beads that are far gentler on your digestive tract.

The liquid chitosan is often identified by its appearance, color, protein content, degree of deacetylation, viscosity, insoluble, and other factors. Here is a summary of these factors:

• Appearance: Liquid
• Color: Clear and yellow
• Protein Content: Less than 0.5 percent and often results to 0.14 percent if measured by Kjeldal method.
• Degree of Deacetylation: More than 90 percent with a result of 95 percent if measured through colloidal method.
• Viscosity: If you will prepare liquid chitosan by stirring 30 minutes, you can get a viscosity of about 50cps. You can measure it with Brookfield viscometer.
• Insoluble: Less than 0.5 percent insolubility if 20 grams of liquid chitosan is dissolved in 100 ml of distilled water.
• Heavy Metals (As and Pb): Less than 10ppm if measured through ICP analysis.
• pH: Liquid chitosan has a pH level of less than 5.5
• Odor: Liquid chitosan has actually no taste and smell

Today, liquid chitosan is commonly used as a weight loss supplement. Many of those who have used the flakey product have turned to the liquid form noting that liquid chitosan works better in the system than the flakey form. In fact, there was one report noting that a customer who once used the flakey form of chitosan developed gas and stomach pains. To avoid such unfavorable condition, she turned to using the liquid form.

There is a recently produced liquid form of chitosan that is said to eliminate this problem, and is even deemed two to three times more effective. According to certain reports, instead of forming large clumps, this liquid chitosan causes the fat to form into hundreds of tiny calorie-free beads that are gentler in your digestive tract. However, there is an important side note to the use of this liquid chitosan, that is, in addition to binding fats, it binds the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, making them unavailable to the body. This is the reason that most experts recommend a supplement with high-quality multivitamin.

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Liquid Calcium

If liquid calcium are said to be the more easily absorbed form of calcium supplements, why is it that there are still those who prefer the pill over it?

About 2% of one’s body weight is liquid calcium, making it the most widely-present mineral in the human body. Regardless of the fact that it is usually found in the bones, calcium is not restricted to a single function. In fact, it has several important roles in the various parts of a person’s body.

The heart, enzymes, and nerves all depend on calcium to carry out their functions in the bodily processes. That is why every individual needs to adhere to a certain level of calcium that will enable the body to function in its optimum level.

A deficiency in calcium does not only make one susceptible to suffer from osteoporosis or other bone-related diseases, but also from angina and various heart-related problems. A person’s calcium needs is mainly dependent on his sex and age. Older people, as well as those women who are in their menopausal stages, would require higher levels of calcium in their bodies.

It is hard for the body to absorb calcium from our diet. Hence, to be able to get enough, we turn to calcium supplements for help. The liquid calcium form is believed to be the one with the highest calcium absorption rate in the body. Some experts say this is because the liquid calcium supplements do not contain chemical coatings like BHA, Propylgalat, and BHT, which all act as the tablets’ binding agents.

Most liquid calcium supplements also contain magnesium, which is said to assist in the calcium absorption in the body. Fact is, calcium does not get utilized by the body all on its own. No matter how much calcium we have in our diet or in our supplements, they wouldn’t get to serve their purpose without the presence of other minerals like magnesium.

Note that with the pill supplements, you need to take them with a meal. The reason is that the stomach acids will then be able to break them down along with the meal, making it easier for the body to absorb them. With liquid calcium, there is no need to take it together with your food. It is however advisable to be taken just before going to bed as it can enhance one’s sleep.

Notwithstanding the form of supplement, we should keep in mind that taking in too much calcium is not at all safe. If we think we’ll have stronger bones and better health, we have been led to believe what is contrary.

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