Introduction
Chitosan is a compound found in the shells of lobster, shrimp, and crab. It has been used to help control body mass and blood pressure. Chitosan can be taken as a pill or powder. It can also be applied with a bandage or gauze to improve wound healing.
Dosages
2 to 4 grams once daily.
What Research Shows
Likely Effective
- High blood pressure—likely to lower blood pressure over a short time when taken at a high dose B1
- High cholesterol—likely to lower total cholesterol C1, C2
- Obesity—likely to lower body weight and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol D1-D3
- Wound healing—likely to improve wound healing E1-E5
May Be Effective
- Diabetic foot ulcer—may reduce ulcer size and promote healing A1
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Safety Notes
It is likely safe to use chitosan on the skin and to take it orally in small doses for a short time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether it is safe to use for a long period. It is also not known whether it is safe to take by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Interactions
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse such as:
- People taking blood thinners should talk to their doctor before taking chitosan. It may interact with the medicine.
References
REFA A. Diabetic Foot Ulcers
REFA1 Totsuka Sutto SE, Rodríguez Roldan YI, et al. Efficacy and safety of the combination of isosorbide dinitrate spray and chitosan gel for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: A double-blind, randomized, clinical trial. Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2018 Jul;15(4):348-351.
REFB B. High blood pressure
REFB1 Huang H, Zou Y, et al. Quantitative assessment of the effects of chitosan intervention on blood pressure control. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;12:67-75.
REFC C. High Cholesterol
REFC1 Baker WL, Tercius A, et al. A meta-analysis evaluating the impact of chitosan on serum lipids in hypercholesterolemic patients. Ann Nutr Metab. 2009;55(4):368-374.
REFC2 Huang H, Zou Y, et al. Lipid-Modifying Effects of Chitosan Supplementation in Humans: A Pooled Analysis with Trial Sequential Analysis. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018 Apr;62(8):e1700842.
REFD D. Obesity
REFD1 Trivedi VR, Satia MC, et al. Single-blind, placebo controlled randomised clinical study of chitosan for body weight reduction. Nutr J. 2016;15:3.
REFD2 Lütjohann D, Marinova M, et al. Influence of Chitosan Treatment on Surrogate Serum Markers of Cholesterol Metabolism in Obese Subjects. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):72.
REFD3 Moraru C, Mincea MM, et al. A Meta-Analysis on Randomised Controlled Clinical Trials Evaluating the Effect of the Dietary Supplement Chitosan on Weight Loss, Lipid Parameters and Blood Pressure. Medicina (Kaunas). 2018 Dec 12;54(6). pii: E109.
REFE E. Wounds
REFE1 Mo X, Cen J, et al. An open multicenter comparative randomized clinical study on chitosan. Wound Repair Regen. 2015;23(4):518-524.
REFE2 Hu J, Fan D, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Sodium Hyaluronate Gel and Chitosan in Preventing Postoperative Peristomal Adhesions After Defunctioning Enterostomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Dec;94(51):e2354.
REFE3 Zhou JC, Zhang JJ, et al. Efficacy of chitosan dressing on endoscopic sinus surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2017 Sep;274(9):3269-3274.
REFE4 Liu J, Zeng Q, et al. Influence of chitosan-based dressing on prevention of synechia and wound healing after endoscopic sinus surgery: A meta-analysis. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2017 Nov 4;31(6):401-405.
REFE5 Ha T, Valentine R, et al. The efficacy of a novel budesonide chitosan gel on wound healing following endoscopic sinus surgery. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2018 Mar;8(3):435-443.