White Kidney Bean

What this is. White kidney bean extract, a starch blocker. Taken with carb-heavy meals as part of a weight routine.

1,000 mg of white kidney bean extract per two-capsule serving, and that is the entire formula. The number is real and it is printed accurately. The caveat is not the number — it is that the human evidence behind this ingredient is limited and inconsistent.

What you are actually getting, per 2 capsules

• White Kidney Bean Extract (Phaseolus vulgaris; extract ratio not stated) — 1,000 mg

One line, one number, no standardisation printed. Worth knowing how these extracts are normally measured: by their alpha-amylase inhibiting activity rather than by weight, because two powders of identical weight can differ several-fold in activity. That activity is not stated on this panel. So 1,000 mg tells you how much extract is in the capsules, not how strong it is.

Worth knowing before you buy

1,000 mg sits inside the range human trials have used — published studies run from a few hundred milligrams to around 3,000 mg a day. That is why this is the one product in this part of our range we are willing to file under weight and metabolism. It is a statement about the dose being in the studied range, and nothing more than that.

The results are the weak part. Trials of white kidney bean extract are mostly small and short, and they disagree with one another: some report a modest difference against placebo, several report none, and the reviews that pool them call the evidence limited and inconsistent. So do we. If you buy this expecting an outcome, you are ahead of the evidence, and we would rather say that here than let the collection page say otherwise for us.

The ingredient is an alpha-amylase inhibitor. That is a description of what it does to starch in a test tube, not a promise about your month.

How to take it

Two capsules a day with water. Sixty capsules in the bottle, so one serving a day is 30 days. The panel gives no instruction about timing or food, so we are not going to invent one.

Other ingredients

The Supplement Facts panel supplied with this product does not list other ingredients, so the capsule shell is not stated. Gelatin shells are animal-derived and are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans; cellulose shells are. Because the panel is silent on which this is, we cannot tell you this product is suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and we are not going to guess. There is no allergen statement on the panel either. If either point decides the purchase for you, ask us before you order and we will read the bottle.

Cautions

The commonly reported effects of this ingredient are digestive — gas, bloating and loose stools — because starch that is not broken down carries on into the gut. If you take insulin or other diabetes medication, anything that changes how much starch you absorb is worth raising with your doctor before you start. It is made from beans, so avoid it if you have a legume allergy. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not exceed the recommended dose. If you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking prescription medication or living with a medical condition, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting this or any supplement.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.