Chitosan is taken from chitin, a polysaccharide that is found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans. From what I’ve heard it is processed by removing the shells from shellfish that would include shrimp, lobster, and crabs. They then take the shells and grind them into a pulverous powder. This powder is deacetylated, or in other words, stripped of specific chemical groups that allow the compound to actively “soak up fats.”
From what I’ve heard 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. It is chemically similar to cellulose which is fiber from a plant. Chitosan has been said to be able to significantly bind with fat molecules and convert them into a form which the human body does not absorb. Chitosan is 100 percent natural and when supplemented along with a healthy diet, it is able to help with weight loss and works as a cleansing process. I’ve heard that taking chitosan can also work as an appetite suppressant, although I don’t know how true that is. By taking chitosan I guess you don’t crave sugary or fatty foods as much so your body then turns to the fat already stored and begins to work on it.