Chitosan is a fiber-like product made from ground shrimp shells that inhibits fat absorption. It is not digestible and has the ability to absorb many times its weight in fats, preventing their absorption through the intestinal wall.

Recommendations: Chitosan comes in capsules and powders and should be taken just prior to eating a meal with fat content. Four to eight capsules per meal is the usual amount required to absorb adequate amounts of fat. Using simple chitosan for fat absorption is better than blends which do not contain enough of the compound to be effective.

Chitosan is a special fiber which is able to "soak up" or absorb anywhere from six to ten times its weight in fat and oils. In substance, it is chemically similar to the plant fiber, cellulose.

However, chitosan is able to significantly bind with fat molecules and convert them into a form which the human body does not absorb. It claims to affect the fat prior to it reaching the stomach and thus the fat never has a chance to be metabolized. It prevents the absorption and storage of fat by converting into a gel which "traps" the fat. In some sort, it creates a "grease ball" from this excess fat, which is too large to be absorbed by the body. It thus becomes an inert substance and is excreted in the stool.