Taking chitosan supplements for 24 weeks may lead to a tiny weight loss compared to a placebo, but this difference is too small to be meaningful for health.
Scientific Claim
Chitosan supplementation may lead to a small reduction in body weight compared to placebo in overweight and obese adults over 24 weeks, with a mean difference of -0.6 kg (P=0.03), but this effect is not clinically significant.
Original Statement
“In an intention-to-treat analysis with the last observation carried forward, the chitosan group lost more body weight than the placebo group (mean (s.e.), -0.4 (0.2) kg (0.4% loss) vs +0.2 (0.2) kg (0.2% gain), P=0.03) during the 24-week intervention, but effects were small.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
probability
Can suggest probability/likelihood
Assessment Explanation
The abstract reports a statistically significant but small effect, and the conclusion states it's not clinically significant. Using definitive verbs like 'resulted in' would overstate the claim; probabilistic language like 'may lead to' is more appropriate.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The effect of the dietary supplement, Chitosan, on body weight: a randomised controlled trial in 250 overweight and obese adults