Does Chitosan Benefit the Kidneys and Are There Side Effects?

Chitosan is the name of a group of similar naturally-occurring molecules. There is some very preliminary evidence that chitosan's presence in your kidneys may provide benefits to these internal organs — especially for people with polycystic kidney disease.

Chitosan is the name of a group of similar naturally-occurring molecules. Scientists from many different fields are interested in these molecules because of their unique chemical properties.

Chitosan is sold as a supplement, and when taken as such, it may provide a moderate benefit to people with certain health issues. Research exploring its effect on your kidneys is still ongoing, but luckily, few side effects have been noted in the studies conducted so far.     

Chitosan doesn’t have a simple, well-defined molecular structure. Instead, it’s a combination of many different molecules. Each version can have its own unique properties and effects on your body. 

Chitosan is found in a variety of natural sources, like fungi and crustaceans. It’s very similar to another natural compound called chitin. Chitin is more common in nature, though, and chitosan is more easily dissolved by acids. This means that it has more widespread biomedical and industrial uses. 

Examples of the industries that use chitosan include: 

• Water treatment plants
• Pharmaceutical and biomedical companies
• Cosmetics manufacturers
• Food manufacturers — particularly in the vegetarian and vegan industries

Chitosan is also ingested as a dietary supplement in the form of a pill or powder. 

The first commercial chitosan was produced by chemically modifying chitin, which was more abundant. This modification process is still used today. 

There’s also a growing market for naturally produced chitosan, though. For the most part, this comes from fungi and sometimes the outer layers of some insects. The expansion of this market is fueled by the desire for healthy, vegetarian foods.

New studies are constantly being published on the ways that chitosan could impact your health. In the lab, the different constituents of chitosan have demonstrated significant anti-microbial properties. They seem to inhibit the growth of a variety of: 

• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Yeasts 

However, these effects have only been observed in a laboratory setting.  

So far there’s only enough research on humans to suggest that chitosan supplements are likely to slightly benefit people with: 

• High blood pressure. High chitosan doses seem to be able to lower your blood pressure for a short amount of time. Studies that paired chitosan with a low-salt diet seemed to better decrease blood pressure than the low-salt diet alone. This was true for both adult and elderly populations with some blood pressure issues. 
• High cholesterol. Evidence suggests that chitosan can help lower the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood. 
• Obesity. Chitosan supplements won’t perform any miracles in terms of your weight loss goals. Still, a meta-analysis of 14 different studies showed very mild — but technically significant — effects on weight loss when people took large doses of chitosan for a short period of time. For example, one study found that people lost an average of 3 pounds after taking chitosan for 90 days.     
• Physical wounds. Chitosan can be applied directly to a wound to help it heal faster. It may also help with problems like diabetic foot ulcers. Applying chitosan may decrease the size of the ulcers.  

There are four times as many patents filed for chitosan-related products than there are publications coming out with original research. This is because it’s being used in more and more applications across the biomedical and manufacturing worlds, and researchers are struggling to keep pace. 

One of the main medical uses for chitosan is as a method of drug delivery. It has a number of chemical properties that make it a uniquely good candidate for delivering certain medications, including:

• Antimicrobials
• Painkillers
• Anti-tumor agents
• Anti-inflammatories 

Most of the chitosan that enters your body eventually finds its way to your kidneys and exits your body through your urine. There is some very preliminary evidence that chitosan’s presence in your kidneys may provide benefits to these internal organs — especially for people with polycystic kidney disease.

The problem is that there is virtually no research demonstrating these effects on humans. Current evidence mostly comes from laboratory and animal models. Although there’s hope that this molecule will someday provide therapeutic benefits for humans with kidney problems, much more research will need to occur first. 

One human study did find that including chitosan in gum was able to lower phosphorus levels in the blood of dialysis patients, but the effect was only seen in certain patients, so researchers are still investigating this possible benefit. 

It’s important to keep in mind that long-term, large-scale use of chitosan in humans has not been thoroughly tested. More data is needed to ensure that it’s safe for a wide range of people to take at high doses for a long time. 

You should always talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement. There’s always a chance that a pre-existing condition could lead to complications, or the supplement may interfere with prescription medications. In the case of chitosan, there’s a particular risk associated with prescription blood thinners.

Always be cautious when you’re picking out a new vitamin or mineral supplement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate the supplement industry in the same way that it regulates approved medications. 

You need to find a trusted source so you know that you’re getting what you pay for. This is especially true when it comes to something like chitosan. Chitosan has a complex molecular structure and can be turned into a variety of different molecules. These can all have different effects on your health. Some of them may even have opposing effects. 

Talk to your doctor for the best, safest brand recommendations, and always seek immediate medical attention if you experience any unusual symptoms after trying a new dietary supplement.