Study: PhaseLite Contributes to Weight Loss

KEARNY, N.J.According to a study, subjects taking a proprietary extract of the white bean, PhaseLite (Phase 2 Carb Controller®) lost significantly more weight than placebo after 12 weeks.

The study, the largest human study conducted to date, found 73.5 percent of the participants in the weight-management phase successfully maintained their body weight after 24 weeks.  

According to lead researcher Barbara Grube, M.D., the weight-management study was the first to show benefits for weight management. Study results were published in the journal Obesity.

We also discovered other secondary efficacy parameters," Grube said. For instance, after 12 weeks, the active group lost significantly more body fat mass and waist circumference compared to the placebo group. From this data, we conclude that the reduction in body weight was due to the loss of fat mass, instead of muscles. Improvement in body composition was also shown in the significant reduction in waist measurement in the active group compared to the placebo group."

Subjects also completed the Control of Eating Questionnaire (COEQ), which uses visual analogue scales to assess subjects feelings such as hunger, satiety and food cravings, according to Mathias Miller, chief scientific officer, InQphram, manufacturer of PhaseLite.

After 12 weeks, the active arm in the weight-loss study experienced a statistically significant decrease in their desire as well as in their frequency and strength of food cravings for chocolates and other sweet foods, whereas the placebo group experienced a significant increase in the difficulty in resisting particular types of food," Miller said.

In the double-blind weight loss phase, 123 subjects were randomized to receive either the bean extract or placebo. All subjects adhered to a mildly hypocaloric diet. Body weight and other body composition parameters were measured at baseline and every four weeks thereafter. During the single arm, open-label weight-management trial, energy intake of the 49 subjects was not controlled. Efficacy parameters were measured at baseline, week 12 and week 24.

These findings confirm Phase 2 not only reduces the absorption of calories from carbohydrates, but also helps to reduce food cravings for sweet foods and chocolates. This contributes greatly to the success of the weight loss regimen, as well as a happy and alert lifestyle," said Mitch Skop, senior director of new product development, Pharmachem Laboratories, developer of Phase 2 Carb Controller.

The studies were conducted in Berlin, Germany, and performed with the recommendations of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The research was supported by InQpharm Group, a global developer and marketer of natural compounds that have therapeutic properties in human and animal markets.