here's some info.....i have not taken it before, but I saw it on TV a Canadian show called Balance.... a Dr.Marla Shapiro host this show about health and she had this other doctor on talking about PGX......he was very impressed with it. By the looks of this article it's Canadian but I know there are lots of places to buy on line if you can't find it in a store.......here's a pic too.......it's a bit of reading but it sounds interesting!!
edit....i read the article in full again and it says it's available across North America!!
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Superfibre may be answer to battle of the bulge
Updated Fri. Oct. 29 2004 12:23 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Scientists say years of research have finally paid off in the creation of a natural, made-in-Canada fibre supplement that dieters can safely use in their battle against the bulge.
Numerous studies have shown that consuming fibre prior to a meal inhibits carbohydrate absorption, reduces cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and even induces some weight loss.
Although those health benefits have been known for years, the problem until now has been the large amounts of fibre needed to produce a meaningful effect.
In other words, consuming large amounts of fibre induced enough stomach discomfort to discourage repeating the process at the next mealtime.
With that in mind, researchers at the University of Toronto have been studying different fibre blends for close to a decade.
Now, they say they are confident their new water-soluble fibre blend is not only more effective than any other ever tested, it's also safe to use every day. The concoction is made of three compounds, with most of it coming from a Japanese root called Konjac Mannan, or glucomannan.
In one of a pair of related studies presented at the Canadian Diabetes Association this week, a study of 14 normal adolescents concluded that those who drank a smoothie made with PolyGlycoplex, or PGX, before eating consumed approximately 100 fewer calories than the others.
That reduced consumption would translate into a weight loss of 10 kilograms if maintained for full year. .
PGX can be bought at health food and nutrition stores -- in either powder or capsule form -- under the brand name, WellBetX.
When the fibre supplement is added to water, PolyGlycoplex absorbs up to 600 times its weight, its creators say, noting it is both thicker and more expansive than any other fibre blend ever studied.
That means dieters who add a small amount of PGX to meal replacement drinks, for example, would have the solution continue to expand in their stomach long after it's ingested.
And Rhonda Stevens says that after using the mix for seven months, she lost more than 30 pounds.
"I didn't lose the weight super fast," she told CTV News. "But it was constant, I lost something every single week."
"You can feel it fill up your stomach," she says, noting that is made her feel full for three to four hours. "And I feel awesome."
On top of the feeling of fullness -- which naturally cuts food cravings -- the creators of the PGX fibre blend say it would benefit not only dieters, but also those at risk of diabetes.
According to lead researcher Dr. Vladimir Vuksan, the studies also show test subjects' body fat dipping three per cent and cholesterol dropping 15 per cent.
"We found insulin sensitivity was improved by 40 per cent, which was fairly clinically significant," Vuksan told CTV.
Although the proprietary fibre blend is now being licensed for over-the-counter-sale, people hoping to derive some of its benefits are reminded that doctors tout the benefits of any additional fibre in the diet.
The U of T has begun licensing PGX fibre. Right now Natural Factors is the first company to have a licence to use it. It's available in a variety of products such as meal-replacement powder and pills.
However, anyone wanting to buy the main component root, which expands less in the stomach, can buy any product containing glucoman, or konjac mannan.
Products containing PGX can be found at all natural health product retailer operations throughout North America. They include:
- Natural Factors, SlimStyles Appetite Control Fibre Blend. Available in powder form. Each level 3.5. g scoop includes a PGX Proprietary Blend 2.5 g., and comes in different flavours.
- Natural Factors, WellBetX PGX. Comes in capsule form and contains konjac root extract.
With a report from CTV's Avis Favaro
