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White Kidney Bean Extract

White kidney bean extract is a concentrate from white beans that blocks alpha-amylase, an enzyme your gut uses to break starch into sugars. People mostly look at it for weight loss, and the evidence is moderate: meta-analyses of trials found modest drops in body weight and larger, more consistent drops in body fat. Most studies were small and fairly short, and the average weight change was only a kilogram or two, so the effect is real but modest.

Sources: PMID 22844674; PMID 29677119; PMID 32414090

Best evidence
Grade B
Conditions studied
3
Outcomes
6
Graded outcomes
0330

Evidence by condition

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

3 conditions, plus general outcomes

General

General: outcomes studied for White Kidney Bean Extract
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Body Weight

Two meta-analyses of RCTs found statistically significant weight loss with white kidney bean extract. Udani et al. (2018) reported -1.08 kg across 11 studies (n=573, p<0.00001). Onakpoya et al. (2011) found -1.77 kg across 6 RCTs (not significant for weight, but -1.86 kg fat loss was significant). Individual RCTs consistently show 2-3 kg weight loss over 4-12 weeks.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect11 studies600 people

Studies that measured body weight

and 1 more in the citations list

Postprandial Blood Glucose

Multiple human RCTs demonstrate reduced postprandial glucose spikes after starchy meals. Spadafranca et al. (2013) found lower glucose increments at 30 min (+15.4% vs +26.1%, p=0.04) with reduced insulin and C-peptide responses. Udani et al. (2009) showed a 34% reduction in glycemic index of white bread at 3000 mg dose (p=0.023). Feng et al. (2022) confirmed improved fasting and postprandial glucose in type 2 diabetics over 4 months.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect5 studies155 people

Studies that measured postprandial blood glucose

HbA1c

A single double-blind placebo-controlled RCT in 90 type 2 diabetes patients (Feng et al. 2022) found that 1.5 g white common bean extract daily for 4 months reduced HbA1c by 0.72%, improved HOMA-IR, and reduced prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The extract also remodeled gut microbiota, enriching beneficial SCFA-producing bacteria.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect1 study90 people

Studies that measured hba1c

Body Composition

Body Composition: outcomes studied for White Kidney Bean Extract
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Body Fat

Meta-analyses and multiple RCTs show significant reductions in body fat mass. Udani et al. (2018) meta-analysis found -3.26 kg fat loss (p=0.02). Onakpoya et al. (2011) reported -1.86 kg fat loss (p<0.05). Individual RCTs (Celleno 2007, Wang 2020, Jager 2024) confirm reductions in fat mass, subcutaneous fat thickness, and waist/hip circumferences while preserving lean body mass.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect6 studies400 people

Studies that measured body fat

Appetite Regulation

  • Appetite: improves
Appetite Regulation: outcomes studied for White Kidney Bean Extract
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Appetite

Several human studies suggest appetite-suppressing effects. Spadafranca et al. (2013) found suppressed ghrelin rebound and lower desire to eat (p=0.02) in a small acute RCT (n=12). Luzzi et al. (2014) reported improved satiety and decreased appetite alongside weight loss in 60 overweight subjects over 12 weeks. Rondanelli et al. (2011) found improved hunger susceptibility scores with a combination of P. vulgaris and artichoke extract.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect3 studies132 people

Studies that measured appetite

Cardiovascular Health

  • Triglycerides: improves
Cardiovascular Health: outcomes studied for White Kidney Bean Extract
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Triglycerides

Limited evidence suggests triglyceride reduction. Udani et al. (2004) found a trend toward triglyceride reduction (-26.3 mg/dL vs -8.2 mg/dL placebo, p=0.07) in a small 8-week RCT (n=27). Ramirez-Jimenez et al. (2022) found a 37.8% triglyceride decrease with a Phaseolus vulgaris-based snack bar in hypertriglyceridemic women (n=26, p=0.032), though this used a whole-bean food rather than pure extract.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect2 studies53 people

Studies that measured triglycerides

Key findings

  • Body WeightImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Body FatBody CompositionImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Postprandial Blood GlucoseImproves (the measure goes down)

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Third-party tested White Kidney Bean Extract products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.

  • Grade B

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Studies cited

16 studies from PubMed

  1. Proprietary alpha-amylase inhibitor formulation from white kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) promotes weight and fat loss: a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trialScientific Reports, 2024 · PMID 38830962
  2. White common bean extract remodels the gut microbiota and ameliorates type 2 diabetes and its complications: A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trialFrontiers in Endocrinology, 2022 · PMID 36303868
  3. Daily Intake of a Phaseolus vulgaris L. Snack Bar Attenuates Hypertriglyceridemia and Improves Lipid Metabolism-Associated Plasma Proteins in Mexican WomenFrontiers in Nutrition, 2022 · PMID 35719139
  4. Regular intake of white kidney beans extract (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) induces weight loss compared to placebo in obese human subjectsFood Science & Nutrition, 2020 · PMID 32180941
  5. It's No Has Bean: A Review of the Effects of White Kidney Bean Extract on Body Composition and Metabolic HealthNutrients, 2020 · PMID 32414090
  6. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of a Proprietary Alpha-Amylase Inhibitor from White Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on Weight and Fat Loss in HumansFoods, 2018 · PMID 29677119
  7. Weight reduction and maintenance with IQP-PV-101: a 12-week randomized controlled study with a 24-week open label periodObesity, 2014 · PMID 24006357
  8. Beanblock (standardized dry extract of Phaseolus vulgaris) in mildly overweight subjects: a pilot studyEuropean Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 2014 · PMID 25392114
  9. Phaseolus vulgaris extract affects glycometabolic and appetite control in healthy human subjectsBritish Journal of Nutrition, 2013 · PMID 23046862
  10. The efficacy of Phaseolus vulgaris as a weight-loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trialsBritish Journal of Nutrition, 2011 · PMID 22844674
  11. Appetite control and glycaemia reduction in overweight subjects treated with a combination of two highly standardized extracts from Phaseolus vulgaris and Cynara scolymusPhytotherapy Research, 2011 · PMID 21308825
  12. A proprietary alpha-amylase inhibitor from white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): a review of clinical studies on weight loss and glycemic controlNutrition Journal, 2011 · PMID 21414227
  13. Lowering the glycemic index of white bread using a white bean extractNutrition Journal, 2009 · PMID 19860922
  14. A dietary supplement containing standardized Phaseolus vulgaris extract influences body composition of overweight men and womenInternational Journal of Medical Sciences, 2007 · PMID 17299581
  15. Blocking carbohydrate absorption and weight loss: a clinical trial using a proprietary fractionated white bean extractAlternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2007 · PMID 17658120
  16. Blocking carbohydrate absorption and weight loss: a clinical trial using Phase 2 brand proprietary fractionated white bean extractAlternative Medicine Review, 2004 · PMID 15005645