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Adverse Effects of Carb Blockers

Fitness seekers look to various diets, pills, and exercise plans as means to a more attractive figure. Carbohydrate blockers are pills that inhibit amylase, the enzyme that digests carbohydrates. By preventing amylase from doing its work, "carb blockers" theoretically prevent the digestion of carbohydrates and instead carbohydrates pass though the body undigested. There is no agreement regarding the efficacy of carb blockers, but taking them can have unpleasant side effects.

  1. Reinforcing Bad Habits

    • Carb blockers are not a sure thing when it comes to weight loss. Exercise and healthy diet are the best ways to lose weight, but people who take carb blockers may mistakenly believe that they can eat without consequence. A 1982 "Time magazine" column -- which still applies today -- concerning carb blockers entitled "Block Those Starch Blockers" points out that "eating habits are not changed and indeed may get worse for those who figure the starch blocker will handle that extra slice of pizza."

    Flatulence

    • Many users of carb blockers may believe that a more attractive body type will get them social acceptance, but chronic flatulence may make that more difficult. Much of the digestion of carbohydrates occurs in the colon. When amylase prevents the proper digestion of carbohydrates, the person consuming carb blockers may experience bothersome gas. A New York University medical website cautions would-be users of carb blockers, "One side effect, however, is to be expected: flatulence. It is the amylase inhibitors in beans that are responsible for their notorious gassiness."

    Severe Intestinal Distress

    • A "New York Times" Ideas and Trends article reported in 2003 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration "ordered so-called starch blockers off the market." The column said, "Numerous complaints from consumers indicated that the pills can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea -- reactions predicted by nutritionists."

    Diabetes Complications

    • Carb blockers can cause complications for diabetics. Diabetics may be able to use carb blockers, but the University of California, San Francisco's Diabetes Education Online website warns that the drug can cause low blood sugar. It notes that the "drug blocks the breakdown of table sugar into single sugar units -- so you cannot absorb the glucose into your bloodstream!"

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